Hear the cry of the people. These are tears of anger and strength. Betrayal of the mandate is not an option. The people should and will teach any MLA who tries to defect in the name of so-called development or for the constituency. Goans have had enough and any defection will not be seen as an isolated event in one constituency but will have a ripple effect of anger across the talukas, districts and the state.
The judgment of the people’s court is final. Contempt of this court will be punished
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
It is not just two priests who have asked people to let their conscience rule and go after defectors in a non-violent way by gheraoing. This is the mood of the people. As pointed out, this isn’t about the law recognizing two thirds split or a single party MLA offering support to the party against whom he or she campaigned. It’s about the judgment of the people’s court.
Let every potential defector MLA, who thinks his stand on defection has been vindicated and recognized by the court, know that there is an even bigger court – the people’s court. This court has only a few principles and this time they will be applied very strongly. Honesty and integrity.
If any MLA either immediately after getting elected or later decides to leave a party alone or with a group, it might well be the last political act they do. The people’s court works on what look like perceptions but are nothing short of reality. In Goa people know which side an independent MLA is on and if he (or she) has sought a mandate based on who he is opposed to and goes and backs the same party against whom he has campaigned, people will label him a defector and give him the same treatment as someone who switches parties.
2022 is not 2017
MLAs should know that lightning strikes once. 2017 did happen. At that point of time neither people nor heads of religious institutions reacted as strongly as they are doing now. But even if 2017 can be boiled down to being numbed with shock, the potential betrayal of 2022 will be treated with anger.
It will be very surprising even impossible. If Goans tolerate a blatant stealing of their mandate silently (but democratically).
One very important message that has emerged from the discourses of the priests and the people is that it is the people who will force the course correction when politicians go wrong.
Blood money and politics
The presence of blood money during these elections has been mentioned from the pulpit by Father Gabriel Coutinho, Parish priest of Navelim in South Goa. This is serious. It assumes much more significance than any investigation by any agency. Talking about the abuse of blood money he asked “Will God like it or not?”
The moral and ethical fabric is being woven very tightly by religious leaders of a community which is not just politically active but is deeply affected and invested at the same time in the mess of defection based defective politics.
The messages are strong. People of Goa will not be fooled and will not allow unscrupulous politicians to take our destiny in their hands.
