Besides Dayanand Bandodkar, the first Chief Minister of Goa, whose Samadhi stands on the beach front in Miramar, no other late Chief Minister of Goa has been honoured by the State Government. Not even a single stone has been erected in memory of Mrs Shashikala Kakodkar, Dr Wilfred D’Souza and Dr Luis Proto Barbosa. While Dayanand Bandodkar died in office, the same cannot be said about Parrikar. Manohar Parrikar actually held on to his Chief Ministerial Chair until he died – or till God did them apart. That’s quite a difference!
In the State budget presented recently, the govt of Goa has earmarked a sum of Rs 10 crore to build a Samadhi/Memorial in honour of Parrikar and that too at a site which comes under the CRZ rules and regulations. This raises many pertinent questions: Is the State Government above the rules of the land? Haven’t the other former Chief Ministers contributed anything to the State? Can Goa, where every citizen has a debt burden of more than a lakh each, afford to spend so much money on a stone, concrete and metal structure of no utility value? Are there no better ways of remembering political leaders?
The politics of statues and memorials is a clear indication of narrow-mindedness in political parties and their supporter groups. Taxpayer’s money ought to be used only to better utilities, services and environment and not on structures that are of no practical use to the public. The Supreme Court of India has in the recent past expressed serious concerns on the issue of frittering away public money on erecting memorials to political figures.
Erecting statures and memorials was in vogue in the ancient world. The objective was to propagate the qualities and philosophy of Leaders /Kings/warriors and spread awareness about their heroic achievements, as no other source was available to do so. Memorials and statues of political leaders can to be put up by their followers (if any) by spending their own money. But before putting up somebody on a pedestal, it has to be ensured that the person is a worthy role model for the citizens, especially the young generation. If that person happens to be a political figure, it is necessary to see whether he/she had been a Statesman too; a person of high integrity, ethics, principals and values rather than a mere politician obsessed with winning the next elections by hook or crook.
Goa needs to look beyond Statues and Memorials and think about Public Utility Projects to honour our late politicians who have contributed to the State. An international class botanical park can be put up and dedicated to the Ex Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar-it will help the environment, the student community and can even become a tourist attraction. And when will an ungrateful State show its gratitude to those ‘Niz Goykars’ who rose under the charismatic leadership of the late Dr Jack De Sequeira to save Goa from the claws of Maharashtrawadi Lion? Perhaps, the new bridge on the Zuari can be named as ‘Don Pana Bridge’ as a tribute to those two leaves heroes of yesteryears!
