Every day the newspapers inform us of what a disastrous state of affairs our dear little Goa is in; repeatedly, relentlessly, day in and day out, year in and year out. But is anybody listening? Yes, there are many alert and assiduous activists who sustain the brunt of the battle, and by the luckiest stroke of good fortune, we have been blessed with the best of these beatified brave hearts.
The only way out of this life-degrading imbroglio is to permanently remove the root cause that perpetrates this disaster. We are unwitting victims of a governing system that shows no regard to the wishes and wants of the people they have sworn to govern and to serve in an equitable and judicial way. What we get instead is misappropriation, mismanagement and planned destruction of the most advanced and privileged State.
Lawlessness and corruption abound: arrogantly, blatantly and unabated under the negligent, yet deliberate, eyes of the people we elected to oversee that Goa does not descend into the pits of drug trafficking and abuse, crime and total disregard for the Rules and Regulations that have been laid down for the preservation our land and its environment. But most of all, the Goan way of life, life the way it wants to be.
Our nation is uniquely renowned for the “sport” of horse trading. But this can be justified, tongue in cheek, by the fact that to have a stable government you need a stable, and there’s no point in having a stable without horses. And the “horses” well-fed and this costs money. There’s an unwritten rule of thumb, that every member of the “ruling” party must be kept in line, which again is an ‘expensive’ affair, and that bill is paid by us with the tax rupees we so dutifully shell out before every due date!
We all know about the “Culture of Corruption” that is endemic and prevalent in almost every governing body in almost every nation across the world. We are all acutely aware of how much pain and suffering, even death that is caused by this social disease of greed and loot of taxpayers’ money. There was this popular song that used to air during our Radio Ceylon “radio days”: “Money is the root of all evil”, (the Andrew Sisters, 1945), true, but even the most virtuous and upright of souls would succumb to the mesmerising temptation of accumulating an illegal stash if, or when, the opportunity arose; along with the hope that you wouldn’t be caught. However, it is also true that there could be a “cure” for this debilitating, malicious and unrelenting social trauma. Let’s find the cure; it’s time to get started.
Yes, there are some, within the governing class, who under the irksome and nagging pain of guilt, who would be courageous enough to openly exhibit a change of heart and undergo a genuine act of repentance and work towards remedial reforms.
The only way to get out of the mess; is to legally and steadfastly employ the democratic process of elections to break into the citadel that controls the power and means to engineer a complete change within the political system that exists. To overturn the undesirable contents of the current House, we must be ready to take full and unshakeable charge of the government by constitutional, legal, clean, fair and transparent means. The entire process must have the co-operation of the maximum number of voters. To ensure that we have an elected governing body that performs according to the wishes of the people, we need to chart out a Blueprint with every minute detail required, every intricate plan of action that will culminate in a resounding success.
Please banish the thought from your mind that this is not going to work. The positive motivational platform is to keep in mind that you will be doing this supreme act of service for everybody, for the very survival of Goa. There is no better way to be than to live your life for others. We must somehow convene a team of the right people who will see us thru to the end-point of a present goal. No need for super heroes, but ordinary folks who will soon transform into supermen and superwomen by the simple act of pitching in and doing whatever they can to support the cause. If you cannot, that’s fine; but if you can, and don’t, that’s a crime.
So how will the Blueprint shape up? It’s of course an elaborate and intellectual task that will need meticulous planning. Its aim is to spell this out in instalments over the next few publishing dates of this column which should normally appear every third Friday of the month. We hope and solicit the attention, concern and enthusiasm of readers whom we expect to be on the same “page” as us. With the idea and sentiment that we are actually doing this for the future of our children, and for Goa, should provide the necessary impetus that will help us arrive at the destination that we envisage, the dream that resides in the heart of every citizen.
The priceless legacy of a wonderful future for those yet to come will be much more than the gold and property and meagre earthly possessions you are compelled to leave behind.
Goa is the happy holiday destination for the world. But it’s a permanent home for us, so let’s endeavour to make it the best place to be. And while this anticipated Blueprint for a better Goa is being drawn up, make sure you don’t have a Blue Christmas.
Make the Election Manifesto your New Year Resolution: “A Great, Green and Glorious Goa”.
(The author is now a permanent resident of Goa after many years of living in Mumbai, New York and London)
