Goa is once again going to the polls, very shortly. But the battle lines are yet to be drawn. The Congress, unable to learn any lessons from past mistakes, is not yet geared up to face the electorate once again. It had good five years to put its house in order, but with skeletons waiting to tumble out and swords hanging over the heads of many of its leaders, it was unable to confront the ruling benches with the required courage and vigor though opportunities were many, particularly in several decisions that went against people’s interests. However, the Congress had its limitations. It would not be easy for it to rebuild its lost reputation. Goans do not seem to be yet ready to forgive the Congress for the blunders it committed and thereby handing over the reins to the BJP on a platter. It had despised all the warnings and admonitions.
The people are right in blaming the Congress for the situation we are in today. It may take many years or it may never happen that people’s trust will be reposed in the Congress once again, unless there is total change in its leadership and thinking. The Congress has, at the Centre competent people who could have taken over its leadership. However, it has opted to leave it in the hands of people whose only credentials are that they belong to the Nehru family. The Congress needs to shed this personality cult and concentrate in building the Party with young, dynamic people of high intellectual caliber and integrity. Unfortunately, the Congress appears fatigued and with little will to survive. In Goa, even at this late stage, it has failed to see the writing on the wall and should an alliance fail, further reverses cannot be ruled out.
The BJP may find solace in finding the Opposition in disarray, though its own position is no better. It has shamelessly betrayed the people’s overwhelming faith reposed in the Party five years ago. It now feels that doles, attractive schemes and its own idea of development would entice people to stand by it. Development generally does entail some destruction and inconvenience. But when it is done without taking the people into confidence, in an inconceivably authoritarian way, overriding people’s concerns and interests and in blatant violation of environmental and ecological norms, it surely does not expect the people to silently watch and swallow what is shoved down their throats. But the BJP has its reasons.
On one hand, it wishes to contrast their performance with the Congress’ poor show in the past and on the other, it also knows that huge finances are available for use and misuse in schemes and projects proposed. These also stand to benefit lobbies, particularly the builders, developers and magnates, who readily share part of their profits towards election funding. The BJP is not unaware of the prevailing anti-incumbency wave. But it hopes to overcome it. There is no dearth of money that can be pumped in. The vote bank may give in, perhaps not the Goan electorate in general, which did not last time, at least in some constituencies.
However, there is another major factor in favour of the BJP, which the Congress cannot boast of. BJP has committed cadres. No matter what crimes and blunders the Party commits, they will stand by it. Their mentality is so narrow that they cannot look beyond the Party’s interest and ideology. It is this fanatic approach and support it enjoys that enables the BJP to take despotic decisions like demonetisation and refuse to accept its mistakes. Whether demonetisation was good or not only time will tell. But thumping of chests when lapses, flaws and absence of corrective steps caused hundreds to lose their lives, lakhs their jobs and income, millions undergo hardships, tourism and economy hit very badly etc, is definitely unacceptable and only suits fascist mentality. Foreigners in Goa and elsewhere suffered tremendously due to unjustified restrictions on encashments. Perhaps, in future, they will choose friendlier and more considerate places and make this tourist paradise the ultimate sufferer.
It would be long to prepare a charge sheet against the BJP. Development at any cost to further Party’s interests and those of its accomplices and rich industrialists, eventually attracting massive influx of non-Goans, are part of their agenda. The BJP could not even put up a semblance of being averse to corruption. Parulekar’s case, Parsekar’s bro-in-law’s reinstatement and the entry of Mauvin & Madkaikar, resulting in the exit of Dr. Wilfred Mesquita, have further dented BJP’s battered credibility. One wonders whether Prime Minister Modi still prefers to look the other way as he often does. The divorce of MGP may console some of us but will not be a lasting one. Neither the BJP nor the other combination is a choice, though the former is perhaps better, as the repeated outbursts of latter have convinced us. The secular and more moderate forces are in a dilemma, as usual, particularly because most in the fray are unworthy of our vote and those who are may never get elected – the reason: amchim kamam zaunchi nam. A negative vote may again have to be cast to defeat the most undesirable. A few of those who are contesting are sincere and genuine people who love Goa and are keen in being the agents of change. And unless we see such people in the corridors of power, things will never change. Yet their entry in the election arena, while immensely desirable, could result in an undesirable win, due to vote division. This is what we need to guard against and eventually vote wisely.
(The author is a retired banker)
