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IN FACT, CORRUPTION HAS LED TO COMMUNALISM IN GOA, SAYS GOA SU-RAJ At sea for 25 years, Floriano Lobo saw the ship of Goa floundering badly when he returned. With his team, this Moira-based 54-year-old thought of forming the Goa Su-Raj as an answer. Running his construction firm out of his village since the mid-nineties, the former radio officer is one of the Goa professionals and businessmen who feels something has to be done. Fast. Fighting a tough battle as a new, small party, the Goa Suraj president says: "Our candidates' legs are swollen, I pity them. They're doing door-to-door campaigning silently on their own. The party cannot give them any support except for a few banners." Lobo, who once fought a battle against noise pollution, explains the issues behind the high-decible election campaign, as his party sees it, to FREDERICK NORONHA: ----------------------------------------------------------------------- FN: You have some good candidates, some of your programmes sound catchy. But probably I too might have not voted for Goa Suraj, fearing a wasted vote. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Voting for a winner is following the herd mentality. People should vote to change the system, and not get bogged down in the same, old corrupt (and of late, communal) system. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- FN: Of corruption and communalism, which do you'll consider the greater evil. Or are both equally bad? ----------------------------------------------------------------------- We consider that corruption has led to communalism. Corruption in the Congress and opportunist parties like the NCP -- specially people like Dr de Souza -- are responsible for the rise of BJP rule in Goa, which would have never been otherwise possible. So, both have to go. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- FN: Isn't money power a major opponenent for any smaller party in the fray? ----------------------------------------------------------------------- We want to eventually root out money power, which is lavished in elections, wasted on banners, posters, flags, rallies, loud-speaker vans. Our next election campaign is going to be a very silent one, without the use of this paraphernalia. Our election process will start very early; in fact it has already started (for the next time round). ----------------------------------------------------------------------- FN: Have you'll learnt any surprising lessons during this campaign? ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Our Benaulim candidate was threatened and pressurised. But this is not the first time. We've been in politics and elections (not as a party though) for long, and know exactly what happens. How money flows, and at what stage of the campaign. On the second-last and last day of the campaigns, virtually on election eve. We wouldn't be bothered about that. It is only meant to cater to the confirmed vote banks, and those who are sought to be swayed. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- FN: On what basis does the voter make up his or her mind, would you say? ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Voters are very, very elusive entities. The affluent voters are not bothered with voting; you really have to give them a strong motive to vote. The middle-class thinking voters are passive. Confused maybe. In this election, the voter is being given an option to throw out communal forces at the cost of accepting corruption. This is a ploy. Basically, every election comes with a ploy. About 25-30% of the electorate is a confirmed vote-bank of different parties. Some percentage could switch at the last moment, when lured with heavy packets, or items like TVs or sarees. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- FN: Reducing elections to a one-point issue seems counter-productive from the voter's perspective. Would you agree? ----------------------------------------------------------------------- In the past too, there were these ploys put out. In 1999, the Congress was given a mandate on the basis of the promises of having a six-member Cabinet and clean faces. Before that, it was (emotive) issues like language. Everything has been reduced to a single-point agenda. This time, it is a fear-psychosis of communalism, vis-a-vis what happened in Gujarat. This is something that can never happen in Goa. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- FN: One view is that the BJP is supporting smaller parties to split the vote. Charges have come up against the UGDP. Your comment? ----------------------------------------------------------------------- That could be a fact, but we don't have any proof. But a person of Parrikar's manoeuverability would resort to something like that.... ----------------------------------------------------------------------- FN: Frankly, how many votes do you expect? ----------------------------------------------------------------------- We want to clear the mark of valid votes needed to gain reconition as a state party. This is about 23,000 votes or two seats. We expect more than two seats. Why not? Let us be optimistic. Our chances are good in Santa Cruz, Loutolim, Calangute... ----------------------------------------------------------------------- FN: What if you'll do badly? Some of your good people who have been fighting issues like mal-governance and taking stands on corruption could get cynical? ----------------------------------------------------------------------- No. We have come to say. This election is just a ... (starting). We could have sat down and done nothing (since it came so speedily on us). We are a fighting force, and want to be there. We've taken up this venture without having the time to even build up grassroot support. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- FN: Considering some of your backgrounds -- you'll are not the type who get activated only for elections -- wouldn't it make more sense to taken on a non-party strategy? What about a regional alliance? ----------------------------------------------------------------------- When we formed this party, we started debates as to the best form of tackling Goa's ills. One option was a super pressure-group. Political involvement was another option. We decided the best way to tackle the corrupt people in power was to give them a challenge in their own field. This time, there was a good chance for that. If the Congress, MGP, UGDP, CPI, CPM, Goa Suraj, Goa Vikas Party had all sat on a table, evolved a programme of sharing, we had an absolutely good chance. But the major prties are selfish. They have rivalries within themselves too, the so-called national parties. They showed smaller parties like Goa Suraj total scorn. They never considered the nuisance value we coudl create. We would have been satisfied with even two seats in an alliance, instead of contesting eight independently. (ENDS) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-W-E-B---S-I-T-E-=-=-= To Subscribe/Unsubscribe from GoaNet | http://www.goacom.com/goanet =================================================================== For (un)subscribing or for help, Contact: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Dont want so many e=mails? Join GoaNet-Digest instead ! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Help support non-commercial projects in Goa by advertizing!! * * * * Your ad here !!
