Its election time. The predictions of the poll
pundits may be more accurate. But as a voter one could
make a few analysis about Goa's political scene Vis a
Vis the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.
At least the North of Goa will not be gripped by poll
fever, as the BJP has cleverly been able to ensure
confusion and chaos within the opposition parties.
Polling day may be hot and humid but we may not see
any of the political heat that will prevail in most
other states. As things stand today it should be a
cakewalk for the BJP candidate from North Goa, my
friend and fellow Ribandarite Mr. Sripad Naik. The
situation in the South is still fluid with Ramakant
Angle likely to edge Churchill Alemao.
The Congress Party over the past few weeks could not
come up with a single decent candidate for the North
Goa seat. They all kept complaining of aches and
pains. Physical or financial one can only guess. The
party kept hoodwinking the public that one of the
potential candidates needed medical clearance. The
Congress party is already in doldrums. Its time to
send all its MLA's with heart ailments on compulsory
retirement. Goa's problems being very pressing we need
good-hearted people to get this state moving in the
right direction.
It may look surprising as to how such a communal and
fundamentalist party like the BJP was able to spread
its roots so fast in Goa, a place where just a few
years ago it could not have dreamt of making its
presence felt. It would be worthwhile for all the
leaders of various political parties to introspect and
see as to how each one of them has for their selfish
interests helped the BJP ride to power.
The BJP's rise in Goa started with them mating the
MGP. In the process they ate into the major chunk of
the MGP vote leaving the party today in total
disarray. The BIP later befriended Dr Willy De Souza
who helped the party broaden its base. If Dr Jack
Sequeira is the father of the Opinion poll, Dr Willy
De Souza could be safely coined as the grand father of
all political defections in Goa. Dr Willy has over the
years crossed and criss-crossed political parties,
gave birth to some and it was always to achieve his
personal goals and satisfy his unflinching ego. His
entire political career has evolved around I, Me and
Mine syndrome.
The BJP had conveniently cashed on Dr Willy 's
weakness for power and even thrust upon him a post of
cabinet rank as Vice Chairman of the Goa Planning
Commission conveniently keeping him without any power
but a symbolic position which the politically over
mature politician only recently realised and gave up
the position. A gesture a bit too late. Dr Willy is
still playing to the BJP tunes and he knows with his
age advancing he has nothing to lose.
The one person who could be singularly responsible to
permit Mr. Manohar Parrikar to ascend to the Chief
Minister's chair is Francisco Sardinha who though
claiming to be a woman's man got royally screwed up by
the saffrons he so dearly befriended. And Mr. Parrikar
timed it so well and allowed Sardinha to go on a
kangaroo ride to Australia only to return to a kingdom
without any power.
The UGDP is another party that has allowed the BJP to
further consolidate its position. Its secular
intentions were in question when they decided to
support the BJP. Issue based support or money based
support it's for the people of Goa to judge.
Pratapsingh Rane has had the last laugh. He is the
Leader of Opposition but is under BJP�s remote
control. In the last assembly he managed to remain as
Speaker and sleep on the disqualification petitions
while Chief Minister Parrikar consolidated his
position as Chief Minister. Even today he continues as
Chairman of Kala Academy while his wife Vijaydevi
continues to head the Bal Bhavan.
Manohar Parrikar has been able to nurture and keep his
agents and informants within the inner precincts of
all political parties. In fact these elements are a
bigger asset to Parrikar being in the other parties
than having them officially in the BJP. They play to
the saffron tunes anyway.
Congress has to be blamed for its total state of
disarray. It's Chief Ministers and ministers have
amassed hoards of wealth and built their business
empires within their short stints in office. What the
Congress never was is communal but the current BJP
regime besides being very corrupt is also so communal,
which is a matter of great concern.
It was expected that Vijay Mallya's Janata Party would
have turned the election spirits high. But the King of
good times may have rightly sensed that pouring the
Kingfisher in Karnataka may be a wiser proposition to
avoid the political hangover he may have had to
undergo in Goa.
I have had the privilege of interacting with all the
Chief Minister's since Goa's liberation. I would say
Goa's first Chief Minister Dayanand Bandodkar though
not an IIT had all the wit, candor and skills a Chief
Minister ought to have. He was a friend of the common
man and a saviour for the Bahujan Samaj. The current
Chief Minister in the name of the Bahujan Samaj has
been systematically uplifting a particular section of
the majority community.
I had to participate in of student agitations against
the second Chief Minister of Goa Shashikala Kakodkar.
She too was caring and understanding and would herself
serve me a meal at the dining table whenever I visited
her though I never compromised on issues and
principles I stood for. She was never revengeful.
Manohar Parrikar would have crushed all student
activism in a day. I don't blame him for he professes
the diktats of a fascist party.
Pratapsingh Rane had a long innings as Chief Minister.
He conducted himself with decorum and dignity but if
one sees his selfish conduct as Leader of Opposition
today all his good work is in vain. Dr Willy's brief
stints in power showed that the otherwise master
surgeon's moves lacked political precision.
Ravi Naik�s, Luizinho Faleiro and Francisco Sardinha
stints as Chief Minister are commendable. Theirs is a
sheer story of from rags to riches. Dr Barbosa as
Chief Minister was witty but Churchill Alemao though
just a few days in office, his humour will keep us
regaled for years to come.
What baffles me is that Goans do not realize the
long-term effects the current Saffronisation of Goa
will have on this otherwise secular state of ours.
Individuals of the minority communities are being
hoodwinked by being offered perks and crumbs of the
pie to project a wrong image of the otherwise communal
party. Even some priests have not been able to resist
the temptation and have fallen prey. They may be
wearing a white cassock but are definitely in saffron
undergarments.
The BJP started the saffronisation of Goa with the
police force. The chief Minister knew how vital the
goodwill of the police is at all times especially
election time. With this in mind they started
recruiting in droves from the saffron cadres. Julio
Ribeiro has time and again made very good suggestions
as to how to improve the working of the Goa Police.
His advice has been in vain.
Its common knowledge that the police officers have to
bribe their way to get strategic postings otherwise
you are consigned to the barracks of Goa Reserve
police at Althinho. Every minister also posts his blue
eyed boy or girl officer at the police station in his
area. This helps the minister to manipulate things to
harass his political opponents and blessing all the
crimes committed by his workers and chums.
Murders and daylight dacoities have become a regular
phenomenon in this otherwise tranquil state of ours.
IFFI will just add to our vows. Over the years Goa has
been projected as the key tourist destination of the
country. Has the time come to let the world also know
that Goa is also the safest place to commit crimes and
get away with them if you can befriend a Minister or
an influential politician?
It's an irony that though our number of police force
has drastically increased so has the crime rate. So
may be its time for the authorities to do some
introspection to see what's going wrong. Are the
police hand in glove with the criminals? Then, cutting
down the police force may bring some law and order to
our streets.
Law and order is a key to prosperity and well being of
any society. A small state like Goa could have
maintained its peace and tranquility but the ground
realities are a matter of concern. If no immediate
corrective steps are taken we may reach a point of no
return. The Government should ponder and investigate
the causes of crime. Unless we have the vision and
spine to get to the root of the problem any
superficial steps would be mere cosmetic and would not
provide long-term results.
The framers of our constitution had envisaged one set
of laws for all regardless of caste, creed, and
financial or political strengths. Unfortunately today
you can manipulate things depending on your muscle
power and political patronage if you have the
financial clout. In reality we have one set of laws
for the rich and powerful and another for the weak and
vulnerable.
In elections every vote counts. My single vote is
precious to me. I will have to choose between my
colleague and very articulate leader of my student
days Adv. Sameer Bandodkar who is contesting as a Shiv
Sena candidate and my co-villager and friend of many
years Sripad Naik. It's going to be a tough choice and
a brain wrecking exercise. Maybe a beer on election
eve (not courtesy Dr Mallya) may help smoothe the
decision but it will be secret and sealed indeed.
Aires Rodrigues
Ribandar
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