We tend to praise long dead political notables not because they did anything good but for the sole merit that they were succeeded by politicians worse than them.
Aires Viegas’ post glorifying Bandodkar is one such. Bandodcar would have wiped Goa off the Indian map if the Opinion Poll, Goa’s Hindus and Jack Sequeira had not stopped him. He is the rogue that gave away other people’s lands (not his own) through the ill thought-out Land To The Tiller Act. One can understand giving the Tiller rights to ensure the land owner did not take advantage of him. In any case there was a harmonious albeit unequal relationship between the two during the colonial era. So the Tiller now owned the land with a stroke of the unlettered mine owner CM’s pen and he could then turn around and sell it off to anyone he wished. No safeguards were put in, no compensation to the owner was mandated. No giving back the land once the Tiller stops tilling was legislated. An educated CM would definitely had done better. But worse things were to follow. The example was shown and succeeding Goan politicians felt they could play around, nay openly steal others people’s lands - whether that of the Communidades, or that of non-resident owners, or that where titles were unclear. Bandodkar started this trend of plunder and loot of Goan real estate which continues to this day. And Aires says we have to honour and remember this man. Who shall we honour next, Agente Monteiro the notorious Portuguese third degree artist, because he put a fear of the law in the soul of law breaking and freedom seeking Goans? Roland. Toronto.
