The Goa Congress has for the first time since the BJP came to power, showed a minimum of positive intent by “threatening” to launch a mass agitation if the BJP does not de-notify the Regional Plan of 2021, which is as good as dead barring the shouting. Sometimes it is not even that.
Since any show of forward movement, by the Congress- even the simple act of spokesmen sitting in the GPPC office and holding press conference- is laudable, this too needs a quiet nod of support. The reality check though is to look at the chasm between ‘threatening’ and doing. It is in this chasm that the meek fall and the mighty don’t. The Parsekar government is hardly expected to send its troops to the TCP, confer and de-notify a plan in suspended animation , a plan which has made a vital contribution towards keeping the building industry rolling. It is too good a goose. A rare instance when a half dead goose, is merrily laying eggs.
This “suspended” regional plan has survived all. A Governor’s address saying that it will be de-notified, a Chief Minister’s promise that this suspension is temporary (and two years have passed since then), and a Chief Minister’s reassurance that a house committee would be formed by September 15, 2014, (when this issue cannot come under the purview of a House committee since its is purely an executive decision and can simply be just that). Does the Congress and its dynamic young turk Spokesperson Yatish Naik, expect this unflinching suspended non-functional, yet valuable, Regional Plan to fall by his mere threat?
Therefore, the Congress would do well to take it that the Government will not de-notify and announce a state wide programme of agitations across villages. This will also be a good case study of the party’s leadership in the blocks and village clusters. A simultaneous membership drive can be launched on priority based on the schedule of the meetings.
This needs planning and a detailed strategy. It could begin with areas in South Goa simply because the angst, anger and the feeling of betrayal is palpable. If hell hath less fury than a woman scorned, it also hath less fury than a South Goa voter scorned, especially after it decided to flirt with party outside its comfort zone. When an unusual romance fails, bitterness turns to anger and if there were any straws needed to break the back of this romance, the Regional Plan betrayal is enough. It is a straw that now feels like a pick axe.
With its romance broken and a dream shattered, the Congress has to approach South Goa as a genuine, caring and honest agony aunt. The problem is that this species is as extinct as an Indian fast bowler who bowls at 150 km per hour.
Therefore let the strategy revolve around starting small, mobilizing block and village groups, appointing one knowledgeable resource who will work with village groups explaining the intricacies of the Regional Plan and what can be done. It has to be a bottom up movement.
At the same time the GPCC has to work with social groups because the most spontaneous people’s agitation was led by the Goa Bachao Abhiyan, not any political party. Therefore one aspect of this movement has to be getting stakeholders from civil society to buy into the genuineness of the Congress agitation.
This cannot be a flash in the pan, high voltage media driven exercise. This has to be a brick by brick way forward, and not a blast. It has the potential to take the Congress to a zone it cannot even imagine at this stage and equally finish it completely if it is half baked and botched up. This is an emotional issue linked to people’s lands, the future of their villages and the shape Goa will take in years to come. It is far more emotive than many other issues put together.
Therefore the Congress should move beyond threats and show serious intent. Goa will then be with them.
