Goa is never short on controversies, unfortunately, however, not on issues that should really bother us much. Their purpose, at times, is to divert people’s attention from more urgent and serious matters that truly deserve our whole-hearted focus and concern. The installation of Dr Jack de Sequeira’s statue in the precincts of the Assembly, the “scum of the earth” label to Haryana tourists and the disapproval of “girls drinking beer” are some of the issues which have taken much time and space in print and social media, while those which will impact our health, life, livelihood and the future of our land have taken a back seat. These need urgent debate so as to create awareness amongst our people. We either eliminate them altogether or find suitable and proper solutions, if at all we are to live with them.
Rather than divide ourselves over the installation of a statue, our legislators need to learn from Dr Jack de Sequeira how effective the Opposition can and has to be. No doubt, he had an excellent team of educated people in the first Assembly, mostly doctors, with whose help he forcefully confronted the ruling benches, which, with the exception of Tony Fernandes, had no one to withstand the onslaught. The dignified and impartial role of the first Speaker, Adv. Pandurang Shirodkar surely helped and deserves special mention and emulation, especially as it was in sharp contrast with some subsequent, often repeated and frequent “Tum bhos” class-room type orders and partisan attitudes. Our MLAs, particularly those of the Opposition, would do a great service to their constituents and to Goa if they had to follow into the footsteps of Dr Sequeira by studying issues affecting the people and taking the Government to task, instead of just being present and warming up their chairs, as many do today.
Vijai Sardesai’s comments labeling Haryana tourists as “scum of the earth” were not only out of place but surely in bad taste. One can understand Vijay’s annoyance at the behaviour of the tourist but I wonder why the bus was not stopped or the registration number not reported to the Police instead of just clicking a video of the indecent incident. Even in case of accidents, some of our people seem keener in clicking photos or videos rather than being of timely help to the victim. It is unfair to label the tourists of North India for the unworthy behaviour of just one of them. Some Goans too, do shame Goa, at times, but we would not like anyone judging all Goans by the misbehaviour of a few. Since tourism is the bread and butter of many, it needs to be promoted and encouraged, but tourists must be made to respect the law and maintain decorum and decency. With overall poor enforcement, the tourists not only misbehave but cook and sleep on footpaths and open areas, convinced that Goa is free for all where they can enjoy have a free and good open air holiday. Except allowing Traffic Police to stop and harass almost every tourist vehicle, have authorities ever tackled tourists for uncouth, unruly or drunken behaviour?
Our Ministers and legislators encourage similar behaviour by supporting and protecting encroachers and grabbers of private, Government and Comunidade land, as they represent vote banks. Are creation of slums and their unsanitary surroundings, people sleeping on footpaths and gardens, beggars, hawkers and labourers harassing people and tourists behind Margao Municipality and on the beaches, healthy developments or pleasant sights, any better than those tourists are accused of?
Is the proposed increase in FAR in our cities and vertical development a Goan-centric step or a measure to help the builders, the Ministers themselves and an election funding process? Is such development needed for Goans or is it meant to encourage influx of outsiders and thus further nullify ‘Goenkarponn’ and make Goans more irrelevant than they already are? Massive construction spree is not only unwanted and unnecessary for the local people but a burden on our poor infrastructure particularly the traffic, parking and water. Some people do not get water regularly even for 20 minutes a day and I have it from Water Dept. Engineers that they are never consulted on new constructions.
No statues or Opinion Poll celebrations will entice Goans anymore. Goans have been in perennial battles with successive Governments and now over coal, nationalisation of rivers, Mopa, Regional Plan, mining loot etc, in fact, over any attempt at destroying Goa and marginalising Goans.
Politicians know full well that genuine Goans will never vote for them, if Goa continues to head this way. Hence, the need to import more outsiders. Fellow Goans, we have been silent for too long. Some of you have been battling it out in Courts, Gramsabhas and social media. You have spent time, energies and finances to save Goa from the clutches of those whose greed knows no bounds, have betrayed their land and people and put up Goa for sale to the industrialists and builders. Failure to provide jobs, frustrated and angry at happenings here, absence of law enforcement, heavy influx of migrants, marginalization of Goans, etc have prompted thousands of families to migrate to Europe. To add to this sad spectacle, there is a further attempt at changing our demography by bringing in more and more outsiders. No other State would permit this to happen. Time to battle it out in the streets…
(The author is a retired banker).
