Business as usual
by Diana Pinto
Politicians and political parties contest elections to seek votes and
democratic validation in their endeavour to serve the people. Or so they
would have us believe. Indeed, the run up to the elections is always a
period of fevered activity - a compelling season of hopeful proposals and
intriguing disposals.
For Goa undoubtedly, this election appears to herald the disintegration of
old, traditional loyalties and mindsets, even as new contours in the shape
of strange alliances and unlikely political partnerships are sought to be
created. It is also the season for active promotion of "family welfare" as
wives, daughters, sons, nieces and nephews come crawling out of the
woodwork, stridently demanding a share of the electoral space as their
political inheritance and birthright.
The political mating season was initiated by the MGP, who flirted brazenly
with the BJP, notwithstanding their existing political alliance with the
Congress. This budding romance however, withered, even before it blossomed
and the "Lion" was back, eating out of the "Hand". But as of now, the MGP
has once again given in to the temptation of "biting the hand that feeds it"
and is back to making amorous advances to the BJP.
The political drama that riveted the attention of the Goan electorate
however, was the coupling of the unsinkable Micky Pacheco and his newly
acquired Goa Vikas Party with the colourful UGDP of "dhon pannam" fame.
While both parties displayed commendable unanimity in attacking the alleged
ineptitude, corruption and misgovernance of the Congress government, seat
sharing and other aspects of their own alliance agreement alas did not
elicit the same level of consonance and harmony in GVP's Pacheco and UGDP's
Anacleto Viegas. The unfolding of the drama continued the next day, when
UGDP's Radharao Gracias, conspicuous by his absence the previous day,
inexplicably waded into the fray, warning that the UGDP would field
candidates wherever its prospects appeared bright if "Micky Pacheco turned
out to be unreasonable on seat sharing". Was this a case of delayed
reaction - an attempt to draw up the "pre-nuptial" agreement after the
marriage was consummated? Still one can always count on the artful Radharao
to keep the people of Goa guessing indefinitely as to the fate of both the
unlikely spouses in this questionable marriage.
In the meantime, the BJP, which had not so long ago blotted its copybook
with the minority Christian community through the controversial VCD, and
canceling of the December 3rd and Good Friday holidays, seems to have
redeemed its image. As elections drew near, the prospect of a minority vote
bank was reason enough for Manohar Parrikar to declare that the canceling of
the two holidays had been a mistake. Understandably, they certainly wasted
no time in exploiting the people's disenchantment with the Congress'
miserable track record in governance coupled with their total insensitivity
and indifference to the cries of their voters with respect to the RP 2021
and the illegal mining imbroglio. Indeed, the Congress' Jitendra Deshprabhu
was Goa's answer to the BJP's Kushwaha in Uttar Pradesh. Ignominously
expelled from the NCP after his arrest on illegal mining charges, a beaming
Deshprabhu was literally embraced into the Congress fold once again.
It is crystal clear that Christians and Muslims find themselves stuck
between a rock and a hard place this election season. Accustomed to being
taken for granted by an overconfident Congress party, who felt that they
were the minorities sole alternative, the Christians and Muslims seem to
have finally reached tipping point. A number of minority leaders were
welcomed into the ranks of the saffron brigade, amidst broad smiles and
pleasant anticipation of happy days to come. Indisputably, the prize catch
of the season was Goa's political firebrand activist Matanhy Saldanha, who
in his stint as Cortalim MLA, had limited his association with the Parrikar
led government to mere support on the floor of the Assembly. The UGDP-GVP
alliance and the uncertainty about the Cortalim ticket obviously prompted
him to jump into the deep end, forsaking all his earlier reservations about
the incompatibility of national parties with Goa's regional aspirations. But
then, one can hardly blame him for throwing in the towel, because, as the
MGP has openly admitted, "survival" rather than the interests of Goa and
Goans, is presently the top priority of regional parties. And perhaps there
was some truth in the statement of BJP state President Laxmikant Parsekar
when he said "though Matanhy's soul was with the BJP, now after 10 years,
his body too has joined the BJP." Given the track record of BJP ruled states
and their ideology however, it is indeed dangerously simplistic to assume
that saffron leadership will succeed in burnishing Goa's tarnished image.
There is no doubt that this election and its run up are fast proving to be
the moment of truth for Goa and Goans. All the players in this spectacle
have nonchalantly abandoned even the slightest pretence at upholding and
articulating their ideology and vision for the state. The Congress party
moots its "winnability" gospel, even as its "first families" stake their
claim to their perceived right to election tickets. The UGDP and GVP make no
attempt to disguise the fact that it is only political expediency that has
drawn them together. Struggling with issues of its very survival, the MGP
has no compunctions in conducting opportunistic dalliances as they shop for
the best deal. Buoyed by its success in making inroads into the minority
vote banks, the BJP has now resolved to consolidate its advantage and never
to repeat the strategic and tactical errors of the past. The NCP holds the
Congress in a stranglehold as long as mercurial Mamta keeps the Central
Government balancing precariously on a tightrope.
So what will the election results bring to Goa? Will these newly minted
partnerships withstand the test of election results or will the scramble to
form the government bring about even more original and imaginative
permutations and combinations? But most importantly, where will all this
leave the Goan electorate?
The answer my friend, is that no matter who wins, it will be business as
usual. We will be at the doorstep of our elected representative, demanding
sponsorship for our tournaments, keeping him or her occupied with our
personal concerns and favours, or even regularization of our illegal
structures but never, ever questioning their stand on bills and laws tabled
and enacted in the Assembly or showing the same persistence and perseverance
when it comes to community issues as we do for our individual and vested
interests. As I have said before, no matter who forms the government, it
will be business as usual. The more things change, the more they remain the
same.
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