In a talking head clip on cable TV (local news telecast) ex-CM Parrikar said in effect: "Around the world it is easier to drive a foreign power out of a place than to get the local military to pull out" adding, " I challenge you to give me even one example of the latter".
This is clearly a convenient cop-out by the guy who should have known better. He is obviously not in the least interested in taking on the military at Dabolim. Else he would have found that in the U.S. they have long had what is called BRAC (base realignment and closure) to shut and/or restructure bases on the mainland. Something of this kind is needed in India if Dabolim has to be relieved of the military jinx. Alternatively, Parrikar would have found that at a big tourist/military airport like Hawaii there is what is known as joint management of the base/international airport. In India there is a lot of talk about 'flexible airspace management'. Goa could have taken the lead in expediting the materialisation of this arrangement which is acutely needed nationally today. These are some of the areas a Goa CM would be expected to know something about and pursue with the Centre. But it would presume they have, to begin with, a lively vision about the central importance in this day and age of airports to the economy and society of a city and region.