Shaunak Siddharth Samant
Politicians are grey. I connote this in a metaphorical sense. Grey, owing to the fact that they cannot be regarded as entirely scrupulous nor can one say they are malignant. The Shade of Grey, to which they are due to, is what defines them. For a long time I believed the lightest shade of grey was embodied in our Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, but now I stand addled. Not because I believe he is corrupt or fraudulent. In fact I believe he was very hardworking and dedicated and had this je ne sais quoi to his personality, and this is a notion, we all can perceive due to the splendid work he has done in the past. I stand dismayed because of his ravenousness for power.
So let me give you a brief overview of events. February 14. 2018, 6:30 pm, Parrikar complains of uneasiness, perturbation, disgorging and unendurable pain in the abdomen and therefore was admitted to Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai post hoc. Speculations flood social media velociously with ‘rumours’ of him being a victim of pancreatic cancer. Subsequently, the on-going session of the legislative assembly is truncated due to this cataclysm. The next day, Deputy Speaker Michael Lobo, acquaints us with the “prospective idea” of Parrikar flying to the United States of America for treatment in the next fortnight. A couple of days after the State Budget was accorded in the Assembly, Parrikar flies to the US, leaving his powers designated to a few “marionette” ministers and the state political scenario in complete turmoil.
Now, fast forward three months. On June 14 he comes back to Goa. His return is celebrated by Party workers and fellow legislators. This “marionette government” continues its regime of fickleness and vulnerability for a few more months in which one can notice a gradual decline in Parrikar’s health, but yet all the “cancer rumours” were gainsaid.
On September 24, two ministers, Pandurang Madkaikar and Francis D’Souza were ousted from the cabinet. Madkaikar was in coma after a brain stroke and D’Souza was flown to America for therapeutics to the same hospital in which Parrikar was housed. D’Souza expressed his resentment with this arbitrary move and questioned Parrikar’s adeptness to govern the state when he didn’t have the potential to take care of his own corporeal state. This is when the hypocrisy in Parrikar was first exposed.
According to the Constitution of India, the Chief Minister is a position appointed to aid and advise the Governor and discharge the functions placed under him. Rather than discharging his functions, our Chief Minister has sub delegated all his powers and is holding more of a namesake post to content his allies who are adamant on only his superintendence. It also stipulates that he may appoint/promote/demote or even supplant any minister without any rationale/justification given. Then the removal of Francis D’Souza is justified constitutionally because Parrikar isn’t answerable to any one with regards to this. But rather than constitutionality it is the morality of human nature which is violated (Although I am a firm believer that humanity has no standards) but we expect Parrikar to consider the State of Goa and his own state before continuing in office and before dismissing ministers who are in a comparative sense fitter than him to “rule”.
Near Diwali, Parrikar chaired a Cabinet Meeting and the only major decision taken is “To permit the entry of one more Offshore Casino into the river Mandovi” breaking the vague promises made before the 2012 and 2017 elections to find an alternative to, and to eradicate Casinos in Goa.
In a few days’ time, The Health Minister of Goa, Vishwajit Rane confirms the rumours of the Chief Minister’s Health and declares that he is suffering from Stage IV Pancreatic Cancer. If Parrikar’s reports were affirmative and the medical experts knew he had become a victim to cancer, why was his status not disclosed to us hitherto and why were the so called “rumours” denied. We all agree even the Chief Minister has his Right to Privacy, but matters which involve the stability of the government in the State aren’t to be played with. The Chief Minister is said to be the representative of the people, then is this the image that is to be portrayed of Goa? Ailing and uncertain?
Parrikar’s resignation is what would metamorphose this scenario to the State’s welfare. It would mean a fresh Government headed by a new leader, new policies, new ideals and also a new cabinet and a strong Government. The Government may be a Congress led or a BJP led, that really isn’t the point, but a new government is instrumental at this stage for Goa. This is all that we Goans need with respect to political stability. Well if ravenousness of Parrikar is still not contented then, the Assembly itself has the power to transmute the leadership. If the leaders comprehend the plight of the Goans, they themselves should pass a motion to remove Parrikar due to his unfit nature, that is if they too are concerned and not satisfying the ravenousness embedded in them.
The existing Government says that a New Government will be bad and unfit. We are asking them, is this Government any better? The Government says, no one is as good enough as Parrikar to hold the Office of Chief Minister. We are asking them, when have you given someone else a chance? And are all the 39 other MLAs in Assembly unequivocally incapable of administration? Is that the verity, that all of our leaders are incapable? This Government says that the Alliance in Goa will only stand if Parrikar is the leader. We are asking them whether they think that we Goans should allow them to sacrifice the State, for One Leader.
We learnt in school this year that, “The Fascists under Benito Mussolini hecatombed the Individual for the State”. Well, “This Government has hecatombed the Individuals and the State for One Ailing Leader”. Sounds no good to me.
(The writer is a Class X student
of Sharada Mandir School,
Miramar)
