If I was the Chief Minister of Goa, the airport issue would have been the most difficult task which I would have to manage and solve amicably. As a Chief Minister of the state, I would avoid making dictatorial statements like, “Only my government and no one else can decide on the Mopa airport”. I would not question any one by saying, “Whether Goa means only South Goa and whether the people of North Goa had no right to demand an airport”, as such statements would create a wall of division among the citizens of my State. I would not say that, “I am the Chief Minister of Goa and only my government would take a decision on Mopa and not those who have no idea or knowledge on the issue”. My heart would definitely beat for my fellow Sashtikars and my dear Rev. Fr. Eremito Rebelo who has always been fighting not for himself but for a noble cause. However, as a Chief Minister of Goa, I would avoid making statement like, “No force can ground Dabolim airport” as Article 19 in the constitution of India guarantees the right to freedom of speech and expression and to form associations or unions.
My first task after taking over as the Chief Minister of Goa would have been to obtain an Environment Impact Assessment approval for the Mopa airport. The next step would be to develop a master plan for an AC metro rail link or an express way between Mopa and South Goa so that the interest of all the citizens of Goa is protected. I would then personally visit all the 40 constituencies of Goa and explain to the citizens of Goa, the need to have a new international airport at Mopa. My biology teacher at Don Bosco’s Panjim, late Mathany Saldanha would always say “Our country is a developing country. How can we have two bridges?” In a developing country like India we can’t afford to have two big international airports for Goa and Konkan, Maharashtra separately. I would explain to the citizens of Goa that it is important to reach out to the needs of the majority of the people of India with our country’s limited financial resources.
If the citizens of my State failed to take a unanimous decision on the airport issue, as a Chief Minister of the State of Goa, I would call for a secret opinion poll on the airport issue. I would give the citizens of my state an opportunity to decide what they want. I would never decide for them like a Portuguese Salazar. The historic Scottish independence opinion poll ended a splitting crisis for the 307 year old Great Britain Kingdom. As a Chief Minister of the State of Goa, I would take help of the Goa airport opinion poll to end the splitting crises between North Goa and South. I would always ensure that citizens of Goa remain united as united we stand and divided we fall. I would not allow my beautiful State of Goa to fall at any cost but ensure that Goa would stand tall among the states of the Indian Union for the pride of Mother India.
