Those who have been wronged by the present dispensation will have their pound of flesh. The BJP government in Goa has on several counts done U-turns that have alienated the people in many ways. The casino demoralisation, the Investment Promotion Board (IPB) excesses on the bulldozing of projects in utter contempt of the environmental norms side-lining the Ministry of Environment and Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the inability of the government to investigate and bring to justice the perpetrators of the massive mining scam, the Medium of Instruction (MoI) subterfuge, the unpopular laying of the foundation stone for the Mopa airport, 40 kilometers away, sensing an uprising with over 90% of the occupants/tenants refusing compensation to maintain their pristine verdant fields, the arm-twisting by the Leading Hotels in collusion with the government to force upon the tenants/mundkars the golf course through deceit, the water guzzling project of Vani Agro Limited that will consume six litres of water for every litre of beer manufactured, the Vanxim deception against the wishes of the people, the inability of the concerned authorities that could not give justice to those who deceitfully felled Fr Bismarque, a champion of the preservation of the environment and the spirit behind keeping Goa green, the exclusion of the coconut palm tree from the ambit of the Forest Department to allow felling of palm trees wantonly.
Besides, the more recent demonetisation of the Rs 1000 and Rs 500 notes that denied the common men and women from the freedom to channelise their hard earned money in the way they thought fit, the massive hike in Stamp paper duties for Leave and Licence Agreements from a mere Rs 20 to a staggering Rs 500 and Rs 1000 respectively for residential and commercial purposes, a rash and negligent cavalier hike in sheer contempt of instead a calibrated increase based on quantum of licence fees, the Machiavellian last minute fast-tracking of developmental projects in the guise of fulfilling election promises made, are just a few of the several other sins of omission and commission.
All the perfumes of Arabia cannot disguise the scent of arrogance of the present dispensation and it is a foregone conclusion that the common men will hit back with a vengeance to show the door to all those who colluded and consented for personal gains to deny the people of responsible government, on whom they placed their trust. The affected have been crouching, waiting for the day when to leap and devour those who willfully indulged in blackmailing. In two months time, the collective will of the people will unveil their disenchantment with those who took them for a ride and played with their hurt sensibilities.
A tsunami of discontent is about to unfold and wreak havoc on those who made lives miserable for the common men. Make no mistake, the long hand of the popular discontent will deliver its telling verdict. Voters, do not get bullied by promises known not to be kept.
