Call it genuflection at the altar of the deity who has ruled the BJP in Goa, first as Chief Minister and then by proxy, or just pure brashness that comes with power, all the BJP MLAs, two loyal independents and fresh out of Sada jail Mickky Pachecho, and the saffron clad and overwhelmed with the BJP in soul and spirit Mauvin Godinho, will be a part of a 132-member committee to celebrate Manohar Parrikar’s sweet 60. And of course, when there are politicians, can businessmen be left behind? Mr Srinivas Dempo and Mr Victor Albuquerque, fill in the “social space” in the committee for the Defence Minister’s birthday party on December 13.
Chief Minister Parsekar thinks he’s achieving a big milestone when Mr Parrikar reaches 60. While that may be his and his merry flocks sentiment, the sentiment, we all thought Manohar Parrikar shared was austerity, simplicity, extreme reluctance to any personal attention, especially if it involved a mega event in his personal honour for which lakhs, if not crores will be spent. This big fat ugly bash goes against each of these principles.
Let us not forget that he is the Defence Minister of India and Member of Parliament (from Uttar Pradesh), a position that comes with gravitas and sobriety. The Defence Minister of India is a part of a core team of the cabinet which needs to dialogue and interact with key allies and other countries at a time when there are serious international crises post the Paris attacks and very credible reports of the infusion of ISIS and it’s threat in the subcontinent including their presence in India. For Goa this may seem too trivial to come in the way of a grand birthday celebration of bhai. But it is bhai, who can make an even stronger statement and raise his stock by saying that “when there is a security threat to the country plus my jawans and officers are getting killed in the border or in J and K (Parrikar attended the funeral of one on Thursday), I shall specifically avoid any form ostentation on my birthday”.
Closer home, the entire belt mining belt is still reeling under the effects of mining closure. Truckers who are demanding to be paid Rs 16 per tonne for ore transportation are promised Rs 12 and given even less. They have taken to the streets and will do so again. Does the BJP plan to ask the suffering people of the mining belt to come to Panjim to sing “Happy Birthday to you”, to Mr Parrikar?
And then, this grand birthday bash was announced at a time when Goa’s most fiery social activist priest Father Bismarque Dias lies in a coffin in a morgue with this family crying murder and asking for an impartial investigation. Thank God for some mercies this was granted. But this was drowned it the euphoria of the excited politicians and industrialists in the grand “sub-committee” for the impending bash of their bhai.
Herald doesn’t really care if the BJP and its merry band of followers or even the birthday boy Parrikar feel we are making a mountain out of a mole hill. Because for the people of Goa, this is a mountain we will continue to make, so that this kind of political crassness cannot hide in a mole hill.
Meanwhile let the BJP not even attempt to pass this of as a little party thrown by family and friends. This is a full-fledged political party exercise with the cadre being mobilized in each constituency via its MLAs and political leaders to get people to travel to Panjim for this carnival of crass ostentatiousness. And to top it all Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Minister for Shipping Nitin Gadkari, will fly down for this jamboree.
But who is paying for this? Will the Chief Minister who is heading this show, tell us who is paying for the flight and accommodation of Mr Gadkari and Mr Singh for this so called private event? Is the BJP paying or are the tickets being sorted out by one of the businessmen? Will the Chief Minister or BJP President also assure the State that no funds in cash or kind will be accepted from the casino or mining lobby for this birthday party? It is no crime – in fact it is a tradition for these lobbies – to fund political parties. But the people of Goa should know if the Defence Minister’s birthday party tab is being picked up by a casino or mine owner. And most importantly, we will be watching if the government is passing on any benefits pro bono to the BJP for Parrikar’s “sweet 60”. For instance, is the BJP being charged commercial rates for the use of the Campal grounds and who is paying for it? Is the State going to charge the BJP for police, fire, and other security arrangements?
We are sure all of its will be passed off as necessary security for the Defence Minister of this country but let Manohar Parrikar look into his conscience and ask himself – Is he the same man who paid with his credit card when he ordered one of his first dinners, at Mandovi Hotel, after being sworn in as Goa’s Chief Minister and paid for the petrol in his car before being sworn in saying, he was still not the Chief Minister of Goa? Let him have his party. But there is dignity is doing this quietly. And paying for it himself. He is after all going to be 60, not 16.
