In a civil democracy, the ruling party is vital but even more important is the opposition party which acts as a counterbalance or check to the ruling side in dispensation and governance. But in India, the ruling and opposition party seems to be two sides of the same coin who come election time maliciously target each other’s short comings but post election become one color, the color being of a politician destroying the essential of democracy i.e. “of the people, by the people and for the people”. In all this apathy, there is an emerging power which conveys hope to the people: the media. The media is the voice of concern serving as eye openers to the government and opposition who pretend not to see to glaring deficits and wrong doings in governance and cry hoarse what they pretend not to hear. Without media intervention, the Brazil junket for our legislators at taxpayers cost or promotion of the exposition of St.Francis Xavier via a European junket would have been a slap on the face of democracy. Does St. Francis Xavier really require a promotion? Isn’t his holy work commendable enough to attract millions of pilgrims from all over the world just by word of mouth?
Now, yet again, the government and opposition are co-conspirators in turning a blind eye to the rabid, rabble rouser Pramod Muthalik who on the pretext of attending a convention in our Goa has blatantly exposed his hidden agenda of opening a Sri Ram Sene unit in Goa. The secular fabric of Goa is being threatened by Muthalik who wants to moral police Goans but he fails miserably to understand that we the people of Goa irrespective of religion are well-educated in our moral values and proud of our culture. Our parents, elders and teachers have inoculated strong Indian values of hard work, honesty, sincerity, love, compassion, respect for women, dignity of life and labor. Do not be mistaken that we are a “sussegado” lot who can’t see through your communal undertones. Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar should adopt a zero tolerance policy towards such trouble makers and nip this brewing storm in its bud by banning such religious fanaticism.
