Rajan Narayan's Stray Thoughts (Goan Observer), May 31 to June 6, 2008 AND a few stray observations on the other hijacking of the week, namely the hijacking of the GBA by the saffron brigade. As we have repeatedly pointed out, the saffron brigade -- at the instigation of Manohar Parrikar -- has been conspiring to split the GBA. At recent meetings even before the Task Force submitted its interim report, the saffron brigade has been insisting that the GBA should walk out of the Task Force.
After the Task Force report was released, suddenly the saffron brigade which had not show much interest in the GBA, started attending the meetings in large numbers to demand that GBA should reject the interim report of the Task Force. Taking advantage of the absence from Goa of the convenor, Dr Oscar Rebelo, the saffron brigade not only forced a resolution rejecting the interim report of the Task Force, but quickly shot off a letter to the chairman of the Task Force to that effect. The letter was signed by Sabina Martins even though it was earlier made very clear that any statements on behalf of GBA would only be made by th econvenor, Dr Oscar Rebello or the Secretary, Patricia Pinto. The saffron brigade bullied the other members who suggested that they should wait for Dr Oscar Rebelo to return. The Sangh Parivar has never been happy with the GBA since secular elements like Dr Oscar Rebelo and Shridhar Kamat have frustrated their designs to implement the Sangh Parivar agenda through the GBA. The hijacking of the GBA by the Sangh Parivar was aided and abetted by Ritu Prasad, who apparently has her own agenda. The ostensible reason for rejecting the interim report was that it has not followed the proper procedure. The Sangh Parivar was, for its own reasons, insisting that the GBA should compel the Task Force to put in place a consultative process whereby the village panchayats would be consulted. The secular elements, knowing how corrupt and politicized the panchayat bodies are, were in favour of seeking inputs of the gram sabhas rather than the panchayat after the basic land-use pattern was drawn up. SAFEGUARDS: The saffron brigade and its fellow travellers also were not willing to accept Appendix X of the interim report of the Task Force, which completely neutralizes the absolute discretionary power conferred on the government by the amendment to the TCP Act, which excluded central and state government projects from the purview of the Regional Plan 2021. I personally believe that Digambar Kamat, the Chief Minister who is also the Chairman of the Task Force, inadvertently abetted the Sangh Parivar brigade within the GBA by refusing to give firm assurances that Appendix X of the interim report of the Task Force would be implemented through a further amendment to the TCP. The Sangh Parivar brigade who hurriedly bullied the others into passing a resolution rejecting the Task Force report in the absence of the convenor also claims that some critical paragraphs in the draft shown to the GBA relating to consultations with grassroots level bodies was dropped in the final report. But surely if this is true, it is the fault of Ritu Prasad, who was the only technical qualified person representing the GBA at Task Force meetings. An angry and anguished Dr Oscar Rebello, the convenor of the GBA, has rightly rejected the stand taken by co-convenor, Sabina Martins, and others at the meeting of the GBA held in his absence on Monday, May 26. Dr Oscar Rebelo has reiterated that he stands by the Task Force report. Which virtually amounts to rejection of the letter sent by the co-convenor, Sabina Martins, claiming that the GBA had rejected the Task Force report. Considering that it is Oscar Rebelo and not Sabina Martins who is the convenor and the fact that the co-convenor for South Goa, Shridhar Kamat, is also not a party to the decision to reject the interim report of the Task Force, it is clear that Sabina's letter has no validity. The saddest part of it all is that the pre-emptive action of the Sangh Parivar brigade taken without consulting the convenor has eroded if not destroyed the credibility of the GBA. It is clear that the convenor, Dr Oscar Rebelo, and the co-convenor of the South, Shridhar Kamat, are on a collision course with the saffron brigade within the GBA and others who let themselves be bullied by the saffron brigade.... ENDS
