It is pathetic to see this character who carries my ancestral name talk about a Goa "that can be a model state." What is he saying, precisely -- here; is this, that in the project to shape India towards post disaster capitalism -- Goa has been nominated as a laboratory and he is one of the mid-wives -- infused with a high disposition of the amative -- towards Goa. And the birth will be one underwater, over looking the Mandovi, with soothing music, and loni sandwiches. What he is acknowledging is that development is bound to have casualties. Every thinking bee in the Goan hive knows this. But what Digambar is not saying is the ones to be hurt are the ones belonging to the same soil that he sprouted from, whether voted for him or not. He cannot, or for that matter, all the other chillar (spare change) cannot be allowed to absolve themselves of betrayal. Eat you pigs, yes pigs -- but do not eat your own -- aam admi. Such procedural political cannibalism has no parallel in any belief system, and should not in a country like India -- and a state like Goa. For that matter stop devouring what you at best are a caretaker, a steward, whether a Goan or other shiny-eyed visitors for fantastically oppressed states. Such a Faustian existence of a modern day aspiring Chanakya (king maker to whom -- the Gandhi dynasty?; while goldleafing their upper torsos?), or would he prefer being seen as a Machiavelli. What's worse is that we need another basket case SC Jamir to tell us that the Goa as we yet know it will soon be gone. Digambara, Digambara. So what to do Digambar. At the very least get out of the way, so the masses may deal with the next traitor. Sit at home, read some books. Atone.
There also seems to a call to naysayers (from the high priests of development who eat like pigs off the plates of the aam admi), and assorted trouble makers(read: people beginning with those having a modicum of dignity, and the truly troubled at the avarice, loot, and rape of resources, people and identity) to relax their grievances, and allow Central and other feudal (so far without militarism) states of mind to seize the Goan being and mind. In this context, the PIL by Parrikar (the one with the third eye -- in his case, the camera) should be the beginning of a tornado that sweeps some of these attar pattar (riff-raff). But that is as is the case with me, thinking from afar -- only a genuine hope. Venantius J Pinto (Read this in Goa clips) Only Goa can be a model state: CM PANJIM: Chief Minister Digambar Kamat is sure of one thing - the only state in the country that stands a chance of becoming a model state is Goa. "If there is any state in the country that can be a model state, it is Goa," he told GT on the eve of its 20th anniversary. In an interview he said, "If Goa cannot be made a model state, then no other state can be made a model state... When development takes place it is bound to give some advantages and some disadvantages to the people... Our priority has to be to strengthen the infrastructure to sustain the tourism flow without doing any injustice to locals... I think Goa can be developed as an education hub." [GT]
