The formal christening of a movement to bring citizen activists under one umbrella, for a movement to bring about political change, is an idea whose time has come. However the success lies is the implementation of the idea and not its very inception.
The birth of the Goenchea Lokancho Awaz, or United for Mother Goa is an important milestone which by itself assumes significance for a variety of reasons. Firstly, this is the first attempt at bringing together activists from Canacona to Pernem under one platform with the objective of participating in the 2017 elections in some form or the other. While the structuring of this idea and converting this from idea to implementation will need structure and organisation, which a disparate group of activists will be hard put to organize in a short span of time, this alone cannot be an albatross around their necks. Secondly, some of the creators of this movement who sat on the podium to announce the formation of Goenchea Lokancho Awaz are torch bearers of the citizen’s movement in Goa, like Prajal Sakhardande and Claude Alvares though the later has explicitly clarified that he is not a member of the new formation or its leader but continued to be supportive of all movements in the citizen’s space.
It should also be flagged that some of those who are a part of this movement have attempted to be a part of all efforts to bring about change including helping the Aam Admi Party in its infancy in Goa and have since then either forsaken that company feeling “disgruntled” or stopped themselves in their tracks. While this is by no means a conclusive reflection of the Aam Admi Party, it is surely conclusive that none of the new formations or parties in Goa have embraced the citizens space. They in fact have, either by choice or design, fanned out to actually compete for that space. And the field is actually wide open because the mainstream opposition party, the Congress, hasn’t quite accepted the new grammar of 2017, which simply states- out with the old, bring in the new.
The Aam Admi Party on the other hand has attempted to move into this space but the very fact that an alternate citizens movement has been launched, with voices of part dissent, part apprehension against AAP emanating from the new platform, is an indication that that AAP’s work is not just work in progress, but a lot of work is left to be done, to progress. Lest we forget, and honest voices in AAP will vouch for this, both Prajal Sakhardande and Claude Alvares were very much on their wish list as possible candidates. Sakhardande, one of Goa’s finest conscience keepers of Goa’s heritage, was initially drawn to the Goenkarpon initiative fronted by the globe-trotting Armando Gonsalves of Goa For Giving, but has since then distanced himself. It is learnt that one of the main reasons why the Goenkarpon movement too faced fissures and cracks was over their respective stands towards AAP. Interestingly Sakhardande and Vasco veteran activist Gandhi Henriques, were not averse to AAP while Gonsalves vehemently opposed them calling them a “Delhi party”. Piquantly, Sakhardande now finds himself on a platform which has no love lost for the Aam Admi Party.
The fact that AAP is indeed looking for candidates with increased desperation is evident in it welcoming Congress old timers like Carl Vaz into the party, quite obviously with a ticket promise.
In fact the most significant comment that emerged from the first meeting to announce this movement was from Claude Alvares himself who said that he had reservations about AAP, since it has only one issue –corruption, but has no opinion on MoI and mining. Alvares however added a significant rider when he said that if there was a choice only between the three parties who are clearly in the fray- Congress, BJP and AAP, he would back AAP. This however is not an endorsement of AAP by a long shot. For starters, Alvares and the United for Mother Goa movement will identify good people in each constituency after feedback from locals and back them.
The AAP is clearly watching these developments with concern. It reached out to Claude Alvares early Thursday morning as soon as newspapers were out and sought a meeting. It is reliably learnt though that Alvares has limited him involvement to spreading awareness about his Goenchi Maati movement geared towards mineral wealth getting into the hands of the people.
Having said that, the Goenchea Lokancho Awaz, has its task cut out. It needs to infuse greater clarity on critical all Goa issues like the Mopa airport and Medium of Instruction and be a bit more transparent, if it has not been at this stage, whether the movement itself will be backed by another movement turned party, like the Advocate Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav-led AAP breakaway, Swaraj Abhiyan which will become the Swaraj Party on October 2.
