Goan politics can easily be divided into two parts: before elections/after elections. What your MLA tells you, dear voter, before the elections and what you witness after the elections is a fascinating study in lies, more lies, contradictions, hidden agendas, and contrary postures on a variety of issues. Maybe you didn't understand well or misunderstood or … Whatever the case it is you who is to blame and not your MLA. Is it death of conscience or death of consciousness or both?
No need to elaborate on the shocking acts of our politicians as it is written everywhere, on our beaches and hills and rivers and even in our fields in Goa. The Goan politician is shameless, and his skin much thicker than the thickest skin of an elephant. The State of Goa is a silent spectator to the rampant destructive policies of various governments, no need to read or write a book on the subject. Maybe a photograph is a better guide and historian to record the destruction of Goa over two or three decades than the written or spoken word. As a well-known activist loves to say, "It is there for all to see." Where do we go from here? It is anyone's guess! Is it going to get worse - more corruption? Not if the Goan voter wakes up in time after decades and more of slumber. Haven't we slept long enough? It is time to wake up, and get going! There are some rays of hope, as we witness the ongoing acts of courage of the Benaulim ramponkar fishermen who sell their fresh fish on the beach, and the public desperately wanting to buy it from them. Tourists heave a sigh of relief when an owner of a restaurant points to the Benaulim beach and tells them that it is from there he gets their fish. No formalin, not even contaminated ice. Fish as it should be, unpolluted and fresh. People from other villages are understandably envious. Will Benaulim become the biggest open air wholesale fish market in Goa? People from everywhere are zeroing in on the beach. The recent decision of the NGT is another silver lining which made it clear to all how hundreds, no indeed thousands of illegalities in CRZ cannot be legalized. Any MLA who promotes this illegal legalization of structures within CRZ is anti-national as you cannot blatantly break important national laws on a huge scale with impunity. Not only have these people blatantly broken the law on a massive scale for decades but made money from it. Do some people think the law is a kind of joke? The law and democracy are the best we have and without which life in India would be unimaginable! An MLA who supports CRZ illegalities is also anti-constitution. Numbers do not give sanction to illegalities. What it does is simply to insult and disparage people who have followed the law, and had not indulged in illegalities. We cannot belittle people for being honest and law abiding. Were they fools? Following the law is what the constitution and democracy is all about, not paying lip-service to it. Ask your politician what is his or her position on the issue of rampant illegalities in CRZ. Without the law our country ceases to be a democracy and the rights of the citizens are reduced considerably. We will then all feel insecure. Without laws or total contempt for them, can we survive as a democracy? People in the various states of India cannot be allowed to break important national laws and then have our State MLAs run to Delhi to intercede with the Centre. People from Goa, in this case, have in thousands broken the CRZ law, and now there is a problem because their livelihood is in jeopardy? We cannot in our right minds ask the Centre to amend a law in order to protect their illegalities, their illegal constructions from which they have made a lot of money. Justice demands a heavy fine, and demolition of the illegal structures. More than a decade ago a great number of buildings which were illegally built were demolished by the Centre in Delhi. That is the model we need to follow in Goa and not encourage people to demolish the law and bury it. Ask you MLAs what his or her position is on illegalities in CRZ, and try and get a straight answer from a forked tongue. It is a challenge, indeed.
