For several years the communalists and mergerists had managed to conceal their true faces behing secular masks. They mingled within secular initiatives and made the right noises at the right places. For the last several months these masks have begun to drop one by one no sooner they discovered that their gimmicks have been exposed. It has been our persisitent accusation that the Congress is as Communal as the BJP. The likes of Uday Bhembre, Prashant Naik, Arvind Bhatikar have had a field day by taking unsuspecting people for a ride. But it is not possible for these masks to remain in place specially when one is on a public platform. The arrival of the Sagres Ship and the Medium of Instruction were the perdect occassions that helped expose this duplicity which lay concealed for several years and poisoned Goan society from beneath in the name of nationalism. It is high time that the likes of Uday Bhembre, Prashant Naik and Arvind Bhatikar must join the BJP rather than pretend to be aloof from any mischief and calling the BJP communal. The cunning Arvind Bhatikar thought that he could even trick the Archbishop of Goa into parading himself at the anti-corruption rally in Goa by citing the example of the Archbishop of Delhi. But he miserably failed. There are other dumb mergerists and communalists who continue to hold on to the mask by making statements through other mouth's and parade themselves on the pavements of Panjim as upright and unbiased. Their masks have started hanging half way. In the days to come the people of Goa will give a befitting reply to these forces.
-Soter D.
