While Kerala is now widely known as God's own country, Goa deserves to be known as George's own country.
Goa in the last few years - and especially in the last few months - has witnessed the slow death of our democracy which a lot of people think is now on a life support system. It has gone much beyond the scope of there are no friends or foes in politics or even zero tolerance to honesty. Are we going through a period of tyranny in a suspended democracy? What will happen next? Is there really a government even though our ministers insist there is from one side of the mouth - they proudly say there is no problem with governance - and the next day speak the contrary! Doublespeak? Newspeak? Lie-speak? For people who have read George Orwell the scenario in Goa looks bleak and frightening. There are lies and more lies emanating from the various sides of the coalition government, and now Goans are completely disgusted with the behavior of our MLAs and ministers. Loyal members of the coalition government, and loyal BJP followers are questioning their own government as a lot no longer makes any sense. What would Mathany Saldhana, a BJP MLA say to what is going on today in Goa had he been alive is not difficult to imagine. The coalition government is making a monkey of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar. The people of Goa wonder if their Chief Minister who has been seriously ill for six months and more is even aware of his surroundings. The ministers of the coalition government say the Chief Minister is doing fine, and even chairing meetings and passing files. He provides verbal approval, they say to the passing of files. Does it mean he has the energy to read the files prior to his approval? The people of Goa are confused as they have seen - more often than not - their Chief Minister lying on a stretcher. Is what the ministers say true? If there has been a miracle, dear MLAs and ministers, please share it with the Goan public and show our Chief Minister on TV. What is there to hide? Reports in the media inform us files are passed on the verbal assurance of the Chief Minister but not signed by him. If he can read a file surely he is capable of signing it. Why make all these statements which are changing the government's image into a kind of dark monster of the night, a Kafkaesque nightmare when the people of Goa want no more than a clear and simple answer. Why is the health of the CM cloaked in so much secrecy? The people of Goa want to know what is the need for secrecy when the Chief Minister's health bill is paid by them and he is their elected head of government. Is there a security risk? Nothing makes sense anymore! Is democracy dead? I've thought about this problem in terms of what George Orwell has taught us, and on the surface it appears Orwellian. But it isn't! Goa is more of an Idiot's paradise than anything else. Not Orwellian although it belongs to George. Yes, George! Georgie Porgie, pudding and pie, kissed the girls and made them cry …
