The sordid happenings at Pathankhot over the last few days should be an eye
opener. India desperately needs a full time, dedicated and competent
Defence Minister. The current incumbent who also merrily doubles up as the
de- facto Chief Minister of Goa over the weekends has failed to ably lead
the defence forces. His priority has been to keep himself embroiled in
Goa’s petty municipal and panchayat politics. Manohar Parrikar
relishes in inaugurating
roads, culverts, all and sundry while lowering the esteem and honor the
very high position of Defence Minister entails.
Not long ago while Narendra Modi was inking the Rafale fighter jet deal in
France his Defence Minister was inaugurating a mobile fish stall in
Goa. When Modi went to Russia to sign the chopper deal, Manohar Parrikar
was nowhere in sight. Probably, Modi chose to leave his Defence minister
behind, lest he commits a gaffe.
After his disastrous three year tenure as Chief Minister of Goa, the
awfully ego puffed Manohar Parrikar has ended up over the last year a
catastrophe as Defence Minister of India. He has become a laughing stock
and object of ridicule. It is high time Narendra Modi sees the writing on
the wall and realises that India frantically needs a sincere, honest,
competent and level headed Defence Minister.
The complete incorrect picture about Pathankhot that was sought to be
given, that all operations were over, within a couple of hours, with some
BJP MPs, going public in praising the Government, only to be exposed as
falsehoods. The immature handling of the entire operation and the selective
press leaks, still could not heal the damage done by the incompetent
Defence Minister. For Manohar Parrikar, now to come out and claim that
there were "some gaps" is nothing but confirming that the gap is caused due
to his absence from Delhi on account of his regular hobnobbing in Goa.
Mere fact that Manohar Parrikar supported Narendra Modi for his anointing
as Leader and future PM, ought not to have allowed Modi to lose his balance
with this vital appointment. The position as Defence Minister is surely,
not a Chairmanship of a Corporation. Nor is it for someone who seeks to
play the role of a cowboy.
Manohar Parrikar gave us all those tall sermons on Zero tolerance to
Corruption, but the rampant corruption which has ebbed to the peak is there
for all to see. It is time for him to gracefully pack off and hang up his
very soiled boots.
In the words of Abraham Lincoln ‘You can fool all the people some of the
time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the
people all the time”
Aires Rodrigues
Ribandar
--
Aires Rodrigues
Advocate High Court
C/G-2, Shopping Complex
Ribandar Retreat,
Ribandar – Goa – 403006
Mobile No: 9822684372
Office Tel No: (0832) 2444012
Email: airesrodrigu...@gmail.com
Or
airesrodrig...@yahoo.com
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