------------------------------------------------------- CONVENTION OF THE GOAN DIASPORA FROM GOA INTO THE WORLD Lisbon, Portugal June 15-17, 2007 Details at: http://www.casadegoa.org -------------------------------------------------------
http://www.navhindtimes.com/articles.php?Story_ID=060340 Goa's Most Laughable – and Criable – Election By Mário Cabral e Sá Yesterday Goa's fate was sealed in the electronic voting machines in which they were registered. In a few days their contents will be made public. We will know if the voters were for anti-incumbency or preferred the known evil rather than venture for a change. By Mário Cabral e Sá Goa has had so far eight assembly elections since 1963. None so far had been characterised, like this one, by so many gaffes (later set right by the courts) by a well-intentioned, honesty-driven, (but wet behind the ears and innocent of the laws they invoked and misapplied) set of over-alert and overzealous EC observers let loose on Goa. Nor had so many 'umedvars' so brazenly invoked such high - but fake - principles of morality and honesty of intentions. Nor had so many sworn enemies made as many deals of convenience to cook the goose of their common enemies. Many public meetings of all the parties in the fray and of a couple of committed do-gooders sticking their necks out in search of "clean" legislators - a vanishing species, unfortunately ? were held all over Goa. But so much dirty linen was washed in the public square by my house in Divar, that I strongly suspect that, overwhelmed by the stink, Nagesh, our dhobi for over three decades, decided to abandon the island for good and settle elsewhere across the river. Two of Goa's former CMs, who I hold in high esteem, told me in confidence during their tenures that they were reluctantly compelled by circumstances to accept hush money for party funds. A former high court judge turned politician who had a breakfast meeting with me at his hotel, at the suggestion of a common and respected friend, a very upright politician, was embarrassed at the frequent interruptions of our conversation by 'umedvars' of his party walking into his room and picking up one by one the forty brief cases lined up against the wall of the room. "I'm sorry but such are the compulsions of politics", he embarrassedly apologised. Each of the brief-cases contained Rs three lakh, a lot of money then, to supplement the officially permitted election expenditure of Rs 30,000 by each 'umedvars'. The former judge's conscience was most disturbed by the unenviable task assigned to him, the purpose of which, he was sure, was to give Goa a clean government. However, Rs three lakh was not sufficient for a good campaign and had to be reinforced with the collections of black money by the party's local leaders. Today three crores is chicken-feed. I will not be surprised if all the other CMs, including those respected for their efficiency and personal incorruptibility, had to compromise their principles and accept black money for their party's sake. Yesterday Goa's fate was sealed in the electronic voting machines in which they were registered. In a few days their contents will be made public. We will know if the voters were for anti-incumbency or preferred the known evil rather than venture for a change. The heartening development this election is the sight of long queues, for hours on end, at the door of the EC office patiently waiting for their voters' card. That is as it should be. Only voters' participation in large numbers can give elections a truly representative character. I lay no claim to mastery of the science of psephology, a science, if science it is, which is as prone to wrong conclusions as has been the case with many famous "experts" on TV shows. Ours are honest gut feelings, absolutely intuitive and as much prone to error as those of the tried and tested psephologists. Let us make bold to state them in public even though at the risk of waking up two days from now with our face smeared with egg. No party or alliance will get a clean majority. I see INC-NCP coalition getting 17 to 18 seats, Luizinho Faleiro being one of the successful candidates. I visualize BJP getting 13-14 seats, UGDP one or two, out of the two, one being, for sure, Babush Monserrate, no matter what purists say about him, or BJP's vow to pillory him when – that is if – he comes to power. I anticipate MGP will get at least two seats, one of them in Pernem. As for Churchill Alemao's front, a front it will remain As a believer in youth power, it will please me if Dinar Tarcar succeeds, but, as a responsible citizen, I'll be sad to see a decapitated BJP. If my prediction that BJP will fail in its target of 20 seat turns to be true and the BJP sticks to its vow of sitting in the opposition if it fails to get those many seats and the support of Nirmala Sawant (of course, if she wins, which at the moment does not seem very probable) and Mathany Saldanha, whose prospects we hear were partly spoilt by Parrikar's declaration of his readiness to take him in the essentially Cortalim Christian constituency. A man like Parrikar will be badly needed in the Assembly, as the leader of the opposition. He is a meticulous analyst and outspoken castigator of his opponent's follies. It has been proved beyond doubt that muscle power is not the monopoly of Jennifer and Babush Monserrate. The ugly episode at Chimbel proves that Victoria Fernandes' arsenal is no less well equipped. I must publicly state that I personally have the greatest respect and admiration for Jennifer. At a time when things were not exactly hunky dory in her home - which marriage does not hit, once in a while, a bad patch? - she stoically stood by her man, she loyally canvassed support for him, and when he won, she nurtured his constituency with a lot of devotion and exemplary compassion. She offered succour to the poor among Babush's supporters sincerely and generously, providing them medical facilities and free medication, even spending time with them by their bedside egging them on to overcome their difficulties. She is very intelligent, and has a mind of her own. -- DEV BOREM KORUM. Gabe Menezes. London, England ------------------------------------------------------- Goanet recommends, and is proud to be associated with, 'Domnic's Goa' - A nostalgic romp through a bygone era. This book is the perfect gift for any Goan, or anyone wanting to understand Goa. Distributed locally by Broadway, near Caculo Island, Panjim & internationally by OtherIndiaBookStore.Com. 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