To Goanet - That is what the Goa govt is plainly telling Goans through its initiative to promulgate an ordinance to help Timblo & Cidade de Goa. In other words, your Regional Plan will make for a nice toilet paper roll.
In recent times two classes of people have emerged as the major beneficiaries of the Goa government's munificence: (a) Builders and miners - it doesn't matter here whether you are an outsider or not. (b) Outsiders - both ghatis and the rich bhaile. Longtime Goan gaddewalas are asked to take a hike while UP and Bihari ghatis can keep multiplying their bhelpuri carts. Hundreds of Oriya 'security guards' flood the state and are issued instant voter cards. Goans are harassed by local village panchayats while Rajasthani ghatis have carte blanche to park sugarcane juice carts every 50 feet along all Goan roadways. Want ration card? Come dear ghati, here take it. Goans, please go away. The same generosity is extended to rich bhaile seeking land and beach homes. Ministers call on them in the Marriott lobby to strike land and house deals. The ordinary Goan has been effectively disenfranchised and emasculated. There are now grounds for a Goan insurrection, for the very govt elected to uphold the rule of law and look after the electorate's interests has actively undermined both. But who will lead the campaign? And how do you shake Goans out of their lassitude? Forget the Goa Bachao Abhiyan and its opportunistic, traitorous leaders who lead us into disaster. Let us be clear: the Dec 18, 2006 GBA rally at Azad Maidan was a success solely because of the Church's backing. But the Church and its minions within the GBA lead by the baby-faced convener at the time didn't want to rock the Congress boat. Their main worry was that Manohar Parrikar would benefit from any instability in the govt. That is to say, while pretending to be "apolitical" these traitors were playing politics big-time. And they had the nerve to label some of us as BJP and Parrikar operatives while the hypocrites themselves were lolling in bed with the Congress politicos. After zillions of meetings of its "Core Group" (oooh! does that impress you?), look where they have gotten us: deep down in the ditch. Shame on them. Never again should the Goan people fall for the machinations of these vile creatures. Who else? Matanhy? Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. I hear the man is collecting a billion billion signatures (one for every atom in the universe) for the Special Status campaign. A clean slate of faces is the need of the hour. All these old fogys must be shown the door, with a sound kick up their rear ends. If you ask me, Goa is screwed, and this is the optimist in me talking. Recently I was reading an essay by Dr. Claude Alvares in an old issue (c. 2000) of "Govapuri," the bulletin of Institute Menezes Braganza. His concluding line struck me: "It is conceivable that Goa as a recognizable historical region may cease to be sometime around 2010." (recalled from memory, but mostly there.) Claude's prophesy is already here, one year too soon. Regards, r
