Today, Goa celebrates its Statehood Day. Despite being a State, with greater autonomy than a Union Territory that it was until 1987, Goa has been subject to the dictates of the Centre, with much destruction of our State, our culture health and livelihood, which even perhaps our local leaders are not in agreement with. But it is not that everything is directed solely by the higher ups from Delhi.
Some of our own, who we can consider as degenerate sons of Goa, are also busy in making hay while the Sun shines, earning curses from the present and future generations of Goa by their decisions, which will seriously adversely affect Goa’s environment and demography.
Meanwhile, we await with bated breath the results of general elections. While some major Opposition parties surprisingly came together in response to the frustration of the people and the autocratic rule at the Centre and are genuinely awaiting the defeat of BJP, the suspicions about EVMs being tampered, voters’ names deleted, people voting more than once, percentage of voting being changed, etc, leave people in doubt whether this was a fair election or a farce. But Modi & Shah will never allow power to slip from their hands so easily.
The SC, in its wisdom, decided against the petition of ADR and the earlier one on EVMs. Unlike the Government appointed ECI, the petitioners’ intentions were solely to ensure free and fair elections, in tune with democratic traditions of the country. Lower courts decisions are subject to appeals to higher courts and often they are reversed, even with an element of criticism, censure and even strictures.
Hence, it is obvious that they can and do err. Even recently SC rapped the Calcutta HC on a bail petition. Surely, disobedience of Court orders should be treated as contempt. Yet, the Goa Government dared disobey HC orders to declare a Tiger Reserve in Mhadei Wildlife sanctuary and a contempt petition is still pending with HC. Despite holding most of our High Courts and the Supreme Court in high respect and esteem, differing from these or other Courts decisions or opinions and expressing them, cannot and must not be treated as contempt. Courts must understand that they are headed by humans, who are bound to err. They are not some super-humans or Gods, who are infallible.
Modi’s desperation is evident in his calumnious statements against other parties, which do not behove the PM of a prestigious country like India. We may have to meekly submit to whatever results we get, considering that neither the Courts nor the President will come to our recue.
In such a case, it is imperative for us in Goa to come together, irrespective of political or any other affiliation and united fight for the issues plaguing Goa like coal, double tracking, film city, Bhoma, Morjim, Loutolim, nationalisation of rivers, sea pollution in Velsao, to name only a few. While the government in power might come out with greater vengeance to implement its evil designs, we too must resolutely and intransigently stall the destruction of our beautiful State and the health, lives and livelihood of our people.
