MOVEMENT FOR SPECIAL STATUS FOR GOA
(MSSG)
C/o Prof. Sergio Carvalho,2nd floor,Liberty Apartments,Feira
Alta,Mapusa,Bardez,Goa-ph:2252682
Date: 15.12.2012
FOR FAVOUR OF PUBLICATION
The disclosure made by the Minister of State For Home, MR. Mulapally
Ramachandran in Parliament that ".. the Goa Government has informed in
writing that it is not interested in having a separate cadre ..." surely is
a step by the Goa Government that undermines the demand being voiced by the
people for Special Status for Goa and which the Manohar Parrikar Government
says, orally at least, that it supports.
The justification given by the Deputy Chief Minister that quote: "... we
could be stuck with officers we don't really want and then it becomes
difficult to maneuver them around ." unquote, is hard to digest and in fact
smacks of an administration that is only looking out for pliant and pliable
officials who will bend over backwards to carry-out every wish and whim of
the politician in power. There are legal ways to control recalcitrant
officers provided that the directions of the higher officials are in
themselves legal directions.
M.S.S.G protests in no uncertain terms this contradictory attitude of the
Goa government led by Mr. Manohar Parrikar and wishes to remind the Deputy
Chief Minister that even though Goa is a small State, yet it is a State that
has what it takes even to become a separate Nation. This is the type of
mentality that was prevalent at the time when Goa was sought to be merged
with Maharashtra and it is only due to the self sacrifices and tireless
efforts of patriotic Goans that tragedy was averted. Perhaps our Government
needs to be reminded also that size does not and should not determine what
needs to be done for the good of the people and an example in point is the
independent nation of Singapore, which has an area of 608 square kilometers
(i.e. less than 1/5th the size of Goa) and which has a full fledged
administration including defense forces and a foreign affairs ministry.
Hence the Deputy chief minister requires to introvert as to what exactly is
wrong with the administration in Goa and take corrective measures.
The M.S.S.G reiterates that the demand for Special Status involves also the
formation of a separate cadre of I.A.S, I.P.S and I.F.S officials and that
the sooner the Government of Goa gets behind the move to have such a
separate cadre the better it will be for the State. This also extends to
having a separate High Court for Goa, keeping in mind that Goa even during
the Portuguese era had its own High Court, almost two centuries before any
of the High Courts, existing today in India, were created by the British.
Any Government that rejects these ideas cannot be in favour of Special
Status for Goa notwithstanding pronouncements to the Contrary.
Adv Antonio Lobo
(Convener)
