Advocacy is not over-in pursuit of good public policies for Goa, Goans and the great Indian republic
Reminiscences of republic day-2000 to 2010 Dr. Nandkumar M. Kamat- (ex-chairman) task force committee to draft Goa state cultural policy-2002-07 (The State cultural policy, 2007 mentioned throughout this post can be downloaded in Adobe PDF format from the weblink http://www.goachamber.org/cms/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid=195&Itemid=61 ) My quest to search Cultural wealth of Goa:-A small state, India’s smallest by size, with geological history of 3.6 billion years, 16 rock types, 25 soil types, with two major lifeline rivers-Mandovi and Zuari, nine other rivers with 42 tributaries, 100 natural springs, 200+ lakes and reservoirs, 1600 plant species, settled by the first humans some 60-80,000 years ago, having four racial types, four tribal communities, 41 kinship groups, six religions, 380 revenue villages, 45 towns, 225 village communities/gaunkaris, having been ruled by 50 different dynasties directly or indirectly-Goa is culturally very active, diverse and creative. There are 50 different forms of folklore. It was estimated that 200 thousand Goans ( almost 15 % of total population) are culturally creative in some way or other. They can act, dance, sing, play, paint, sketch, sculpt, weave, carve, compose. Kala akademy’s annual competitions at all levels witness local participation of more than 50-60 000 culturally active people/participants/stage artists. The state level Bhajan competition is Asia’s biggest. I am a poet since my childhood, a writer for 35 years, a columnist for 30 years. I wrote the first book in Konkani for children on History of Goa-Amchya Goencho itihas (Rajhauns Vitran, Panaji, Goa,1983, now out of print) which received the award for best book instituted by Konkani Bhasha mandal. Since my student days I gave many lectures and presented slide shows on various facets of Goa’s history, archaeology and culture. The ferment in mind led me to ask myself a question-What needs to be done to promote cultural democracy in Goa?. What can be done to empower the 200 thousand culturally creative Goans?. Sarvodaya leader , a Gandhian to the core , Acharya Dada Dharmadhikari, member of Constitution assembly of India, was my ‘teacher’ during his brief visits to Goa. I was also impressed by lectures and books by his son Chief justice (rtd. Bombay high court) Mr. Chandrashekhar Dharmadhikari. Both stressed on ‘We, the people’-the preamble of our constitution. Dada told me –‘be self dependent, work with force of your ideas, have faith in democracy, have faith in our constitution’. Justice Dharmadhikari told us-“ in public life, as an Indian citizen your religion is the constitution of India’. When golden jubilee of Indian republic (1950-2000) approached I became restless- I asked myself-What have I done for this republic?. What have I done for people of my state?. I wanted to catch the moment-the golden jubilee. I was a nominated member of state level cultural advisory committee. We discussed a lot about different schemes to promote literature and culture-but something was missing. Janaury 26, 2000:- I was thinking about the rich facets of India’s culture as the republic day parade was telecast. Suddenly I thought of an idea- there was a lot of talk on a national cultural policy but no progress was made. Why not advocate for a State cultural policy?. I sat down and began writing a detail note- a memorandum to be submitted to state minister for art and culture Mr. Digambar Kamat, a BJP MLA in the cabinet led by Mr. Francisco Sardinha. . I read from the press note that he would be attending a cultural function in Kala academy in the evening. I finished the note by 5 p.m. and rushed to Kala Akademy well in time. Before the function began, I met Mr. Kamat in the lobby and told him-“ Today is the auspicious occasion of golden jubilee of our republic. I am submittting a hand written 8 pages note on state cultural policy. If we prepare it then Goa could have a real cultural democracy. It would be a great gift to goan people”. I handed over the envelope to him. He assured me that it would be followed. March, 2000:- The director, art and culture, Mr. M.V. Naik told me that the government is studying my note. April-October, 2000:- I remind director , art and culture about the pending action on the note. He assures me once again that the file has been opened and is under consideration of the government. 25 October, 2000:- BJP withdraws support to govt. led by Mr. Sardinha. Mr. Manohar Parrikar takes over as CM of Goa. A period of political turbulence follows. There is no action on my note. I send reminders to both Mr. Parrikar and Mr. Kamat. December, 2000:- Secretary (art, culture, archaeology, archives, museum) Ms. Archana Arora, IAS invites me for a discussion on conservation of cultural heritage of Goa. I brief her on my note on cultural policy. She requests me to chair a committee to prepare a model legislation for preservation and maintenance of heritage monuments in Goa and draft a policy on protection, preservation and promotion of cultural heritage in the state. January 4, 2001:- Government notifies a six member committee under my chairmanship with director, archives and archaeology as member secretary. Other non official members are-Mr. Percival Noronha, Mr. Rajendra Kerkar, Mr. Pandurnag Phaldessai and Adv. Vallabh Gawas Dessai. March 5, 2001:- After several meetings, scrutiny of various act, rules and policies, the report of our committee- “ Preservation and maintenance of the cultural heritage in the state of Goa’ (146 pages, with 18 annexures) is submitted to the Minister for archives and archaeology Mr. Prakash Velip. The report incorporates the full text ( 16 chapters and 105 sections) of “the Goa Cultural heritage (protection and Conservation) act, 2001” and 37 points for draft policy on protection, preservation and promotion of the cultural heritage in the state of Goa. An action plan is included recommending introduction of the new act in July 2001 monsoon session and constitution of village and municipal heritage protection committees by April 1, 2002. However I don’t find much progress on my note on cultural policy. September-October 2001:- the matter of state cultural policy is finally included in the agenda of meeting of state cultural development advisory committee. The committee welcomes the proposal. February-2002:- Mr. Parrikar recommends dissolution of Goa assembly. No progress on cultural policy note. June 2002:- A BJP led government comes to power. Sanvordem MLA Adv. Ramarao Dessai is allotted the art and culture portfolio. July, 2002:- I remind director, art and culture Mr. Naik, about the state cultural policy. He promises to brief the new minister. August 4, 2002:- The government constitutes a 21 member task force committee (TFC) under my chairmanship to prepare the draft state cultural policy. Members include Dr. Suresh Amonkar, Adv. Uday Bhembre, Mr. Pundalik Naik, Dr. P.P. Shirodkar and others. September 4, 2002:- I give a presentation of the rationale behind and areas to be considered under the draft cultural policy to committee members in conference hall of the old secretariat. Considering the voluminous task, the members request for extension of the original time limit of three months. It is decided that subcommittees would be constituted to prepare sectoral reports. Accordingly 16 conveners are appointed with the freedom to choose maximum five members to assist them from different areas of literature, art and culture. They’re given full freedom to prepare the ‘wish lists’. September 2002 to September 2003:- 14 subcommittees submit their reports-conveners include Mr. Rajendra Kerkar (folklore), Dr. Suresh Amonkar (Music and dance), Mr. Pundalik Naik (drama and theatre), mr. N.Shivadas (literature), Arch. Rajesh Kenkare (Architecture and sculpture), Mr. Sandesh Prabhudessai ( Journalism, Television, Radio) , Mr. Dharmananad Vernekar (cultural industry). In all about 50 members are involved in the sectoral inputs. Member of subcommittee on drama and theatre Mr. Tomazinho Cardozo submits detail suggestions to promote tiatra and establish a Tiatra academy. September-November 2003:- I begin the work to draft the state cultural policy. I depend on work of Augustin Girard, French ministry of culture to define “cultural policy”. The work of American consultants Don Adams and Arlene Goldbard 1986, 1995) is also referred to determine the basic concepts, modes and means of cultural policy making. I refer to several UNESCO conventions, charters and EU cultural policy documents to demystify the process as Goa’s would be the first state cultural policy. December 4, 2004:- After a marathon typing session, I print the draft, get bound 20 copies and visit the secretariat to submit the report of the task force committee and the final draft of the cultural policy to the minister art and culture, Mr. Dessai. January, 2005:- I remind CM Mr. Parrikar about the draft cultural policy. February-June 2005:-Due to politically fluid situation there is no progress on the report. A new government under Mr. Pratapsingh Rane takes over and becomes functional after June. Margao MLA Mr. Kamat gets art and culture portfolio once again. August 2005:-The art and culture department seeks to invite suggestions of stakeholders on draft cultural policy. The report is translated in Konkani and Marathi and the draft policy is widely circulated to MLAs, cultural institutions and individuals for comments, criticism and suggestions. January 2006:-I present salient aspects of cultural policy in international Goan convention, Panaji, Goa. July 2006:- The art and culture department requests me to modify the draft in view of the inputs received from the people. The final draft is now ready to go before the cabinet. August 2006:- Goa cabinet accepts state cultural policy. September 2006:- I remind Mr. Tomzinho Cardozo to follow the issue of establishment of Tiatra Akademy in Goa. He takes up the matter with the department. January 7, 2007:- State cultural policy is notified in the official gazette and comes into force. It provides for a review after five years, i.e. in January 2012. The Planning commission of India complements the state government for the policy document and recommends it as a model to other states. Karnataka and Maharashtra state administrations show interest. The cultural policy document is uploaded by GCCI on its’ website ( http://www.goachamber.org/cms/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid=195&Itemid=61) . Republic day-26 January 2007:-Mission which began seven years back has been successfully accomplished despite the change in the governments and absolutely no political or administrative interference at any stage either by BJP or Congress. March 2007:- Goa’s directorate of art and culture gets substantially higher and record grants from Govt. of India’s planning commission to implement several schemes in cultural policy in XI th five year plan period (April 2007-March 2012). June 2007:- Mr. Digambar Kamat takes over as CM of Goa and keeps the art and culture portfolio with him. I remind him about implementation of cultural policy and need to establish the Goa tiatra Akademy and a state level committee to commemorate the birth centenary of historian and a great son of Goa, Prof. Damodar. D. Kosambi. July 2007:- The government accepts my suggestion and notifies a DDKosambi birth centenary celebration committee under the chairpersonship of Dr. Maria Aurora Couto. September 2007:- The Margao citizens’ committee formed to felicitate their MLA Mr.Kamat takes the note of my advocacy of cultural policy, the role played to get it notified and invites me to speak on my experience during the CM Mr. Kamat’s felicitation function presided over by Mr. Prithviraj Chavan. December 2007:- I remind Mr. Tomazinho Cardozo to follow up the issue of establishment of Tiatra Akademy as recommended in cultural policy. January 2008:- I appeal the CM Mr. Kamat to get cabinet sanction for establishing Goa Tiatra Akademy. February 2008:- The first series of annual lectures under D.D. Kosambi memorial “festival of ideas’ is delivered. March 2008:- I submit on invitation, proposals for Goa budget-2008-09 and demand exemption and concessions for cultural goods and services produced/’made in Goa’ as proposed in cultural policy esp. audio and video CDs etc. April 2007-March 2009:- The directorate of art and culture under the new leadership of a young director, himself a poet, playwright and artist, Mr. Prasad Lolienkar introduces several new schemes under cultural policy. The “Goa cultural talent search scheme’ gets a record response at taluka and district levels. Hundreds of talented children begin to be noticed and benefit. Goa tiatra Akademy is established with generous grants from the government. November 2009:-I appeal the state government to support Mr. Victor Hugo Gomes’s ethnological museum-“Goa chitra’ under cultural policy. January 7, 2010:- On the occasion of completion of three years of notification of cultural policy I request Mr. Prasad Lolienkar to review the status of its’ implementation. A meeting is scheduled in February 2010. Government of India offers to set up a subcentre of Western zone cultural centre in Goa. January 10, 2010:- I visit –Lokotsava-the Velip-Kulami tribal festival at Gaudongri, Canacona and appeal the CM of Goa to support establishment of an ethnographic museum of tribals of Goa as included in cultural policy. Maharashtra government opens its’ own draft state cultural policy-“rajya sanskritik dhoran’ for public comments. On the eve of republic day-January 25, 2010:- As I look back- a lot remains to be done. A lot of money is being wasted to sponsor unproductive events in the name of culture. IFFI is a total drain. Our March 2001 report on cultural heritage has been put in cold storage. The 2007 cultural policy needs to be reviewed this year. The taluka level committees have not been appointed. The Goa government has a fashion to engage expensive consultants. We gave a policy which cost the government almost nothing. Outsourcing of the cultural policy would have cost the government a lot of money. Even INTACH which was engaged by state government to utilize a major corpus of finance commissions’ funds (Rs. 210 millions) for heritage conservation in Goa is expecting 10 percent commission as project fees –about Rs. two crores. It may not be an ideal cultural policy-but I believe in George Washington Carver-the famous American botanist. His epitaph says-“start where you are/with what you have/make something of it/ never be satisfied” As my dear republic is about to complete 60 years, I have a sense of some accomplishment, with support of the people. Good ideas work, if we persist and work doggedly, sincerely, studiously, honestly irrespective of political permutations and combinations. Formation of Goa Tiatra Akademy fulfilled a dream. It was a historic occasion. I am a serious student of this form-thanks to Mr. Tomazinho Cardozo. I was chief guest in 2008 for a function at state level organized by art and culture dept., to award the cultural fellowships to talented children under the new policy. That was the time I could feel the grassroot level results of the policy. There were children from all the sections of Goa. They represented a new talented generation. I was almost in tears while handing over the fellowships. They would establish the real cultural democracy. That’s perhaps, the only antidote to save Goa from the tentacles of Mumbai’s mafia. I appealed these children to provide new social, cultural and political leadership when they become voters. I knew, the children and their parents in the packed Institute Menezes Braganza hall took home the message seriously. Now I am restless again…. as the republic day approaches. I pray that let my beloved country, this great republic inspire me to do something better, more useful and productive. I wish to focus on half a million young voters of Goa (18-35 years age group) and 250 thousand students who can make a great difference. A vibrant cultural democracy in Goa would strengthen our great republic! Greetings of the diamond jubilee of Indian republic. JAI HIND! VIVA GOA! -- Dr. Nandkumar Kamat, GOA