Assemblies and Parliaments are where the will of the people live. Each elected person carries with him or her the will of the people to be their voice. That is where they make policies and laws for the people. And when there is any policy being planned which goes against people’s interests, they are supposed to speak up and prevent any injustice being done to the people.
Why are people knocking on doors of courts? Because justice is not coming from those who they have elected
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One of the reasons why the common man, NGOs, lawyers, writers are in different courts of the country fighting new laws and acts or decisions of the government because the court of the people has failed them. And what is the court of the people? The Assembly and the Parliament. If those who go to the people for votes speak for them and fight for them and not allow anti-people laws which will affect future generations – their children and grandchildren – then there will be no need to spend days and hours on filing cases, travel for hearings etc.
Today every single people’s battle is fought in the courts because it is not fought in the Assemblies and Parliament.
Different lobbies are jumping into politics through their agents. They are controlling policies. They have the power
All these years we have had the bus lobby, the timber lobby, then the mining, casino, concrete lobby, and real estate lobbies. Policy decisions and even legislations are bent to favour these lobbies. The mission of these lobby agents is not to make good laws for the people but to service the lobby ‘BOSSES’.
Many Goans know how even Chief Ministers have waited outside the offices of the heads of certain corporate lobbies waiting for an audience. How do these lobbies get so much power? How do they manage to do these settings, so much so that those we elect forget us, our dreams, our hopes, and take decisions that go against the future of our land and our children?
There was a time when people used to go to headmasters, professors, lawyers, writers, and men and women of learning and reputation to be their elected representative. We salute such humble and great men and women. Will these people have even a little chance now in front of the lobbies?
These days, elections have become deals, it is about power, not service
The main aim of most who get elected is complete control over their area. They have to be the final word and their rule will prevail. As soon as they are elected, the entire staff of the police stations under their area is changed especially the PIs. The police and different departments work as per their wish. Police stations have become political stations. Cases and investigations are done as per settings and not strictly as per law, whatever any senior police officer of a senior politician may say. Everyone knows what goes on in our police station where those in khaki uniforms and those in black coats do settings and investigations and cases move according to those “settings”. Even a young child in Goa knows the word, “setting”.
Do we vote to have these settings?
Are those we elect forgetting that their job is to make good laws that people want?
On banning any movement of coal and its pollution Goans want the government to be on our side. But the people had to approach the Supreme Court to pinpoint out how destructive the Mollem projects will be with the sole purpose of increasing coal transportation.
In 2012 MPT handled about 5 million tonnes of coal. If these projects are completed the volume of coal will a minimum of 26 million tonnes and could go up to as much as 50 million tonnes. With the breeze capable of taking the coal across huge distances and spillage, Goans will be victims of respiratory diseases and fall sick and die.
After going to Court against these projects, the court appointed an expert panel that has clearly actually said this
– Cancellation of double-tracking of a railway line
– Use the existing power lines and not new lines which will cut trees and destroy the forests, for the power project project
– Environmental clearances for the four-laning of the national highway between Goa and Karnataka, where a massive number of trees will be cut
The Chief Minister when asked by the opposition why the State was not listening to what the expert panel of the Supreme Court has said, “The matter is before the Supreme Court. We will file our say on the CEC report. These are just recommendations. The court has not taken any decision.”
CM, these are painful comments. People want to know your say in the Supreme Court
The Supreme Court panel appointed by the court has basically said in its recommendations that two of the projects, as they are now cannot go on the third project too, the environment clearance which will mean hearing the people has to be taken. People of Goa are asking what is the “say” that the Goa government will make against this.
Because the panel’s experts have confirmed what people are saying. Does the government want to give a say which is against both the people and the Supreme Court panel
Do you now know that any say which goes in favour of these projects will ruin the health, future, and lives of so many Goans? And then there will be no parties or politics. Goans lives will be at stake.
Finally, it’s all about being sensitive. And touch the hearts of people, not hurt them
Two, fourteen-year-old girls were gang-raped by four men on Benaulim beach, an incident that has horrified people across Goa and in India. When asked about the investigations into the case the Chief minister advised parents of girls to be careful, monitor their children and take responsibility for their minor girls who are out late at night.
The CM’s advice to parents is something that all parents would ideally know. Yet let us thank the CM for his advice. But what advice will he have for rapists who roam free and come home? Shouldn’t the parents of boys have the responsibility of ensuring that their children make the place where they live safe rather than have parents of girls trying to protect them?
Throughout the country every TV channel and website is shocked at the Goa CM is shaming him and Goa. Do we like to see this? Aren’t we pained that our State is getting a bad name?
On Thursday evening, all the major national channels, websites, independent and well-known anchors had made the Goa CM’s comments as the top news. Goans do not want to be in the top news because of such remarks made by the CM. He is the head of the state. All he has to do is give a free hand to the police and have no political interference.
Our Goa was always safe and free. There was no monitoring needed because the whole of Goan society would be there to keep everyone safe. That is not the case now.
But if such elements like rapists are roaming freely without any fear, we are in a very serious situation.
The fault perhaps lies not with those we elect but the fault lies with us
With respect to the Chief Minister and all elected MLAs, Goans now have to look within and see the kind of people we elect. Those who want to serve power and lobbies or serve the people.
And we say to those who get elected, if you are unfit to be the voices of the people, should you be elected.
With no reference to anyone at all, one knows that in life, we all know that wherever there are jokers, there is bound to be a beautiful circus. Do we want Goa to be a circus?
