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I felt that it was my duty to call up Dr. Wilfred D'Souza to congratulate him on his elevation to the post of Dy. Chairman of the Planning Board. As usual, Dr. Willy was robust in his acknowledment of my congratulatory wishes. "Doctor", I said, "I would like to say a few things which is our evaluation of this particular event and I would like you to please listen without interruption and then you may make your comments. Manjoor hai??" "Our evaluation means evaluation of Su-Raj??" he shot back. "Yes, Su-Raj and maybe perhaps others who are ours and your good friends" I said. "Go ahead, I'll listen" he said. It was a victory for me of sorts, for Dr. Willy is a difficult man on the listening part. So I started. (Just to make sure that whatever I wanted to say was said, I had written down the points.) 1. Last election, when I asked you to withdrawn your candidate from Aldona, you told me to withdraw mine. The reason you gave was that I will be helping the BJP to win. You asked me if I wanted the BJP to rule Goa. I had replied to you saying that the BJP would be prefered in Aldona but not NARVEKAR. That you will be helping this crook to win , whom we don't want. 2. Manohar Parrikar was the guy who blackened your NE-118 with shoe polish. Now he has inducted Balenos and Esteems. 3. You could be persuaded to take up the post because perhaps Manohar Parrikar may have found a skeleton or two in you cupboard. 4. Your taking up this post and/or joining Parrikar, you have neutralised the opposition. 5. Come next RSS parade at Campal, we expect you to march alongside Manohar Parrikar doning the black Nehru topi and the khaki shorts. 6. You have ended your well groomed and respectable political career for a few pieces of Silver. You will go down in the history of Goa as the Judas scientist politician who missed his calculations to give Goa to RSS. There where a few interruptions in between, but I did manage to put accross all observations. Interruptions like Dr. Willy finished the sentence for me after the Nehru topi for one, he justified his accepting the post in the same manner that Rane being the Opposition leader has accepted the Kala Academy post along with a post for his wife, and he readily agreed on the shoe polish affair. I shall not go into the details of the conversation that followed but let me say that it was one long conversation which ended on a positive note. Cheers Floriano Aires wrote: > We will soon be celebrating Diwali, the festival of lights. But we seem to > be getting a step closer towards darkness, day by the day. Now Chief > Minister Parrikar has been able to manipulate Opposition MLA, Dr. Wilfred > De Souza, to accept the post of Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission. > The BJP has been able to isolate and silence another voice of the > Opposition. It is not surprising that Dr. Wilfred has been silent in recent > weeks. We now know why and feel uneasy. > > Dr De Souza, a vociferous opponent of the Chief Minister, was not long ago > stabbed in the back by the same Parrikar. He has now fallen prey to the > temptations of a position that would give him the privileges and perks of a > Cabinet rank. Without Power, politicians cannot keep their heads in place > and the veteran Dr De Souza has proven that he is no exception. > > Saligao the constituency from where Dr Wilfred hails is known for its > foxes. But this time it is cunning Parrikar who by his frequent recent > visits to Dr Wilfred's residence was able to diagnose the Doctor's > weakness and aptly prescribe the Doctor a position that would remove one > thorn from the BJP�s side. > > Chief Minister Parrikar did not offer Dr Wilfred the position because of his > planning skills or for the love of the veteran politician. His sole motive > is to ensure that Dr Willie is not a party in planning any move to > de-stabilise the Parrikar outfit, an art Dr Wilfred has mastered over the > years. > > In subverting the opposition, Mr Parrikar has been playing a very crafty > game. To soothe Mr Rane, the Opposition leader, he has retained him as > the Chairman of the Kala Academy and also allowed Madame Rane to continue > as Chairperson of Bal Bhavan. > > Only a healthy and strong opposition can ensure a good government. But with > Parrikar having systematically terrorised every opposition voice we are just > drifting away from the democratic principles enshrined in our Constitution. > > After the May 30th elections it was hoped that people like Mathany Saldanha > would make a difference. But events are proving to the contrary. And now > with Dr Wilfred having crossed the floor, one feels dismayed. > > When Parrikar was in the Opposition he screamed about Ministers making > overseas trips. Today his Ministers are zigzagging the world. Very soon his > Tourism Minister will lead the Goan entourage to the World Travel Mart in > London, something Mr Parrikar vehemently opposed whilst in Opposition. > > Mr Parrikar has over the last two years systematically saffronised almost > every department of the Goa administration. He has flushed out secular > forces from key positions. Mr Parrikar can fool no one by claiming to be > secular in having a token Sanjit Rodrigues, Allan D'Sa or Elvis Gomes > within the ranks. These symbols disguise none. And Mr Parrikar's enforcement > of his communal RSS ideology is out there for people to see. It is only sad > that some will realise when it is too late. > It's already late anyway! > > Aires Rodrigues > Ribandar ---------------------------------------------------------- What's On In Goa: * Oct 26-Oct 30: Painting exhibition, Kala Academy art gallery. * Oct 28: Panjim Passport Office shifts to new EDC Complex premises. * Oct 29-31: Sale of polytechnic trainees garments, Govt Polytech, Panjim * Oct 29-31: Films on architect Le Corbusier, Goa Col. of Architecture * Nov 1-17: Swimming classes for children, others. SAG pool, Fatorda * Nov 1: Antonio Costa's painting exhibition, Fundacao Oriente 6.30pm * Nov 4: Book release, on Dr Gama Pinto, Lourdes Convent Saligao ----------------------------------------------------------
