Thecla Pereira
We have come to the crossroads in the history of our state. Another opportunity is coming our way. The choice is ours, we have to use our intelligence and exercise our adult franchise in a responsible manner. What will help us make this choice? What is the yardstick that we are going to use to measure the candidates who stand to be our representatives?
Let us evaluate the performance of the present government during the past five years. Have they fulfilled their manifesto or have they taken us for granted because they believe we are susegaad people. Friends, the time has come to prove such people wrong.
It’s my humble request; let us not forget the rich legacy we have inherited without much of our contribution. This is the history we have in our blood, our contribution made by those gone before us; we are standing on their shoulders. They were women and men of substance, who valued our land. They did not think of themselves, they wanted to treasure a history and have handed it down to us. Sad but true we have faltered for selfish and personal reasons, some of our representatives forgot their duty they began to enter into a deal without thinking of the future.
Goa, our motherland is being raped and stripped of its wealth and disrobed of its beauty due to greed and yet we are not learning. We are experiencing the effects of climate change and are still not prepared to change our life style; to check our value system. Each one wishes that the other change, but the real change begins with oneself, be the change you want to see. We have too many preachers and less doers, let’s be doers of the word, so that the seeds that fall on fertile ground will bear a hundredfold.
We have come to the cross roads, ours is not to ask the reason why, but it is to do and die. Such grit and commitment is becoming minimal; if you dare to be one then be prepared to become a laughing stock!! Yet it’s only a few who will enter by the narrow door. And to those who have made it their hobby to amass wealth for our children, let us not forget the Queen who ruled Tamil Nadu for six consecutive terms, took nothing with her, her death is a mystery.
I conclude with the wisdom of the African people. The response of the chief of Seattle, we do not sell our land, we preserve it for seven generations! Can we as Goans say that we are preserving our land for the next seven generations, what are we going to hand down? Let us choose keeping in mind how will my decision affect the future of our beautiful state.
