R Fernandes’ article ‘Goan Mafias’ hit the nail on the head. Our Goa is tiny and perfectly manageable but it is being fiendishly mismanaged by godless profiteers who have, over a span of decades, established a mafia of sorts. The helplessness of us as a people was apparent when the Herald revealed that barely any schools responded to the police directive to give them a heads up about drug activities in the vicinity. We all know the goons by reputation, many hailing from seemingly well bred and even twice-born bloodlines and yet have traits that will alienate them from the worst inmates in the penitentiary, which is where the lot are doubtlessly headed. Goans are upright, God fearing and peaceable citizens and we deserve similar minded leaders, government servants and guardians to shepherd us into the future. We have seen and are seeing them push the envelope with scams, trusting in our meek and forgiving-when-drunk nature but things are at a tipping point.
The Portuguese made a similar mistake years ago. The first bastion of sin in Goa, booze-drenched Anjediva Island was mired in controversy when a high-as-a kite policeman used a civilian boat for target practice. The Indian army reacted strongly to this act of sheer lunacy and sent the colonials back where they belonged. We are fed up of being ruled by an alien, utterly corrupt and downright conniving government which has nothing in common with our pious ancestors’ ways. We have men and women who spend sleepless nights thinking of our children’s futures, it is time Goa upped the spiritual warfare and turn one rosary a day into nine, five namaaz sittings into seven and more heartfelt darshans with temple deities. Ketamine factories, illegal land reclamation for coal storage, poisoned fish and get out of jail free cards for the filthy rich/Pirate’s Club members.
Time for the Constitution of India to prove its mettle, for treacherous colonials to be repatriated to Colvale jail and for true sons of the soil to take the helm.
