Far removed, and unfortunately so, from the cacophony of disparate political promises as elections draw near, are the constraints of day to day living in Goa. As the last bend of the road approaches before this Assembly dissolves into the sunset, the shadows of lives less led in some of Goa’s remote villages and not so remote ones, lurk miserably. But this doesn’t quite find a place in the political and social narrative.
Herald has been consistently bringing home stories from these shadow areas where there may be mobile networks but no connectivity to even low hanging fruits of governance. In talukas like Quepem and Mormugao among many others, primary schools are being forced to shut down because of student dropouts. While the battle is over grants to schools, the far bigger battle is to keep the schools standing, with roofs that do not fall. This battle is fought not by political parties or even the media but by the parents of children who are forced to move their little ones out of government schools and pay higher fees for private education. While the maximum eyeballs are achieved and political space cornered by the whirlwind distribution of LED bulbs from MLAs to union ministers, there are no voices rising to support students in Canacona who cannot study after nightfall due to massive power breakdowns. While the government goes on an overdrive to regularize illegal structures not just in private land, but everywhere , including the major slums, 150 families of policemen living in a residential colony in Headland Sada, live with damp walls, leaking roofs and more alarmingly roofs and structures which could collapse any time. As slums and unauthorised housing dwellers on communidade land are looking at a fresh lease of wealth because of their illegal structures, there are some who have used their provident funds and life’s savings to invest in Housing Board plots which haven’t yet been allotted. While the new mall in town and all that goes with it, does get more than its share of attention, does the issue of hygiene in a mid day meal kitchen, for food cooked for school children, get even an iota of the same?
Therefore it is perfectly legitimate to ask, if the government, the society and the polity are asking the right questions or more importantly prioritising where our focus should be.
The big ask is whether 2017 will be, for a change, a narrative that talks of the shadow areas of Goa and not just the sunshine zone. While the urge to rise against the assault on environment and the stripping of Goa’s identity is natural, shouldn’t Goenkarpon, whether it is a socio-political movement, or a state of mind and spirit include the micro challenges of power, schools, water, roads and quality of life, as much as big ones over sustainable mining or pseudo eco-tourism and degradation of Goa?
Irrespective of what the political formations or alliances are and needless of whether mahagatbandhan becomes a bigger talking point than a maha and better Goa, we have to push ourselves back into those very shadow areas. We need to address the simple yet complicated issues of day to day delivery of governance which still eludes the common man, 55 years after Goa became a part of India. We need to illuminate the heart of darkness in areas of Goa with attention, and not just LED bulbs.
