I was in my twenties when I learnt that the “pidrel” (mason) in my neighbourhood with such surnames as Parsekar, Harmalkar, Korgaonkar, all migrants from Pernem, belonged to a sub-caste identified as bhandaris. Their children studied in Marathi medium schools. They were fully united in support of the merger of Goa with Maharashtra, for reasons I could not fathom then, neither can I do now. One thing, I could observe is that they were simple folk and susceptible to quite a few superstitions. They had an inbuilt dislike, if not downright hatred of the ‘bamon’ and the “dessai” whom they considered as exploiters, back in their native villages. It was quite common to hear a bhandari ask his own caste mate bamon zala re if he acted smart or dessai zala re if he acted tough.
The bhandaris, it is claimed constitute more than half of the native Hindu population in the State. And they are quite vocal demanding a greater share of the political pie based on their numbers. It is not that, the bhandari community has not used its numerical clout to enjoy a sizeable share of power in post liberation Goa. But the grievance is that a bhandari is denied the post of CM, except for a brief interregnum of about a year, when Ravi Naik managed to usurp that post by betraying the MGP, on which he was elected. Ironically, had they succeeded in the merger move, the bhandaris would now be a miniscule minority in Maharashtra!
Taking cognisance of the demand, the AAP announced pre-elections that their candidate for CM would be a bhandari. Nevertheless the party came a cropper at the hustings. The question is how come, despite their numbers there has been no long-term bhandari CM? To that I may ask how many bhandaris are top professionals in fields such as Law, Medicine, Education, Technology etc? Does the stature of a community not depend on the men of eminence produced in various fields?
Let me elaborate now. How many bhandari leaders can one count, who have displayed intellect, besides late K B Naik and Vishnu Wagh?
K B Naik is certainly the first leader of the community who saw how the bhandaris were being exploited in the name of the Bahujan Samaj by Dayanand Bandodkar a member of another depressed caste that formed less than one per cent of the Goan Hindu population. He was a rich mine-owner who did not contest the first elections to the first Assembly. But after the MGP won, he used his wealth to take over the leadership, got Vasant Velingkar, MLA from his own samaj representing Madkai to resign and launched the State’s first family raj, with the bhandaris tagging along. K B Naik the shrewd man that he was, realised, what was happening, protested and broke away from the MGP with seven MLAs. However his Nav MGP was routed as the bhandaris rejected the one genuine leader, who had emerged from within. That was a golden opportunity missed. And thus, the bhandaris continue to squirm.
Who are the bhandari leaders at present? Three names easily come to mind, Shripad Naik, Ravi Naik and Subhash Shirodkar, all now in their seventies and almost certainly on their last electoral lap. Anyone and everyone will tell you about Shripad; To munis ekdom boro. I too second that proposition. But since when is being good, a criteria for leadership? Is the post not reserved for a good manipulator rather than a good man? Shripad is a senior BJP leader in Goa, but when it came to the post of CM he was, every time pipped by Manohar Parrikar. He is also a senior MP but is still a junior minister at the Centre, holding some innocuous portfolio. On the other hand, Manohar Parrikar was straightaway inducted as Cabinet Minister with the powerful defence portfolio. That is the difference between a good man and a good manipulator, between a Bhandari and a Saraswat!
The other powerful Bhandari leader Ravi Naik has moved through the full spectrum of political parties, in Goa. But as it happens, a rolling stone gathers no moss. Ditto for Subhash.
The post of CM for the forty-year period after the ouster of the Bandodkar dynasty has been dominated by the Kshatriya/Saraswat communities which together constitute perhaps less than 10% of the native Hindu population. Even in the present government the Kshatriya-Saraswat combine holds nearly all the key portfolios, a clear indicator, that to succeed one has to be either smart or tough!
No more do the Bhandaris have the excuse of denial of opportunity. Today, they have access to the same educational facilities as the upper castes have, but still fail to measure up. There is a silver lining though, as after six decades of liberation a lawyer from the samaj, has been found good enough to be elevated to the High Court.
The bhandaris are categorised as backward castes, still claim to be kshatriyas which is a contradiction. The fact is a khati does not become a torsad because it is called so. The bhandari must learn to use the khati as a torsad. Respect and positions will follow
Above all; the bhandaris (and other subaltern castes) must liberate themselves from the Stockholm syndrome which has afflicted them for centuries, since before the syndrome got its name. They must thus cease to kowtow to the upper castes, which they constantly denounce as oppressors. But still, follow and virtually worship! To succeed the bhandaris must learn to use their heads and perhaps their arms too. The post of CM is never given as alms, but has to be snatched and grabbed!
(Radharao F. Gracias is a senior Trial Court Advocate, a former Independent MLA and a political activist.)