As we enter the last six months before the next Assembly elections, many Goans will make the most important choice of their lives. For the future of their children.
They are or will be clear about the path they will take, the kind of candidates they want, and the issues they will raise and want answers for. The people of Goa are ready for this life-changing exam. But can the same be said of political parties?
WHEN WILL PARTIES GET THEIR ACT TOGETHER AND TELL GOANS WHAT KIND OF GOVERNANCE THEY PLAN?
Herald has on a daily basis done and will continue to dive deep into issues concerning Goans and ask questions seeking answers and give solutions.
These questions are crucial:
– Is there a future for Goan youth in their homeland?
– Will they have opportunities to be self-reliant?
– Will they have money in their pockets, earned through their skills and work instead of only seeing politicians having money in their pockets?
– Will work tenders and contracts be available locally to the local workforce?
– Will citizen’s committees of villages be first taken into confidence on each and every decision of the village, especially concerning megaprojects?
– Will small businesses and shops be protected and compensations for business losses in case of future shutdowns?
– Will Goan businesses not be taxed and harassed with bills, fees, fines when their businesses are shut
– Will art, culture, traditional occupations be protected?
– Will the government act effectively against the third wave by taking firm decisions and augmenting infrastructure? Will government also ensure that super spreader businesses like casinos are opened with clear precautions and restrictions on the number to be allowed?
– Will our artists and manufacturers get a ready market through exhibitions etc organised by the state?
– Will the government fight against making Goa into a coal state, affecting the health and the well-being of our children, and throw out anti-people projects like double tracking, the high powered transmission line project and the highway expansion project?
AND MOST IMPORTANT WILL A FUTURE GOAN GOVERNMENT BE ABLE TO TAKE DECISIONS FOR THE PEOPLE WITHOUT ANY INTERFERENCE OR CONTROL OF A HIGH COMMAND FROM DELHI?
But so far, political parties have not gone beyond press conferences and protests. Have any of the parties spoken of at least one of the questions we have raised above? Just one? And yet, these are people’s questions. So if the parties wanting to rule Goa are either unaware or unwilling to even express people’s questions, then on what basis are they going to go to the people? That is a simple question we ask.
People are looking at parties that have either national or state presence anywhere and these are people’s questions and observations.
BJP: Do you have original BJP men who will be your main contestants
– Where is the original BJP and does the party have original cadre-based candidates? And will they field them? In 2017 the BJP won 13 seats. Which meant that in 27 seats the BJP candidate did not win. Which original cadre or even party loyalist will they field in those 27 seats? And even among the winning 13, barring the Mormugao taluka, where are the real “BJP” candidates?
– The BJP is already showing signs of becoming the Congress of 2012. Will they do an exact repeat of the Family Raj style of politics which people have already rejected? Unlikely. Look at the ‘family raj’ seats they seem to have planned. Let us look at those who won as BJP candidates, or defected to the BJP or supported the BJP and joined the government.
Babush and Jennifer Monserrate have already claimed the Panjim and Taleigao seats and may have plans for their Mayor son.
Ravi Naik happens to be Congress MLA only on paper with his son expecting to get the Ponda ticket. The Senior Naik is on record recently where he said “parties don’t matter and he may even contest as an Independent”. This is a very old formula of trying to win as an independent and then supporting whoever needs you the most to form the government. Ravi Naik and his son’s political moves are a clear case of family raj backed by the BJP.
Vishwajit Rane and Pratapsingh Rane are old family raj politicians. Like Ravi Naik, Pratapsingh Rane is entrapped in his son’s politics and will either not contest or be a part of his son’s family raj politics in Sattari.
Michael Lobo has even declared his choice of seats and even expressed the plans of his wife to contest from a seat in Bardez
Rohan Khaunte, who actually got Congress votes in Porvorim but supported and became a Minister in the Manohar Parrikar government, has made no secret of his brother’s plans to contest from a nearby constituency along with he himself contesting in Porvorim.
Beyond the family Raj, the BJP as a ruling party will have to explain, justify and answer each of the questions Herald has raided on behalf of the people, in the beginning of this article. While the questions are applicable to all parties, it is all the more important to the BJP because these issues have cropped up during their tenure and people need answers to each of the questions raised.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Sawant has baggage on his shoulder which is not allowing him to dance
Many people feel and believe that left to himself Chief Minister Sawant would have taken more people-friendly decisions. He could even have taken a more pro-people line with regard to the double-tracking and other projects. But the load on his shoulder is not allowing him to dance (move freely).
AAP: Is this the leadership that you are going to go to the people with?
The Aam Aadmi Party needs to tell the people if the current leadership which is seen in Goa is going to be their core leadership in the forthcoming elections. Quite simply, the mistakes the party made in 2017, will be repeated unless AAP shows us a leadership team and candidates that the people of Goa believe in. Candidates who are homegrown, clean, and not imported.
The questions for AAP are
– Will you and when will you assure that you will select candidates that the people have selected and not those you decide and tell the people to vote?
– Who are your friends and allies? Are you going alone or will you have an alliance, friendly fights, proxy adjustments etc? The people of Goa would like to know if AAP is coming on its own or will there be any baggage and if so, what does the baggage contain. This is very important for the people of Goa to know who the AAP is bringing in or planning to in any form of partnership.
– AAP is also expected to give a clear view on issues like putting Goa’s mineral resources as a trust with the people instead of mining companies and ensure that profits of mining are generated by the state on behalf of the people and not be cornered by the mining barons
– Most importantly people of Goa want to hear about the solutions that AAP plans to provide on all the major issues that Goans are raising and who are the people they have here who will do this. Because unlike other national parties, people of Goa are asking if they will listen to the voice of the people or its high command.
Finally, the Congress. Where is the party? Does it only have a conductor who is giving tickets
Where is the party leadership? Does it consist of one “conductor” who is promising to distribute party tickets mainly to those who are not even in the party or are there other leaders who will take over and take it out of its ICU?
– Will it choose people-friendly candidates or go with those who the people have rejected strongly? Will it say that rejected forces will not be brought back before the electorate?
– Will it also, manage to keep family raj our of its election plan and not do a repeat of 2012 when the Alemao and other clans cornered seats?
It’s clear that no one seems to be approaching the people of Goa with clean hands.
WHO WILL COME TO THE PEOPLE WITH A CLEAN SLATE AND PROMISE TO FIGHT THE NEXT ELECTIONS WITH THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE?
This is an answer Goans are waiting for.
