Change of political leadership was a very common affair in Goa sometime back. We have seen ‘making’ and ‘breaking’ of democratically elected governments by different political leaders in the past due to their greed for political power. Goa had achieved notoriety in the functioning of democratic governments in the state in the past. We have set new political records by replacing Chief Ministers seven times in five years. A sad commentary indeed!
However, the coalition government under the leadership of the then Chief Minister, Digamber Kamat completed its full term of 5 years in spite of numerous political tremors threatening the survival of that Government. The present BJP government, first under the leadership of Manohar Parrikar, who was shifted to Delhi as nation’s Defence Minister and now under the leadership of Laxmikant Parsekar, appears to be stable as it has absolute majority in the Assembly. This is a good sign as far as politics in Goa is concerned because stable government is the need of the hour.
This tiny state of Goa was liberated from the dictatorship of the Portuguese regime in 1961. Along with liberation democracy was ushered into Goa and Goans got their democratic rights. In fact we have completed 53 years of Liberation of Goa very recently and hence 53 years of experience should have been sufficient to turn the Goan voter into a more mature citizen in his dealings with democracy and Goa into an ideal state. Unfortunately, this has not happened. No doubt, Goans, be they politicians, bureaucrats or the voters themselves, definitely have gained tremendous experience in doing things through undemocratic means in the guise of democratic principles.
Look at the political leaders, the bureaucrats and the Goan voters in the 60s and in the beginning of the 70s. The politicians believed in the ideologies of their respective political parties. The voters too were faithful to the principles in which they believed. Their main concern was the development and betterment of society. The leaders joined politics because they wanted to serve Goa and Goans in the true sense of the word. The Goan voter also thought on the same wavelength and hence he cast his vote and always elected a sincere and honest person. Due to this pleasant democratic atmosphere in the state, the bureaucrats had no opportunity to indulge in corruption. Although there were stray incidents of corruption and favoritism, on the whole, the political leadership, ruling as well as opposition, by and large, believed in honesty and transparency. This was because individuals who entered the political field came mostly from professions like legal practice, teaching, medical practice, journalism, trade unionism, etc. They practiced principled politics and were rarely seen compromising with the principles they stood for.
The political situation today in Goa displays a very different picture. A majority of the present day politicians do not appear to have such ideals in their mind. I am compelled to say so only because they keep on changing party allegiance for self-aggrandizement and fulfillment of their personal ends very often. They gain power through whatever means possible. The tragedy is that they are not ashamed of these deeds, which bring a very bad name to themselves and to the state. Frequent political disturbances and subsequent changes of governments in the past have projected Goa as a politically ‘notorious’ state in the country. Due to the greed for money and power shown by some political leaders, the Goan voter has also acquired similar qualities. He has converted his ‘right to vote’ into a type of business of making fast money. When such a situation exists in the political field of any state, then the bureaucracy too moves in the same direction as the political leadership does.
It is very easy to shout against corruption in the government. It is also very common to brush aside the impact of this evil act by saying that it is a universal phenomenon. What is annoying is that it has grown beyond all limits with the passage of time. The ordinary citizens also are too willing to pay something extra to get a job done by bending the existing laws. Thus, everybody who is directly connected to the smooth functioning of democracy contributes to the downfall of democratic norms. With all these undemocratic acts, the honest taxpayer is the loser.
Is it possible to rectify this situation? In fact there are many law enforcing authorities in the state which can set the things right, but unfortunately they are not at all effective in curbing corruption and other malpractices. First and foremost, is our police force independent in the true sense of the word? No! Political interference has crippled these protectors of the law. We have autonomous institutions like the CBI. It is also influenced by the political bosses. Even the Judiciary has not been able to escape the impact of political influence. Thus the future appears to be bleak unless amends are made on a priority basis.
An educated and vigilant public is the only answer to tackle corruption. A truly independent and accountable police force can curb all types of malpractices. A neutral and dedicated bureaucracy can streamline the administration. An impartial and upright judiciary can save our future from destruction. An honest and sincere political leadership can give a new direction to the existing system of governance. And above all, an honest and upright citizen – the voter – can definitely contribute in strengthening democracy in the true sense of the word.
In fact if people having such qualities govern the state, they can give a truly transparent government. Can we dream of having such a political atmosphere in the state of Goa in the near future?
(Tomazinho Cardozo is a former Speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly)
