Alice, while there is a lot wrong with the panchayat, as with any other elected institution that easily succumbs to pulls and pressures and lobbies of all kinds, I disagree with an approach that raises issues of class and literacy.
You can fault people for being corrupt, but being "illiterate" is no sin. In fact, highly-educated people have also proven their ability to be corrupt (just look around, whether Panjim or Delhi). I have no problem also with "cleaning filthy toe-nails", but I fear that the Saligao panchayat is violating the law which says that a gram sabha should not be held before 11 am. QUOTE At what time is the Gram Sabha meeting to be held? The Gram Sabha meeting shall be held at 11.00 hrs. (Refer rule 5 of Gram Sabha meeting Rules, 1996) The preponing or postponing of the timing of the meeting is a violation of the rules. http://www.goapanchayat.org/index.php?sitesig=PY&page=PY_060_PUBLICATIONS&subpage=PY_010_GramSabha UNQUOTE If we have respect for the concept of universal franchise, please let us not mock people on grounds of being illiterate, or show them as foolish. We also know that elites were most capable of taking anti-people stands, both in colonial times and after. Targetting people on incorrect grounds (in my view) would only make it easier for them to dismiss their critics as being elitist, anti-poor and out of touch with the reality that hits most of the villagers. FN 2009/10/6 alice Dcruz <[email protected]> > Simply put ,we Saligaonkars are being led by the nose by a bunch of > illiterate and corrupt villagers that have made the Panchayat their > fiefdom!! The Sarpanch of Saligao made a mockery of the Gram Sabha, while > the rest of the ward members present, sat silently watching the drama. One of > them even attended loudly to his phone calls while cleaning his filthy toe > nails in front of the gathering!!! To quote another Saligaonkar present > there,"It was a show of arrogance; the arrogance of ignorance!" > Mr. Bola read out a Central Govt. notice (after the Secretary, a skilled > ventriloquist, had read it in French i think and no one had understood > anything!)making it mandatory for every Panchayat to conduct a special Gram > Sabha to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Panchayati Raj, on the 2nd > of October'09. When asked why the people were not informed about this > important notice,and why it was being read a day late, he casually moved on > to another matter! Such a gathering on Gandhi Jayanti ,if well organised by > the panchayat, would have been an excellent opportunity to reiterate > the significance of the Gram Sabha and the role of the people,in the light of > the unconstitutional amendment to the Panchayat Act sought to be passed by > the Goa Govt. > When asked to explain the current status of the Saligao Regional Plan and to > clear the confusion regarding the submission of the same, he refused to do > so."Go find out for yourself from the Town Planning Dept" he said. Other > issues that were brought up were the failure to deal with the garbage and > stray dog menace in the village, the delay in repairing the market place, and > the unprecedented cases of illegal constructions in Saligao. By using his > usual method of confrontation which is followed by chaos and confusion,Bola > fought the people off bravely, thus ensuring that none of the issues were > resolved. There was a heated discussion on the latest Kiosk built overnight > near St Ann's Chapel without any set- backs maintained from the compound wall > behind it , or the highway in front.. When asked who had given the > builder( Lukas Remedious sinking further into his chair at this point!!) the > permission, Bola barked back at the people saying that since it was a private > matter, he could not disclose the same. In fact when the people pointed out > that Saligao Panchayat had acquired the reputation of being the most corrupt > panchayat around, he grinned knowingly and said that as the Sarpanch, he had > no power to question the activities of the individual ward members, illegal > or otherwise! > The Govt. Observer sat stone faced through this comic tragedy, and when some > of us asked him what would come out of his presence there, he insisted he was > only a silent observer!! as if it wasn't obvious!! > Please read the press report on the Saligao Gram Sabha in the Gomantak Times > today doctored by one of the illiterates mentioned above.It proves how > important it is for people to attend the meeting on time( not an hour > late!!) and in large numbers and for us to ensure that the meeting is > properly minuted and an honest report published.Otherwise, the whole exercise > is a waste of time. > Well sadly, this is whats happening in your hometown of Saligao. > Alice. > > --- On Sun, 4/10/09, Greta n Seby <[email protected]> wrote: > > From: Greta n Seby <[email protected]> > Subject: [SALIGAONET] Re: Super-fast gram sabha > To: [email protected] > Date: Sunday, 4 October, 2009, 6:38 PM > > so whats happening in good ole hometown Saligao ? > > Seby Mascarenhas > > --- On Sun, 10/4/09, Frederick Noronha <[email protected]> wrote: > > From: Frederick Noronha <[email protected]> > Subject: [SALIGAONET] Super-fast gram sabha > To: [email protected] > Date: Sunday, October 4, 2009, 4:37 PM > > > Sunday morning's gram sabha was finished at super fast speed... it > ended in an hour or less, before some even reached the venue! Anyone > who reached on time and has details? FN > > > ________________________________ > Get your preferred Email name! > Now you can @ymail.com and @rocketmail.com > > -- Frederick Noronha :: +91-832-2409490 Writing, editing, alt.publishing, photography, journalism Blog: http://fredericknoronha.wordpress.com Photos: http://photosfromgoa.notlong.com Goa,1556: http://goa1556.goa-india.org --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ This message comes via the Google Groups "Saligao-Net" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/saligao-net?hl=en Please post regularly to keep the e-village active! -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
