Yesterday OHeraldo carried an advertisement from the Shack Owners
Welfare Society congratulating Matanhy Saldanha on getting a
ministerial post. It said, Wishing you all the best in your future
endeavours and may God bless you with good health to serve the people
of Goa.
Did God really bless him by taking him away and not letting him ruin
the reputation he had earned as a ceaseless, fearless fighter for
social justice if he had lived and not been able to fulfill the
promise of keeping Goa from further destruction? Didn't he lose the
fight to get River Princess out of its place of resting during his
first tenure as tourism minister? Would be able to take on the might
mining and hotel lobbies to clean the environment and the beaches?
It's a different ball game to fight against the mining lords and the
government decisions that the people didn't like than doing things in
an official capacity, such as bringing in new laws or making
amendments to existing ones regarding environment, mining, etc, as it
bring the government into direct clash with the powerful lobbies.
As Teotonio de Souza said, I believe that god saved him from Goan
democracy!, I believe Matanhy would have been consumed alive fighting
the evil forces. Check what is happening with Mamta Banerjee and
contrast her role as an activist and now as chief minister of Bengal.
Activists such as Matanhy have fire in their bellies. Once these
fired-breathing activists go on to the other side of governing, they
often get caught in bureaucratic muddles and the hard realities of
governance.
As a deeply religious man, Matanhy had probably left his fate in God's
hand. He couldn't cheat death. As one report quoted a wailing
fisherwoman asking God why He didn't let Matanhy live at least for
another year, the answer to her question will never be known. Matanhy
himself would have said, Don't cry for me, Goa.
Eugene Correia
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Protect Goa's natural beauty
Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve
Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php
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