In the 46 years since Goa was attached to the Indian Union, Goan politicians have proved to be totally incapable of governing Goa. No one could have dreamed of this. Goans were known for their total honesty and their ability to shine in whatever field and endeavor they chose to pursue.
Goans in Bombay and the rest of India and in Pakistan were well known for their capable service both as leaders and followers in public and private service. Names of Goans who were well known throughout India are too numerous to mention - from Governors to Central Govt Mandarins to Service Chiefs to Industry Captains to nationally reputed doctors, lawyers and academicians. Goans in Africa and the colonies served the British and Portuguese governments well, albeit on the second tier. In Goa itself nearing 1961, Goans were practically ruling Goa in all high administrative positions with minimum interference from the Portuguese masters and to the best of their ability with the resources accorded to them. In the latter half of the 20th century and till today, Goans have prospered in the Gulf. While it is well known that these were mainly in lower positions, what is not so well known is that it is a fact that many Goans prospered as the right hand men of big merchant Arabs and as chiefs and near-chiefs in the highest echelons of the oil, health, banking, telecommunications and various other public and private sectors. There is no need to document Goan enterprise in countries like the UK, Australia, US, Canada and a few European countries. All you have to do is read Goanet, Goan Voice UK and other other Goan related cyber information sources. The names are familiar to all and new ones emerge daily. Therefore as I said, it is a shame that when it comes to Goa itself, the very land that produced all these luminaries has had to suffer from the consequences of rotten-ness from individuals who are a part of this same stock. We can blame it on a thousand reasons and they all might be true, but that does not do any good. The time to analyse is gone and the time to act has come. In the pockets of the recent past, the experience of Goa being administered directly by the Central Govt has been many times better than when Goa has been ruled by those elected. The chief administrator the Lt Governor has mostly been well chosen and anxious to prove his mettle in order to be promoted to better positions elsewhere in the country. This individual is free to take Goans of high calibre who have experience of the existing problems and how to solve them. Unlike civil servants they can be appointed for fixed terms and for reasonable remuneration. These people will work not for the money but for the love of Goa itself. This pool of advisers can be a healthy mix of various disciplines of people who have already achieved what is necessary for themselves and now wish to give back to Goa . There is no shortage of such talent for whom public service, not greed is the driving force. Although there is a far greater pool, if you take from the narrow confines of Goanet itself, the following people for a Lt Governors think tank come easily to mind. Rajan Parrikar, Jose Colaco, Floriano Lobo, Samir Heble, Vidyadhar Gadgil, Valmiki Faleiro, Pravin Sabnis, George Menezes, Nandkumar Kamat. These are among hundreds of others both inside and outside Goa with a strong connection to the land who could be persuaded to take a sabbatical to save Goa from the path of utter ruin it is currently taking. Being ruled from the Centre, Goa would be under a shining national spotlight and all opportunities for underhand manoeuvres would be minimized. Gone will be Alibaba and the 40 thieves. In would come accountability and good governance. I abhor the word never, but I can say with all truth that Goa unfortunately can never be ruled by a CM and cabinet of Goans in the democratic set up as it is today. Sadly, we need to nix all the effort that went into demanding separate statehood, admitting to ourselves that this doesn't work and revert to something that does. There is simply little alternative if Goa is to survive with some semblance of good governance and a stake in the future.
