Intellectuals and orators do have an important place in Parliament as well as in Society, but politics requires, above all, people with a mass base to which intellectuals rarely qualify and yet they don't pay any attention to the requirements!! They feel honored to dance the tunes of politicians OR raising criticism, etc not getting the sense that their stupid behavior in fact is indirectly helping politicians!! Intellectuals, specially from Goa, appears to be forgetting the fact that they are not at all building their own mass base and yet guide / help our politicians to build their strong hold on mass base instead of weakening or destroying the base! A cursory glance at national scenario will indicate that Chidambaram is a great intellectual, but lacked a mass base and could not always win elections. Manmohan Singh is another such example.
Let's have a look at our Goa! We have legislatures, bureaucracies, police and courts to provide voice and justice to the people but for influencing these departments, people look to fellow-members of the same caste, religion or region and for obtaining results from these very same departments, one often resort to spending money, muscle and influence! These two tactics work better than appeals to high principles. This in turn elevates group politics and devalues intellectual principles. The Portuguese Raj was racist, favoring whites but when dealing with issues between Goans, the Portuguese administration, police and courts seemed both capable and fair. They were not seen as captured by money, muscle or influence. Nor were they captured by any caste, religion or region. Today Goa Police seem incapable of catching resourceful criminals because the organs of state have been so pathetically controlled by politicians with the advice of Intellectuals that criminals don't find the way or place in jail. The rule of law has broken down, and people need influence outside the formal institutional framework. This is a KEY reason for the rise of identity politics. In the 1950s, political parties all over India including Goa represented rival ideologies. But recent decades have seen the rise of parties based on caste; religion and region. National parties claiming to represent all identities have lost ground. The main issues of life were settled not by impartial process of law but by the discretion of officials and politicians in power. Constitutional principles matter little, while caste and religion matter a lot. The caste system is not simply an instrument of oppression, as some netters and city intellectuals think. Had Goa's organs of state-delivered justice and voice regardless of identity, the traditional identity groups may have withered away. The Portuguese Raj had no politicians, so there was no political interference. Considering all these prevailing systems, there still remains a place, of GREAT HONOR, for Goan Intellectuals. Goan Intellectuals who really want to change the equation of our Goa must seek direction to the right place - to RESCUE OUR GOA INTELLECTUALLY... Hope Goan Intellectuals read this message during Christmas vacation and start the action plan to take over the control of GOA'S KEY to change the prevailing political equation of Goan Politics for the benefit of our Goa and our posterity. Best regards, Dr. U. G. Barad --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Spread the Christmas Cheer, even when you're not here! Send classic greetings to your loved ones in Goa. EXPRESSIONS - 2007 Christmas Hamper Visit http://www.goa-world.com/expressions/xmas/ Or e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
