THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024
John Eric Gomes
For Goa and also rest of India I think it is now or never. Whether the BJP wins or loses, they will be a force to reckon with definitely in the next decade if not more! How do we get a level playing field for the coming elections and elect the right people to represent us? Democracy should be of, by and for all the people. In a polarised India there are strong vote banks, vested interests, a party in power with an undisputed leader with a fairly disciplined well organised cadre that will vote for their chosen candidates no matter what! There is a lot of hypocrisy and double speak, but at the COP 26 at Glasgow, our, addressing world leaders, correctly stated that the world requires one word partnership in life, that is change in lifestyle to tackle the doomsday scenario in environment! However what the world leaders admit and decide is unfortunately not what they do, for own convenience or due political pressures at home. An immediate example is Boris Johnson who jetted out after COP 26 to London instead of taking the train knowing aviation emits vastly more carbon per passenger than any other form of transport.
The Indian electorate requires this LIFE change in mindset to enable unity in diversity to prevail. Propaganda, deceit and falsehood/denied information has to be replaced by ground realities in the light of Covid, science and technology, financial and healthy nation vision physically, truthfully and spiritually. Humanity and compassion is getting scarce and elections have become a carnival of corruption, inappropriate language, hate, deception and profit making festival instead of highlighting the best in democracy! This is further complicated by religion, caste and other biases. Justice is not possible with a mindset steeped in ego, selfishness, polluting tradition, rigid religious dogma, intolerant communal violence. In a polluted city like Delhi where Covid is a respiratory disease and eleven out of twenty most polluted cities in the world are in India, old habits must change. The Supreme Court said “we have to strike a balance between employment, unemployment and right to life of a citizen” and permits green crackers which people did not understand or educate the cracker manufacturers about. So we celebrated as usual jeopardising the lives of all our citizens?
Strong objections like Diwali without bursting crackers is no Diwali with arguments like those eating meat and stubble burning causes more pollution and must be stopped first etc make arguments religious centered. People surely must consider lowering all types of pollution, for all celebrations and demonstrate possibility of change in mindset! To quote Dr Martin Luther King “We need leaders not in love with money but in love with justice; not in love with publicity, but in love with humanity”. I may add we need leaders who love people and use money, not love money and use people!
The Corona pandemic has shown that there is no dearth of such people among the citizens, but the professional politicians and entrenched vested interests who keep them up there have managed to helplessly enslave us with the power we have given them to serve us and not rule/divide us! It is very difficult for “outsiders” to enter the political field due procedures, money required and entrenched vote banks. But today with the internet, social media, crowd funding and new generation, there is hope! Each one of us emit “sanskaras” filling the atmosphere with hate, or compassion and love for all fellow beings including flora and fauna, making our wonderful world a Hell or Heaven! Another problem is the regressive laws, rules misused. In Goa if the aim is to oust the BJP; the Congress, AAP, TMC, etc, being contenders, each wanting to do it alone in their own interest, is not good strategy. If the Opposition is truly interested in achieving their aim, and we do need a more Goa centric government uncontrolled by any outside high command as they are indeed promising us, then swallowing ego and self interests, a common minimum programme and coming together seems logical. But who cares for logic, honesty and truth?
It has taken electoral politics for our Prime Minister Modi to reluctantly bend to democratic and constitutional norms to repeal the three contentious farm laws after one year, 700 lives, Rs 7000 crores losses, etc, with dramatic announcement on a day of religious significance which is his trademark, no proper apology and even no Parliamentary procedure! In Goa’s interest the dubious casinos culture, drugs, trafficking, sex parlours and criminal political and police agencies nexus, unwanted development turning Goa into a wild state have to be tackled constitutionally. The country has been so polarised that it is profitable to be in the BJP and agonising to be in the Opposition. Cultural nationalism and social engineering is going strong and right wing extremists are emboldened! Perhaps the poll strategist who helped TMC win in Bengal can be the magnet that can align all parties and our good NGOs fruitfully, the best for the job are elected and hopefully these people, all government departments, police and enforcement agencies will thereafter be reformed to work together lawfully without fear, oriented on the side of the people to make Goa a better place to live in for all.
Justice for everyone must be attainable with a humanitarian truly democratic unarrogant government which brings back the beauty of a people whose paradise is lost and will unite all its citizens in decency, prosperity and happiness!
(The author is a retired naval officer, freelance writer resident in Porvorim).
