Dear Dr.Gilbert,
Please get your facts right. Ms. Maria Aurora Couto has resigned/ not
accepted her nomination to the People's MANIFESTO COMMITTEE that was being
set up by the INC [Congress Party] to draft its Party manifesto for the
upcoming election to the Goa legislative Assembly. It was..and is...headed
by the former MLA Adv. Uday Bhembre.
'Congress party' and 'Government of Goa' are two separate entities. the
Govt. is not even a single party Govt., it is a coalition/collision govt.
In my opinion, Maria Aurora Couto did the only sensible thing that a good
person ought to do...REFUSE TO ASSOCIATE with Evil . She did not remain
SILENT...she spoke out. there is a difference between the two.
Had she remained with the Bhembre-led committee during the take-off, there
might have been no landing. Even Kalpana Chawla's story had a beter
ending...it did not land in the cess pool.
For evil to prevail all it needs is for the good to grin and bare it! There
are enough men, women and wimps in the Congress to do it.
Mog asundi.
Miguel
From: Gilbert Lawrence
Subject: [Goanet] Planning Committee for Goa
I was very disappointed to read Mrs. Aurora Couto resigning from the
planning committee for Goa, which is being set up by the government. For
evil to succeed, all it takes is for good people to stay silent and
distant. This was a golden opportunity for a writer and a vocal critic of
events in Goa to present the views where and when it counts. Now all I
read is criticism of the committee and its chairman by the Christaum
Goenkars.
In the US, we say, "we do not want to be at the landing" (being
informed when it is a 'fait accompli'). "We want to be at the take off" (to
shape and charter the course). Perhaps the action, even at highly
educated levels, is what differentiates Goans for others.
Tragically Mrs. Couto action (applauded by a few others) reflects the
Goan ethos: "Unable to translate the talk into actions", because of some
actual or potential criticisms.
I hope Mrs. Couto can reverse her decision.
Regards, GL
Mog asundi,
MIGUEL BRAGANZA, Mhapsa
Horticulturist/Editor/Columnist
Botanical Society of Goa
