With results almost a month after elections, the full Ministry too is now in place, though another month later, with an entirely BJP cabinet, with the sole exception of MGP’s Sudin Dhavalikar. Needless to say that the latter was forced to swallow his own challenging words that he would never accept Sawant’s leadership. Whether he likes it or not, he had now to be contented with a less important Power Ministry without much power. His earlier refusal to align with BJP, prior to the elections, was due to the humiliation he was meted out by Sawant of being dropped from the Ministry. Yet, he willingly capitulated now, rather than remaining a fish out of water, and was constrained to accept whatever was given to him. Sudin could not have his way, this time, as he did so often in the past, hankering for the lucrative PWD portfolio.
After the circus we witnessed, prior to elections, wherein our Goan politicians walked in out of political parties with unbelievable alacrity, nothing should shock us. Ideology or principles or integrity do not matter anymore. The greed for power overwhelms all these and any means or methods to achieve them are not only acceptable but have even the sanction of law in this country, however shameful and undignified we may find them to be.
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It was clear, after a few murmurs, tough postures and flexing of muscles, which even delayed the formation of the Govt that Pramod Sawant would be duly rewarded with another term. It is now amply evident that Sawant is not only in full control but dared keep the Independent MLAs in the lurch. This, notwithstanding their mighty hurry in lending their unconditional support to the new Govt before anyone else could do it, in the hope of being duly rewarded. Yet, they were left with nothing but some leftovers, which will surely not satisfy them.
Though the CM may be treading a dangerous path, with no majority of his own, he and his Delhi bosses have shown the dissenters who is in control and that those who have glass houses dare not even raise their voices. They were surely not only cautioned but warned to either toe the line or face the music.
The anti-incumbency, prior to elections, surely existed but proved ineffective and we all know why. Pramod Sawant does deserve credit for the unexpected and decisive victory and since we get the Government we deserve, we now have one in place, whether we like it or not. Everyone seems to have resigned to his/her fate and hence no one wants to ask any explanations about the different results each time the recounting of votes was done in Ponda and why several ballot papers of senior citizens, who voted at home, turned out to be blank. If this is to be considered a real democracy, the ECI ought to have provided an explanation.
Unlike the previous Ministry, where the BJP defied the mandate of the people and sustained it with the help of traitors and defectors, this time around, Pramod Sawant managed a near majority. He has every reason to be happy that his strategy to win elections worked well and that we were fooled into believing that he would be easily defeated. He is bound to overlook that he himself and many of his present Ministers just missed being defeated. Those who stood by Goa and against the destructive policies of the previous Government and yet contested elections, knowing well how bleak their chances of victory were, must now sit at home and introspect on the damage they inflicted to the causes they claimed to espouse.
While the Ministry does not have many to be proud of, we surely have a good Opposition, especially with some people without baggage of misdeeds, who can really afford to confront the Govt, make a difference and function effectively and fearlessly. The new MLAs must prove their mettle.
The future does not augur well for us, considering that we have the same Government and the same CM, who will perhaps pursue even more aggressively its policies, having won a new 5-year term. On our part, we may have to pay dearly for not realising what would surely be in store for us with the same dispensation in power. We may now have to live on the roads fighting for another five years for causes dear to us in the hope of saving Goa from destruction and the clutches of greedy magnates. With a Government, determined to go ahead with its policies, ignoring its consequences and the aspirations and concerns of the people and having independent institutions in its hold, all our agitations and protests could be an exercise in futility.
We have now the Government we deserve and have no one else to blame but ourselves for our follies. We can only hope and pray that the new Govt will not consider their victory as endorsement of their past policies, which kept people protesting and fuming, but be more considerate, understanding and sensitive towards people’s concerns and interests and take remedial measures to mitigate people’s problems. The Government must realise that it must carry the people along while implementing any projects or decisions and not antagonise them to satisfy the greed of those who do not even belong to this place.
(The author is a retired banker)
