A strong, vocal and constructive opposition is the key to the success of any democracy. Unfortunately in Goa most voices of opposition have been stifled and silenced thanks to the shrewd and tactical manoeuvring by our IIT genius, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar who spends most of his time monitoring the Opposition and devoting little time to planning Goa's development.
Unless we have a healthy opposition the future of Goa is bleak. Today most of the local Press has been manipulated and muzzled by the Chief Minister. One could safely but sorrowfully conclude that freedom of press does not prevail in Goa. So why bother to have any newspapers at all? Let's wind them all up and Mr. Parrikar could circulate his Official Gazette to every Goan to convey his vision. This is what we get from most of the local newspapers anyway. Today Goa's Opposition in the Legislature lacks an investigative and research mechanism. They are unable to counteract the imaginative claims and off the cuff figures Mr. Parrikar fires out in the Legislative Assembly. The opposition has enough MLAs to have a shadow cabinet to effectively expose the misdeeds of the Government. But unfortunately some of the Opposition voices are safely sealed in Parrikar's coffers. Freedom does not exist even within Parrikar's Ministry. A cabinet is reshuffled after evaluating each Minister's performance. In Goa Chief Minister Parrikar may never have to effect any reshuffle as he runs and controls every Ministry. The Ministers do not have to perform and can take no independent decisions as Mr. Parrikar's word always prevails. However he has allowed the Ministers a free hand to engage in corruption and any illegal activity of their choice as long as they do not conspire to de-throne him. With the Chief Minister professing to know everything about anything, running the whole show and having concentrated all power in his hands some of the Ministers are never even heard of and are merely symbolic puppets on paper. Is the Water Resources Minister Filipe Neri Rodrigues still around one wonders? We only hear of Urban Development Minister Digambar Kamat who is a former Congressman. I am surprised though that a relatively secular person like Digambar has stuck with the saffrons for so long. Even a random DNA check would reveal that he is more Congress than saffron. Knowing that Digambar Kamat may be aspiring for the Chief Minister's chair, Parrikar may remove the hindrance by launching Kamat into national politics and luring him to contest the next Lok Sabha elections. By doing this Parrikar would also settle scores with his daggers drawn for, the current South Goa BJP MP Ramakant Angle. Parrikar has not brought decorum but disgrace to the high office of the Chief Minister. His conduct has been a matter of great concern. He expects every one to fall at his feet, toe his saffron line and wear the Khaki shorts he is so comfortable in. Some may have and are hovering around Mr. Parrikar. But to their dismay the Chief Minister wears no shoes, so what do they polish? Parrikar's knows what carrots and sticks to offer his opponents. He cannot expect everyone to subscribe to his communal and casteist ideology. He runs an administration of vengeance and victimization to anyone who dares challenge him. I am fortunate that in my profession I am not at the mercy of the Government. The Chief Minister would have settled scores with me if I had any aspirations to any judicial position. But with no such ambition on my agenda this gives me all the freedom to expose the Chief Minister's secret plans that is doing long-term damage to Goa's secular fabric. I have all the freedom that Mr. Parrikar had when he was the leader of the Opposition. One has to be ready to openly and fearlessly speak out. And to maintain my independence I declined the Chief Minister's offer of the post of Vice Chairman of NRI Facilitation Centre, as I had no intention to be another one of Mr. Parrikar's lackeys. If I had any ambition in politics I would have taken on the Chief Minister in any constituency of his choosing in the next elections. But as politics today has become a business and not a mission and given my irrevocable decision to never contest any election all I could challenge the Chief Minister is to a public debate on issues concerning Goa and Goans. He can be assured of all the right punches in this Big Fight. Maybe we could schedule it for October 24th, the third anniversary of your misrule, if that suits you, Mr. Chief Minister. Aires Rodrigues, Ribandar ########################################################################## # Send submissions for Goanet to [EMAIL PROTECTED] # # PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), and avoid top-posts # # More details on Goanet at http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ # # Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to reflect respect to others # ##########################################################################
