However much one may try to have a positive outlook or an optimistic approach to the present situation in Goa, it seems we are staring at a dead wall– all because we have and have had Governments, which just lack the will and the courage to act and the moral authority to seek accountability and people who refuse to assert themselves and often seem unconcerned at what happens to us and to this land which is our pride and our treasure. From whichever angle you look at Goa, the scenario is awfully depressing.
The filth around us, the garbage and plastics strewn all over, the traffic snarls and jams almost throughout the day and in every city, the dilapidated condition of our roads, as perhaps never before, even at tourist spots like Calangute, the battered and unclean beaches ruined by neglect and violation of environmental norms, the slums omnipresent in the State, mostly with blessings of politicians and connivance of locals, the influx of migrants squatting on Govt., Comunidade or private land, the total absence of sanitation, with soak pits and even septic tanks overflowing into the drains or fields, drinking water getting mixed up with sewage, parking of vehicles a nightmare – everything pointing to an administration that has collapsed and a situation, which, to say the least, is shameful for the Government of such a small State as ours.
There may be people hired to shout from the rooftops about the “achievements” of Manohar Parrikar, but this grim situation is right in front of our eyes, unless we have them shut or refuse to see. In fact, apart from garbage the two major pressing issues that Goa faces and which, even in the literal sense, take the life out of us have been directly under the Home Ministry, until recently headed by Manohar Parrikar. They are law and order and traffic.
Police in Goa excel in inefficiency and casual approach. Traffic, even in major cities, is handled with great expertise. However, in Goa, will, determination and dynamism are lacking. The traffic situation in Goa is already extremely grave and is sure to get aggravated in the weeks to come, leading to a possibility of Goa getting chocked during the X’mas season. Hence, the authorities and the Traffic Police in particular must tackle it with the seriousness and concern it deserves. Law and order, of course need alertness and intelligence which is lacking, but above all it needs toughness, to deal with miscreants, thieves and dacoits, which is regretfully often absent.
Goan expatriates who visit Goa, regularly or occasionally, rightly never have a good word about the situation in Goa. They feel that while, elsewhere in the world, they generally watch things improving, in Goa it is always the reverse. Their disgust is such that some of them painfully express that if it wasn’t for their love for this land of theirs and the friends and relatives they left behind here, they would not have stepped here anymore. Those of us who stay in Goa surely share the same views though we may react differently to their grievances.
However, we owe it to our land, to our children and to our future generations that we cannot, under any circumstances, allow the present situation to continue and that, come what may, we must stop Goa from going downhill. True, we cannot be expected to be on the streets protesting all the while, but at times such postures are necessary to bring the Government to its senses, which they seem to have lost, a long time ago. We may have to hit the streets even more than we did during Congress rule if the BJP thinks it can have its way. The majority they enjoy in the Assembly is given to them by Goans and if BJP thinks they can ignore people’s justified woes, apprehensions and fears on a host of issues including mining, Regional Plan and Mopa, etc., they will have to reap the consequences. People might have voted later again for their candidates to Parliament, despite their disenchantment with the local Government. But, this was mainly because a change at the Centre was also needed.
People in Panjim are now having a golden opportunity to express their anger and frustration at the wrong decisions, misdeeds and inaction of BJP, which have also had their adverse effect on Panjim, which Parrikar represented. Panjimites would know it better, but to my mind Parrikar far from cooperating with CCP, as should have been the case, being the city’s MLA, he, in fact, came in the way of the development of the city including the pay parking and recovery of market dues, solely not to allow the credit to go to Surendra Furtado, who defeated Parrikar’s candidate for the Mayor’s election. Vindictive, as is known to be, Parrikar surely never forgave Surendra Furtado for this affront. With his alter ego, Sanjith Rodrigues, as Commissioner, he made it amply sure that sufficient brakes were put to any steps being taken by the Mayor.
Parrikar treated Government funds as his personal fund. He even starved the CCP, in his own constituency, of subsidies to the extent that the Mayor had to seek help from Corporates, under CSR, for trucks and machines to keep the city clean. To my knowledge, Parrikar’s promises on Mala Lake, Mala Market and many others remained unfulfilled. His only achievement in Panjim appears to have been the sprucing up of the jetty to benefit the casinos, which at one time were his enemies but later turned his favourites, leaving us no reasons for any guesses. Parrikar’s well known ego took the better of him and he consciously deprived the city of development. Now, Parrikar is sure to make many promises to Panjimites, including perhaps the vacation of Army occupied premises and land in the city. But the voters need to question Parrikar and his candidate about their MLA’s performance during his 32 month tenure, moreover as CM of Goa. Panjimites are sufficiently educated and intelligent to decide on their choice, but, in my humble view, the happenings in Goa and hampering of development in Panjim, are enough reasons to show the BJP the door.
(The author is a retired banker)
