Geraldine: Individuals cannot change this rotten system GRASSROOTS CHAMPIONS GT: 9 September, 2008
[Today, we feature Geraldine Fernandes, Chairperson, Benaulim Villagers Action Committee in part-III of the series 'Grassroots Champions' by Julio D'Silva. (excerpts) GT: What has been your experience with the authorities and elected representatives? GF: Horrible. They are all so corrupt, right from the bottom to the top, everybody is rotten. The elected representatives and specially the panchayat members are such sweet talkers that you believe that they are really interested in doing something. But their actions are just the opposite. GT: Do you have any plans to contest elections, maybe the next panchayat elections? GF: Last year when the panchayat elections were to be held, there were rumours that I was planning to contest. I am very clear in my mind. I shall work for the people without taking up any post. I shall not contest any elections. Comments: Geraldine, you cannot take yourself out of the race to clean the augean stables. You owe it to Goa and Goans. They have pinned high hopes on you. Many people have, i.e. Oscar Rebello, Patricia Pinto, Soter D'Souza, Aires Rodrigues... What signals are you people sending to the corrupt and the devious? That you will fight them from outside the ring? To have a bull fight, the bulls need to be in the ring and their horns must lock. Otherwise it is no bull-fight. GT: But don't you think people should be given a choice? GF: One or two good individuals cannot change this rotten system. We have seen that good people elected either get corrupt or are left by the roadside. If at all people want a change, they should elect a group of good people, as I feel that individuals cannot fight the existing system. comments: Very right. I have contested twice. Taleigao, against Babush Monserrate and Aldona, against Dayanand Narvekar. Geraldine, you join with me in the Goa Su-Raj Party. Goa Su-Raj has given Goa a most clean and uncorrupt system of governance, in writing. Check the Party's constitution and its Roadmap for Goa. You contest Benaulim. We field others everywhere. Let us give the people of Goa a choice. Then we shall see if Goans want a change or not. It is pointless to expect the prevalent systems to change for the better. Let us put the new system on the road and to test. BTW, during my election campaigns, I have gone on record to tell people not to vote for Floriano Lobo but to vote for Goa Su-Raj Party , its programs and its procedures before and after elections, for what it stand for. GT: You are painting a very gloomy picture, which can be interpreted like there is no hope. GF: There is hope. It is the people who have to awaken and make their elected representatives work the way they should be working like what is happening at the Gram Sabhas today. We have to educate the people and create awareness amongst them only then we shall see changes in the Goan society. Comments: Geraldine, we expect you to be smarter than that. How long do you want the people to check on their representatives? The moment the people turn their back, the representatives start filling their pockets? Aren't the representatives supposed to do what the people have elected them to do?? Do the people have to elect them and then keep guard over them? NONSENSE. People elect their representatives because they do not have the time. So let us get good people elected, but on a fool-proof system, a clean system and not a rotten system so they do not become rotten. In the later case, we are asking for trouble, which we are getting a plentiful, like in Benaulim. floriano goasuraj
