In the battle to preserve mother Mhadei, secure for Goa its appropriate rights over its water and at the same time afford concessions to Karnataka, which are granted only by the Mhadei Water Disputes Tribunal, based on facts and cogent arguments, Karnataka has fought an ugly street fight with accusations, allegations and street protests and bandhs.
It will continue its aggressive push to take the fight for water to the villages, with a spark of drama by making thousands of photocopies of Goa Chief Minister Parrikar’s letter to Karnataka BJP Chief B S Yeddurappa, keeping options of a meeting on drinking water within the ambit of the tribunal open. The difference between Goa and Karnataka has always been that the former, a small tiny state has behaved like a firm statesman, taking on Karnataka in the tribunal with information, facts and well laid out arguments while Karnataka acted like a belittled toughie.
However, the conduct of the Water Resources Minister Vinod Palyekar in the last week, where he has uttered profanities, which can be construed as insulting the people of Karnataka, has made the gravitas and seriousness of Goa’s on the issue, suffer.
PalyeKar, in the sidelines of a press conference, was speaking to journalists casually, who asked him why he went to the Mhadei dam site with beefed up security to which he purportedly replied “because people there are harami”. The minister has not surprisingly denied this, blaming journalists for misquoting him, but unfortunately for him, he continues to be caught off-guard by advances in technology. This time, his throwaway line was taped and recorded.
The remark, viewed as an insult to the people of Karnataka, has galvanised all political forces in the state to unite and embarrassingly, BJP leader Mr B S Yeddurappa, himself has demanded an apology from the Goa Minister.
This puts the Goa BJP and the Chief Minister Mr Parrikar in a piquant position. His letter to BS Yeddurappa did stir a hornet’s nest which was ultimately quelled by the declaration that the willingness to talk was not a guarantee of any additional water concessions to Karnataka an that all discussions will be under the ambit of the tribunal. However Water Resources Minster Palyekar, has mishandled that delicate balance which was sought to be struck by his reckless remarks, which has only served Karnataka’s purpose of raising further heat on Goa.
Palyekar’s remarks on the Mhadei issue may have been in Goa’s interests but not becoming of a cabinet minister, especially during a sensitive inter-state dispute on an issue. For stance, reacting to the letter of hois own Chief minister Mr Parrikar to BS Yeddurappa, Palyekar said that he had not received a copy of the letter and irrespective of what the contents of the letter were, Goa would not part with any water. But his ‘harami’ remarks followed by a statement wherein the minister called Karnataka “habitual liars” on the Mhadei issue has really hit a new low.
He then tweeted that the Karnataka witness appearing for the state before the water disputes tribunal was “paid”. One of his tweets read “Karnataka witness A K Gosain had confessed in tribunal that he was paid 50k per day by Karnataka for being the witness and 5 lakhs to prepare report (sic).”
The question is, does it serve Goa, if its minister is abusive or brings down the level of discourse by remarks such as these. Goa was fighting this issue very strongly but with dignity. Palyekar has lowered the level of the discourse and cheapened it, when there was no need to. The Mhadei issue may be emotional but it needs gravitas and legal understanding. And the reckless remarks of the kind Palyekar makes has no place.
It is high time that there is an infusion of maturity within ministerial positions and Palyekar clearly falls short. But since he is a first time MLA and minister, he should be guided not to shoot his mouth off, failing which his party should move him to far less sensitive department and made to learn the ropes. Or else, he will, without intending to, continue to embarrass Goa.
