A few years ago I had attended a meeting organized by Congress at Fatorda where Sonia Gandhi was flown to give a ‘bhaxann’, which she did smartly. In fact, I was fascinated to see her descend from a noisy helicopter, without a helipad on our otherwise sacred soil. She didn’t say ‘Goa ke log ajeeb hai’ but promised to do ‘something about Special Status’ and also about villagers from coastal villages. She came, she spoke and went with the wind. Nothing happened and nothing will ever happen.
Some months ago, I was talking to a person from South Goa, a kind of tourist taxi owners’ union leader, who had done some favours to BJP during the last Assembly elections. When he had reminded the ex-Chief Minister about the promises made to them, he was promptly told that it was only a ‘baxann’ and when he insisted what he should tell his colleagues, the CM retorted ‘Tum chodd uloita mure’ (you are speaking too much).
Congress may have admitted making a mistake by allowing casinos into Goa. But BJP not wanting to throw them out of Mandovi is much more serious issue than any honest Goan can imagine. In short, casinos have come to stay and will never go out.
I heard a politician giving speeches in South Goa, to save Dabolim Airport. He used to shout, “As per international aviation rules one cannot have two airports within a range of 100 kilometres and that Mopa is less than that.” But one thing he assured me, even after he was given a post by this government that he would give in writing, once Mopa comes Dabolim will be closed for civilian operations. But has he got the guts to tell that to the Parrikar/Parsekar combine?
What about ex-CM and present Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. When Ajit Singh, then Union Minister for Civil Aviation (UPA) came he told him that “we are also Indians, give us some land for Dabolim Airport extension”. Now as a Defence Minister can’t he accomplish this? Or was that also a ‘baxann’?
