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5th Annual Konkan Fruit Fest
Promenade, D B Bandodkar Road, Panaji, Goa
16-18, May 2008
http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/2008-May/073789.html
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Goan Political Providence
By Mr. Plastino D'Costa
We definitely do have a right to vote, more so specially now, to stem the rot
in our political system. But are we crossing the line of devoting too much time
listening to politician's trade accusations back and forth. Do we have to
attend political meetings to decide our vote? Or have we crossed the line of
depending only on politics as if our destiny depended on it.
Actually all sweet talkers become good politicians, this happens in developed
countries or a country like ours. Be it Clinton's, Bush's, Blair's or our
Indian politicians, those who can harp too much on their achievements and mask
their failures ultimately become good politicians. The difference in developed
countries is that most voters have a long memory, they remember what their
politicians have promised and politicians are forced to walk the talk. This
actually limits what candidates can promise. In the case of Goa, most
politicians accuse each other during election campaigns, they talk what they
don't mean and take advantage of the short memory our voters have. Therefore it
becomes imperative for the Election Commission or any neutral agency to play a
role after the elections are over, after all somebody has to take care of the
short memory our voters have. A Commission which reminds voters continuously
for the next 5 years promises made during election by our leaders sh
ould play a role in educating the masses, to make sure next time around they
vote for the right person and not to get carried away by the hype created
during campaigning before elections.
Democracy works best when most population is literate, and literacy should not
mean only reading and writing a language without having the capacity to make
one's own individual opinion. Democracy also thrives best when there are good
Checks and Balances and a good system in place. No denying the fact that India,
including Goa is going in that direction, but today a smart, well-informed or
honest vote has the same weightage of a dishonest, ignorant or greedy vote. So
politicians have done their math quite well, they ignore the smart and well
informed voter and appease the later.
Every Goan talks of money power being used during elections. One fails to
understand why the flak is only on politicians, without any criticism on the
voter who receives the money. After all in any corruption or bribe taking case
the person receiving the bribe is guiltier. In this case the voter taking the
bribe hardly gets any condemnation compared to the giver. All this could be
reduced or put to an end with one stroke of legislation by expanding or
doubling the area of the constituency. This will result in reducing the members
from 40 to 20 to the Legislative Assembly, and more the voters the candidates
will have it difficult to dole out goodies or money to win elections, instead
they will have to deal with broader issues of the constituency than taking care
of petty and personal needs of the voters.
Most politicians also get away winning the elections with the brand loyalty
they have built with their voters who are programmed never to question their
leaders. This brand loyalty has been systematically created over the years by
politicians making the ignorant voters believe that the work done at Government
cost is done with their personal money and effort. Goans seem to be happy to
get a politician involved in even a mundane chore, which in other parts of
India are taken care by an efficient system.
The Movers and Shakers of Goan society is only politicians, like it or not
politicians consume so much of our newsprint, media, entertainment that they
seem to be making news on Page 1 and also on Page 3 alike. Goans specially the
Generation Next need role models outside the political landscape. Society
benefits when we have role models in every sphere and there is all round
development in every walk of life. The consequences of excessive media
attention to politicians are that we are making them larger than life, slowly
making our Generation Next thinking of making careers only in politics.
Politicians do hold the highest office, and it is absolutely normal for
Generation Next Goan to aspire towards that goal, but should be for the right
reasons.
The only positive outcome from these elections is that some of the big brands
taking their victory for granted have lost. This has now put pressure on the
remaining brands which scraped through to get their act together and not to
take their brand loyalty for granted. Now is the right time for Goans to set
higher benchmarks for their leaders and demand more than just providing basic
services which are taken for granted in most parts of the world.
When the Chief Minister has to take complaints calls directly of power failure,
it does not speak very highly of a competent system in place. Let Goans press
their leaders to move in the direction of putting in place a proper and
efficient system, so we depend less on political providence to take Goa to the
next level.
Above Article appeared on the Herald on July 29, 2007
