From Chaturthi to Christmas, two festivals which bring Goans together in a bond of cultural, religious unity and harmony, we have a little over a 100 days. In any manner of speaking and discourse, both Chaturthi and Christmas embody all that is good and worthy of emulating, of the Goan people. These festivals are a triumph of what Goa stands for, the embrace of religion and language in one medium called Goenkarponn. These festivals bring together Goans who acknowledge differences and respect the settled, and if not settled, the most acceptable view on contentious issues.
These hundred plus days, in the year of 2016, will however be different from the past. The time between the Ganesh festival and Christmas, will witness one of the most contentious and significant political periods in Goa’s history, where people will look beyond finding the next government. They will look for a good Shepherd to guide Goa and work for the people of Goa, a force which will guide and protect, will give equal space to all shades of opinion, a force which will allow freedom of speech, expression of choice, especially when it comes to deciding on the futures of our children. The people of Goa will look for a leadership which does not believe in “otherisation” but inclusion.
In the week leading up to Ganesh Chaturthi, the political landscape was dominated by the very bitter, open and unprecedented “split” within the Sangh Parivar. The BBSM backed by the Goa pranth RSS, ostensibly took on the Nagpur RSS and the BJP leadership in Goa on a one point demand of withdrawing all grants to Church-backed schools teaching English. While the ruling party has made mother tongue the basis of its education policy, no policy can over ride an existing Act, unless the Act is amended, withdrawn or replaced. Therefore, while the ruling BJP has deservedly faced a lot of criticism for not legislating on the issue of grants to ensure the legislative continuance of grants to English medium schools, it cannot by law withdraw grants to any schools. Section 3 of the Goa Daman and Diu Official Language Act 1987 states unequivocally “Provided further that the Government shall not, in granting aid to any educational or cultural institution, discriminate against such institution only on the ground of language”.
In fact this actually makes it imperative for the state to extend grants to all English schools and not just the Church-backed Diocesan schools. Following immediately Section 4 states, “Notwithstanding anything contained in section 3, the English language shall continue to be used in addition to the languages specified in that section for all or any of the official purposes of the Union territory”.
As we make firm our choices, let us be clear that this choice of picking the next government has to be based on certain fundamentals that are non-negotiable under any circumstances. It is obvious that certain parties will look to make capital out of the fact that a critical section of the RSS cadre will work against BJP candidates. But we are the people of Goa. We aren’t political parties. For us, fundamentals are all that matter. And the fundamentals are:
1) The identity of Goa has to be protected, preserved and not allowed to perish. And one of the symbols of Goan identity is of Konkani as our official language and as the only official language. Moreover respect should be given to Marathi in the social, cultural, religious and official space. However all attempts to bring in Marathi as another official language should be blocked and nipped immediately.
2) Education for all, according to the choice of parents, must be ensured while confirming to the principle of education in the mother tongue. Grants should be given to all primary institutions without discrimination on grounds of language.
3) The movement for Special Status has to be an ongoing intense movement and the ruling party in Goa needs to pursue this relentlessly, to ensure greater control over Goa’s land and not surrender it at the altar of “investment”, without the necessary checks and balances of the TCP Act, the Tenancy Act and other land laws.
4) The policy on casinos should be clear. They should move out of the territorial waters of Goa on to the high seas and the trade completely controlled and regulated. Political parties must declare whether they will accept any donations or funds from the casino lobby for elections. Any party which does not make that declaration has to be viewed with suspicion, as the relationship between the new government and the casino lobby would amount to a clear conflict of interest.
5) The future of mining has to be determined by the new government which must emphasise that mineral resources have to be in the hands of the people through the state. Mining companies will make profits according to industry standards within the
principle of the mineral (which includes all additional mineral which is present in the ore body) being a state resource. The state should have the right to make capital out of ore exploitation then plough back profits for better infrastructure in mining areas, and with funds left over, to go directly to the people.
6) The cap on mining has to be protected and irresponsible remarks like trying to campaign for the increase in the mining cap made by AAP Convenor Arvind Kejriwal, without promising a mining corridor, have to be rejected outright.
7) Goans are telling parties, we need to see who your candidates are. Enough has been said about bottom up approaches and that people’s choice will be respected and good clean faces will be fielded. We now need to see who they are so that there is some reality to match the rhetoric. Goa is small enough for people to see through each and every choice of candidate and know what compulsions have been at play. If a party is serious about winning people, it should proudly present people who will represent them by the middle of October.
Goans have to start making decisions and in doing so they must hold parties to account on the basis of these fundamentals above. For example, Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister and the number two in the Aam Admi Party Manish Sisodia, when asked to comment on AAP’s stand on the medium of instruction in Goa remarked “My opinion does not matter. It is not for me or my party to decide but it should be decision of the people of Goa”. Isn’t his party planning to form a government? And doesn’t it know what is right and what is in Section 3 of the Official language Act. Will running away from making decisions on fundamentals help Goa?
And mind you, every party which claims to bring change and protect Goan identity needs to be scrutinised with the same magnifying glass. A party propounding Goenkarpon, must declare that it will not have any truck with a party which is trying to reinvent the wheel and unsettle settled issues like introducing Marathi as Goa’s official language. All parties must make its stand on whether Goa should have casinos or not, clear and this includes both the Goa Forward and the Congress. The Goa Congress president has made it clear that party is against the harm that casinos have done to society, even as AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh made a loose remark that the Congress is not against casinos.
So no deals between parties who take the votes of Goans, based on their pre-poll stand and then tie up with parties who believe in exactly the opposite post polls.
Goans, bruised and hurt are not willing to be taken for a ride any longer. And they are keeping parties on watch not just before the elections but will closely watch what they do post elections, to see if principles and declarations are fed to the dogs in the mad race for power.
By Christmas, Goans will make clear informed choices.
