Singer Hema Sardesai can surely lay claim to having won laurels for Goa through her melodious voice. But the princess of Konkani pop has gone completely off tune with her unwanted, unwarranted entry in the cesspit of anger, rage and disgust at the manner in which the Government and the Goa police have handled events in the aftermath of the sudden shocking death of Goa’s warrior priest Father Bismarque. Instead of entering the cesspit to give strength to it, so that Father Bismarque (who she claims was her friend), indeed gets Justice, she followed her extremely distasteful article, in one of the English papers, by holding a press conference to state that only ten percent of protestors were politicizing the death of Father Bismarque. She added fuel by saying that the false show of love for Father Bismarque should stop.
By dwelling too much on what she said would actually feed into exactly what Hema wants, her place in the bandwagon but with a difference. She wishes to stand out as a genuine protestor, with genuine love for Father Bismarque, stating that solidarity shown towards Father Bismarque by a section of protestors is false.
Once she decides to climb down from her self-appointed hallowed position of Investigator in Chief and best friend of Father Bismarque, (both of which are grossly incorrect assumptions), she will realize the following a) People politely read what she wrote and commented (with shock), because of the respect she has earned as a singer. When she first posted her piece on Facebook, immediately after Father Bismarque’s death, those who didn’t agree responded with a language which was temperate. After all she was “Hema Sardesai”.
She then decided to use the forum of the newspaper (or was it the other way round) and social media picked it up, the reaction was much stronger. Quite obviously, between November 7 and November 25, Goa has witnessed a shoddy so-called investigation by the old Goa police which has caused enough early damage and may well prove to be crucial when the investigation reaches its climax. This was followed by black Saturday when so many people including senior citizens, who had never heard of Father Bismarque till he died, stood up for him. They fought and braved police high handedness and rode on police vans to Anjuna and Porvorim and refused to accept that they had committed any crime – except the most heinous one – fighting for Justice. Where was Hema Sardesai then? Or her voice or her song?
Instead what did she do? She said that the false show of love for Father Bismarque should stop and the truth will come out. Exactly Hema. That is exactly what Goa is telling you. And not 10 or 20 or 50 percent of protestors. The figure is hundred percent. Stop the false show of love Hema. The truth will indeed come out.
Meanwhile, she will perhaps not face so much of social flak for her actions if she ceases to give herself so much of importance. Her claim that she has been in touch with the IGP and the Chief Minister is amusing. To humour her let us believe that it was she who was dictating the course of the investigations after Father Bismarque’s death. If that is so, then she must also accept the blame for critical evidences which were destroyed and key figures not questioned.
Getting delusional can be a choice. And Hema has the right to exercise it in the privacy of her study. But when she decides to use her importance as a singer to hurt those fighting for the justice of Bismarque, her delusionary statements are not welcome. But this seems to be a habit which needs course correction. She wrote on her post after Bismarque’s death that in 2010, when activists agitated in front of the assembly against the failed promises of the Digambar Kamat, she made that all important call to Manohar Parrikar to help the protestors. Again, Sardesai has the right to appropriate credit for herself because no else is giving it to her. But the facts need not necessarily be true. In fact the protestors spoke to Parrikar directly and he did arrive to show solidarity. Those were the days when Manohar Parrikar used to be on the streets fighting for people. Now the people are fighting his government. And they will do that fine, with or without Hema Sardesai’s barbs or insults.
