Further to your interesting editorial ‘Can fly by night new parties show Goa a new dawn’ (Herald, 26 December), we would like to lay before the people of Goa, a few points that will help clear any seeds of doubts and suspicion.
1. The move of Goans for Goa (GFG) is not at all sudden, as we have been working on an idea for the last 6 months and people who are connected with us on our social media page, will verify to this. In fact we were supposed to have a convention, to discuss a “Peoples Manifesto” in November, but the sudden death of Fr Bismarque Dias (who was also a strong supporter of GFG, and had even contributed towards the drafting of the peoples manifesto), we had to put the convention on the back burner, as we felt that the need to fight for the justice of Fr Bismarque was of a more urgent priority. However we could not delay the announcement any longer, as time is already running out.
2. GFG by itself as a group is not interested in jumping into the political fray, but will only do so, if we can unite other Goans, activists towards forming a political movement in Goa, to get rid of the communal BJP and the corrupt Congress Party. To this effect, a resolution was passed by GFG, to allow me, ONLY to work with other groups and activists, to see if a possible PEOPLES political movement can be generated, as we feel that the people of Goa definitely need a better alternative then the BJP/Congress. Currently GFG is only acting as a felicitator working towards this objective. We will go ahead with the political front only if the people of Goa feel that a PEOPLES PARTY IS REQUIRED, AND IF THEY WILL SUPPORT SUCH A PARTY. Otherwise GFG was founded by me as a non-political group, and will continue to remain as a non political forum.
3. GFG will be calling all passionate grassroot leaders, activists, intellectuals working hard to protect Goa, and if everyone feels, that Goa needs a unifying peoples movement….only then a new Executive Committee will be chosen by the people, to spear head the movement.
4. GFG has already laid down the basic conditions that no existing or past MLAs/MPs can be included as members or as candidates of the party, and as such the question of helping Churchill or any politicians does not arise.
5. GFG is only felicitating the move of forming a peoples political movement, with an aim to clean Goa political garbage, by giving the people a chance to wipe the slate clean, and begin afresh, with clean and proper people at the helm of affairs. Therefore the question of GFG or the new political formation aligning with the BJP/MGP or other communal forces, or even joining them in a coalition is out of question.
6. The new political peoples movement is not an attempt to split votes, and help the BJP/MGP combine, rather it will seek to unite the people of Goa under one umbrella…the way the AAP did in Delhi, other wise it does not make any sense to float a political party. Currently we feel that the BJP has already laid out its plan to trap and split the minority votes, and unless a unifying peoples force enters the fray, the BJP will be laughing all the way to the counting booths.
7. GFG does not have money bags to launch a political front, nor is supported by any god fathers. In the likely event that the new political peoples party takes shape, the new formation will need to generate its own funds, and maintain it accounts transparently.
8. The new political formation will work with other non-communal parties, or regional parties, provided they support the major issues laid out in the PEOPLES MANIFESTO prepared by GFG.
