WIDE VIEWS http://wideviews.blogspot.com
This is my new weblog, from outside Goa, about Goa. Attached my first posting on "Government & Ministers: three observations". I hope to have your comments and start a constructive debate about the future of Goa. Thank you. Constantino Hermanns Xavier --- Saturday, June 11, 2005 Government & Ministers: three observations I have been postponing for too long my comments on what is happening at the political level in Goa. The drama, theatre and circus (all in the negative understanding) of Goan politics seem to worsen day by day. That makes it difficult to make any comment or analysis. It is like a dense jungle, especially for me, without having a past of living in Goa, neither being there presently. Where to start? There is a new government in place now in Goa. Let me start by three simple observations. A simple but clear start, I hope. First, is it my imagination or is there a growing public exposure and acceptance of caste and social hierarchies as criteria to form a government in Goa? I don't remember Goan media referring so openly to the caste of politicians and its importance during and after the election campaign. Perhaps it is just something which has always been present and has only now come up to the public surface. Perhaps it is not longer considered as a taboo. But perhaps it is also a mere return to the cultural and tribal impulses of man. Our need of allegiances and loyalty to social or territorial symbols � in this case a politician. That is a recurrent theme in globalisation: social homogenisation prevails and cultural differences seem to erode, but suddenly there is also a revival of ethnicity, of locality and of tribalism (self-determination movements, ethnic minorities, post-modern urban tribes etc.). My question is only if this present emergence of caste-criteria is anyhow linked to this globalisation phenomenon. Why now? Why so important? Second, as a consequence of the first point, while forming a government, the priorities seem to be set wrong. For the last days there has been a huge pressure and excitement about the new government, almost every MLA (BJP ones probably included�) trying to get a ministerial post. But have we seen any comment, any analysis, any discussion about the profiles and specific qualities of the candidates? Of their capacity to take over a certain responsibility and truly develop Goa? About their academic or professional curriculum? With the emergence of ministerial cabinets in 19th century Europe there was a consensus that ministers should be specialists in their areas. Today � I have to concede � we move closer to ministers with a technocratic and bureaucratic profile, merely coordinating the structure they command. Yet, in Goa, neither one or the other orientation seem to be in place. Ministers remind me the feudal lords in late medieval Europe, looking for a bright room in the king's court. Or the hundreds of Indian marajas in the pre-independence period, desperately looking for British friendship. Now that the puppets have been put on stage, only now, we will see what clothes they will wear. And, as we know, they love to change clothes all the time. It would be interesting to have a previous public or political debate about whom which clothes suit best. Third, a very brief but important point. Is it normal to have a Legislative Assembly with one lone female MLA among 40 elected representants? I am generally not in favour of quotas for minorities but in this case I am tempted to establish a parallel between the abysmal under-representation of women MLA's (2,5%) and the jungle-law of Goan politics. A perspective which can be strengthened by looking at the average age of the elected MLA's. Women and youth being excluded from Goan politics, I can only attempt two conclusions. A) there is no hope as the political structure s taken over indefinitely by male and old dinosaurs. Or B) There will necessarily be a change, because there cannot be such a tremendous gap in democracy, where elected representants should � at least in theory � mirror the elector's diversity and interests. http://wideviews.blogspot.com
