It was in 1946 that Ram Manohar Lohia raised the banner of revolt at Margao against the Portuguese Government. All that the revolution could acheive fifteen years later was a forced intrusion by the Indian Army into Goa which in international fora was considered as an annexation. The reason was obvious. The band of marathi socialists deputed from across the borders could not win the hearts and minds of the Goan people. As this fact became clear, the possibility of the Portuguese Government granting autonomy to Goa became a cause for nervousness for an ambitious and greedy Maharashtra. Panic set into its ranks leading to an armed take over of Goa. It is for this reason that the so called freedom fighters still do not feel liberated from the Portuguese and find every excuse to disturb the peace of this State.
Sixty five years later there cannot be another political revolution with a Gupta as the Goan Opinion maker, a Pandit as the Goan historian, a Vagela as Goa's activist, a Sharma as the Goan educationist, a Ramani as the embassador of Goan culture, a Gauda as the Sarpanch, some Khan as the Goan industrialist, a Bajpai as the custodian of Goan properties, Gundurao as your Goan banker, a Sonak as the Goan legal advisor and the rest on the migrant wagon refusing to accept Konkani as their mother tongue. This is the irony. The fruits of a revolution started 65 years ago can be seen in a Baba and a Togadia dictating the medium of instruction for Goans and a Montek Singh Ahluwalia charting the course of Goan economy. A Malia heightens the spirits and an Advani defines Tourism. The chain does not end here. Every damn decision on the life and livelihood of Goa has to be activated by a Sonia or a Gadkari sitting in Delhi. It is an era where in the lion sits with the lamb, the socialists and communists embrace the communalists at Azad maidan. All thatis possible are micro revolutions to wipe out the traces of the true Goan people. The connotation of the word revolution in liberated Goa has also been redefined in the context of globalisation and liberalisation. To be a modern day revolutionary for Goa one needs to qualify as a boot licker, pimp, broker, fraudster, yesman, conman for the ruling class/castes and their supporting class of industrialists. These results and titles conferred upon Goans gets published in Goa's news journals manned by agents from beyond the borders. The only other title that comes cheap if one does not qualify for the above is the title of 'Naxalite' from a joint venture by a migrant PR manager of a mining firm and the Leader of Opposition. Refusing to bow before the neo-goan forces could also run the risk of you being tried for sedition and being dubbed an anti-national, an agent of the Portuguese. For a Goan will ultimately prefer the 'lies' of a migrant than the 'truth' from a fellow Goan. All that finally gets left for a Goan is to dream about a passport to Europe. All we can be content with is the Cyber Revolution of Goa. Yeh hi hai Goy (not Goa) Kranti din, Baby! -Soter D.
