IT’S CHRISTMAS BEFORE CCP pollS Bindiya Chari
* http://www.oheraldo.in/news/Main%20Page%20News/IT-rsquo-S-CHRISTMAS-BEFORE-CCP-pollS/46019.html * *Babush offloads TVs, fridges, washing machines, bicycles to voters * PANJIM: Our pictures tell a story that words cannot. Santa Monseratte has come calling because the CCP elections have come to town. In a blatant mockery and sheer contempt for fair play, Babush Monseratte, if the pictures of TVs, washing machines and bicycles above and the words of the people who have received them is to be believed, has poured goods worth lakhs of rupees into the homes of mainly poor folk, to buy votes. In addition, toilets are being constructed, money being handed out to repair houses and roofs and cash doles given to buy Nike shoes. To be completely fair, the BJP has in some places asked voters what they want, but the sheer weight, scale and grandeur of Monserattes goodies make them look like saints in front of this Santa. “Two weeks back, Babush’s man, Uday Madkaikar (well that was before he had a fallout with Babush) came here inquiring about what we wanted? We were given an option to choose a washing machine, a fridge or a TV, disclosed one resident who opted for a double door fridge. Madkaikar may have parted ways with Babush, but the promises made to the voters of this ward XXI were kept. Vehicles carrying these goods from electronic shops arrived in bulk and entered the huts and very modest homes of these people, living adjacent to the Altinho slopes. Hutments behind police quarters at Altinho which form part of ward XXI has about twenty houses with voter population of 145 voters. When a team of this reporter and Heralds photographer started visiting homes in the guise of officials collecting data, the adults were initially tightlipped about the new goodies but a twelve-year-old quipped “Everybody here has got electronic goods from someone now”. An elderly lady who has been staying in the locality for over fifty years complains about her pathetic living condition but she is thankful to Santa Monseratte for her brand new 73 cms of LG TV which is quite the showpiece of her house. Of course she has no cable or dish TV and she but we guess that’s only a wish away. For her, this is the Santa’s second visit. Before the last elections, he had given asbestos sheets. But the stakes are obviously higher this time round. Mahesh Chandekar, the BJP candidate from this ward says “I know Babush has given goods in my ward”. At the other end of Panjim, in the posh Caranzalem and Dona Paula areas, there are hutments. The pathways of one such village called Aivon, have gleaming new bicycles ridden by the young lads. The bikes arrived last week. Raju Martins who is also contesting from ward II but on the NCP panel is also aware that money is being sent to buy votes. “I know people have been given sewing machines, fridges, TVs, bicycles,” says Martins. It is learnt that contestants from the BJP panel are trying to buy their way out. “They are also approaching voters asking them what they want, told one of the contestant from Babush’s panel. One of the contestants from BJP panel has distributed shoes in his ward. Interestingly, when the news reached Babush, he ordered his men to ask those voters to return the shoes with a promise to replace them with Nike shoes. Adv Avinash Bhonsle who is contesting from ward XX summed up the difference between BJP’s goodies and Babush’s laughingly “The BJP has distributed cricket world Cup time tables while Babush has given TV to watch cricket matches”. -- Please post your comments on my Blog: http://goanidentity.blogspot.com/ Please also see below: 1. Benaulim Village Action Committee: http://www.bvacbenaulim.blogspot.com/ 2. "Rape of Goa" : http://www.parrikar.com/blog/the-rape-of-goa/ 3. MAND - an adivasi-rights resource centre : http://mandgoa.blogspot.com/ 4. EVERY GOAN SHOULD SEE THIS VIDEO: http://infochangeindia.org/Infochange-documentary.html 5. Goa's Identity Movement group on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com//#/group.php?gid=193497031686 6. Official Government Site NRI Office (GOA): http://www.globalgoans.org.in/
