…Sogle sarke tu korpa aslo pun late zalo (You have tried to do everything but it’s too late) by the band Waking Grunt on a viral Facebook video is worth a watch if you haven’t seen it. It is probably the most disarmingly Goan way of stating that this government the harder it may try, has failed. And now it is too late to trust them anymore. Trust, in democracy, is paramount. This government that most of the Goans had never voted for first usurped our mandate and now has been rattling out atrocious decisions that promise to change Goa into a plastic, artificial and concrete jungle with pseudo values and crony capitalism running it. So much for Goem, Goemkar & Goemkarponn. This week Goa saw all that.
They say two U-turns make a zero. And this government united with the opposition seems to be doing precisely that. The outrage over formalin in fish seems to have been lost after the Congress-orchestrated walkouts lasted three days. Did the Assembly stop doing its business as you saw it? No. The LAQs were answered and the House went about their business. The charade of protests in the Assembly masked the real culprits of the formalin in fish scandal – the fish mafia, the enabling SGPDA and the bumbling FDA. While every MLA and Minister worth his salt poured his lungs out on the issue, what went unnoticed was the fact that the same mafia came back with a vengeance and tried to blackmail Velsao’s ramponkars and the same mafia was in Kozhikode lobbying with All Kerala Fish Merchants and Commission Agents Association to ban Goan prawns so as to make the Goan fishermen go down on their knees. This government never discussed it in the Assembly and the spineless opposition had done their duty of crying hoarse.
There isn’t just something fishy but something muddy too that is playing out. The government and the opposition are coming together in an unholy communion where the trust and the faith of the people in the democracy are being flattened every moment. This week contradictory, misleading and even blatant lies were dished out. What is to be noted here is that often lies and bluffs are brazenly dished out by the MLAs and Ministers that we elect and they hide behind privileges. In fact, our legislators have complete immunity as per Article 194 of the Constitution of India which simply states that no MLAs shall be liable to any proceedings in any court in respect of anything said or any vote given by him in Legislature or any Committee thereof, and no person shall be so liable in respect of the publication by or under the authority of Legislature of any report, paper, votes or proceedings. The representatives that we elect become the tyrants who rule us. They dish us promises that they don’t keep. They turn every truth on its head and care two hoots about you because they are legislatively immune.
In one night, a Rs 300 crore recovery of illegal mining loot becomes Rs 1500 crore. In a few nights, formalin goes from no formalin to within permissible limits to being naturally present in fishes. In less than 300 nights, the government does not remember having promised scrapping of RP 2021. The paper tigers of democracy roar well within the protective sanctum sanctorum of the Legislature. Citizens, be damned.
So what is the moral of the story? You elect a man who came begging to you for votes. He made promises. Walked into the august House. Did a U-turn on his promises that you can’t challenge because it is his privilege that you are breaching if you question him. And you dear Goan was just another tool to bestow upon him, unchallenged and unfathomed power. Tuka late zalo.
