Filing a Public Interest litigation is no easy task. You have to be ready to endure the backlash and tirade of those in power. This should however never ever deter citizens from using this channel to highlight issues of public concern and expose the illegalities.
In 2001 during his first stint as Chief Minister Mr. Manohar Parrikar with Atmaram Nadkarni also as the Advocate General, the Dayanand Social Security Scheme for Senior Citizens was introduced. Though it was a government scheme, the forms were only available with the BJP MLA’s and Minister. A Senior citizen from Chimbel moved the High Court seeking that forms be made freely available at government offices. Through very high handed tactics that Senior Citizen had to face harassment and the wrath of the authorities. Fortunately the Court directed that forms had to be made available at various government offices. After over a decade, last year history repeated when Manohar Parrikar introduced the Laadli Laxmi scheme. A Ribandar teenager petitioned the High Court that forms were only being doled out by ruling party MLAs and their henchmen. On the repressive harassment meted out to family of this girl for having filed the petition less said the better. But thanks to the intervention of the High Court forms were made available at various banks. Vengeance and Retribution should never be on the agenda of any good leader. But Manohar Parrikar has proven to use the police machinery to harass those who dare stand up to him. And in this mission he has found a matching brother in arms by way of Atmaram Nadkarni who is also India’s highest paid Advocate General. A monster at the tax payer’s expense.They say that if you cannot convince a Judge confuse him. And nobody does this better than our Atmaram. By the way aren’t the below words of Joseph Goebbels so apt with our State! “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.” Aires Rodrigues T1 - B30, Ribandar Retreat Ribandar - Goa - 403006 Mobile: 9822684372
