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Just back from Goa after a brief trip. I attended the Lok Shakti convention. Definitely, Datta Nayak is a breath of fresh air in Goan politics; I was happy to meet a whole lot others at the convention: Roland Martins, Floriano etc. Lots of problems are plaguing Goa. The recent demolition at Baina is in bad taste, because it was done without any due diligence as to what had to demolished and what not. Another big problem that still persists is that of River Princess. Apparantely, the govt. does not have the gumption to take on the Salgaonkars, and those who actually try to do something themselves get knocked off, like what our man Micky Pacheco has realized. I think people have to agitate for removal of River Princess and we cannot let big mining lobbies hijack our beaches. Lok Shakti is just born and has a long way to go. However, my gut feel now is that the people's movement in Goa is crossing a threshhold and will show results soon. The fact that BJP was dislodged in South Goa is a good sign. It is important to join hands for like minded people in the next elections so that neither the BJP nor the Congress can do what they please. As Rajan Narayan put it in his last column, even if 5 to 6 seats can be won, it can put one in a strong negoitating position, as the others being power hungry would come to make deals with you. regards, Samir Kelekar Bangalore
