The BJP on Tues day chose to stand by its State vice-president and former South Goa MP Nar endra Sawaikar after his alleged branding of pro testing youth as ‘termites’ triggered a fierce backlash across Goa, with opposi tion parties and youth or ganisations accusing the ruling party of displaying contempt for a generation demanding accountability. Rather than apologise for the demeaning remark, Sawaikar deleted the so cial media post and de fended it as an expression of his personal views.
The BJP, meanwhile, made clear that it had no intention of distancing itself from the former South Goa MP. “My post was simple. I expressed my feelings. Anybody has the right to do that. Everybody has the freedom to ex press their views. If somebody chooses to attribute a differ ent motive to it or give it a political colour, then that is their interpretation,” Sawaikar said. BJP spokesman Sidharth Kuncalienkar went further, as serting that the party had no reason to apologise and that it stood by Sawaikar’s remarks. “Termites and cockroaches are the same, and there is no reason for anyone to be offended. Sawaikar’s comment has been misinterpreted. The BJP will not apologise for the statement, and we stand by Sawaikar’s remarks,” Kuncali enkar said. The refusal to apologise intensified criticism from the Opposition, which accused the BJP of attempting to dehu manise young citizens for exercising their democratic right to protest. South Goa MP Captain Viriato Fernandes said the remark reflected the “arrogance and insensitivity” of a government that had responded to student protests with force. “This is an attitude of arrogance and insensitivity dis played by the government towards the youth by using la this and tear gas against them. Students across the country are demanding justice and accountability from the govern ment, but the students were brutally assaulted.
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The Con gress party has taken the fight across the country. We will stand by the students and fight for their future,” Capt Fer nandes said. Velim MLA Cruz Silva said it was ‘shameful and unaccept able’ for a senior BJP leader to brand protesting students as ‘termites’. “Goa BJP vice-president Narendra Sawaikar calling stu dents ‘termites’ is shameful and unacceptable. Students ex ercising their democratic right to protest deserve respect, not labels. If young voices are ‘termites’, what do we call politicians who refuse to vacate their chairs for the next generation?” Silva said. GPCC working president Sunil Kawthankar demanded an immediate apology from Sawaikar, describing the re mark as “disgraceful and dehumanising”. “Sawaikar’s shameful attempt to label young citizens protesting peacefully for their rights and future as ‘ter mites’ is not just arrogant; it is an insult to every democrat ic voice in our country.
I wish to remind him that the real termites are those who are hollowing out our institutions, weakening democracy, selling national assets, destroying the environment and dividing people for political gain. It is the BJP and its government that are eating away at the soul of India like a cancer. Goa’s youth are not termites; they are the conscience of the nation and our State. They deserve respect, not abuse,” Kawthankar said. The backlash also exposed the political irony of a senior BJP leader with roots in student politics attacking a youth led movement. Goa Forward Party student wing president Vrushank Gaonkar said Sawaikar’s remarks were particu larly unfortunate because he had himself emerged from a student movement. “Sawaikar is portraying the protest as a joke. He is a lead er who came from the student movement. His statement goes against the BJP’s student wing slogan, ‘Students’ Pow er is Nation’s Power’. It is unfortunate that Sawaikar is not supporting the youth. We, the youth, have the potential to change what is wrong and the potential to show resistance. We are showing resistance against all the unfair activities happening in the State and the country.
We have a right to speak against them. Such posts will not demotivate us; on the contrary, they will motivate us to take a stand against all the wrongdoings in the State and the country,” Gaonkar said. AAP State president Valmiki Naik hit back bluntly, saying, “True termites are the BJP, which has destroyed Goa and India.” Youth Congress president Archit Naik questioned wheth er the BJP’s own student and youth organisations would be subjected to the same treatment when they protested. “Termites are those that destroy homes in the dead of night. The BJP has a habit of issuing orders at night and engineering defections under the cover of darkness. Are BJP-affiliated student and youth organisations such as the ABVP and BJYM also termites, or are they as pure as milk? The youth are protesting for their rights. It is the BJP that is destroying the country,” Naik said. AITMC national spokesman Trajano D’Mello said the re mark betrayed what he described as unease within the BJP over the scale and energy of the youth mobilisation. “The irresponsible and condescending statement by BJP vice-president Adv Sawaikar, calling the youth termites, has exposed the tremors within the BJP after it saw the en ergetic, peaceful protest march in support of Sonam Wang chuk’s call for transparency and accountability in the edu cation system. The BJP’s nervousness stems from the fact that the energetic youth were those whose parents were staunch BJP supporters. In recent times, such a spontane ous and energetic protest had not taken place, which made Sawaikar spew venom against the youth,” D’Mello said. Former Aquem-Baixo sarpanch Siddesh Bhagat said the remark revealed the BJP’s “arrogance and contempt” for the younger generation. “Narendra Sawaikar, stop this nonsense. Calling India’s and Goa’s youth ‘termites’ exposes the BJP’s arrogance and contempt for the younger generation. Youth are not termites; they are the force that will uproot this politics of insult.
Instead of insulting students, leaders should un derstand why thousands of young people have taken to the streets. Wake up, youth. Your future is at stake, and no one has the right to belittle your aspirations or suppress your voice,” Bhagat said. Progressive Front of Goa convenor Adv Hrudaynath Shi rodkar said he supported the demands of Sonam Wang chuk and the protesting youth for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, describing the agitation as one for accountability. “I fully support the demand of Sonam Wangchuk and the youth for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. This is an agitation for accountabil ity. I am surprised by the stoic silence of the ABVP on this issue,” Shirodkar said. NSUI State general secretary Arjun Gouli demanded an unconditional public apology from Sawaikar within 24 hours and his removal as Commissioner for NRI Affairs, warning of a statewide agitation if the demands were ig nored. “If the term ‘termite’ suits anyone, it is the BJP, which has eaten away at the future of India’s students and youth through unemployment, paper leaks and failed policies.
We demand an unconditional public apology from Adv Sawai kar within 24 hours and his immediate removal as Com missioner for NRI Affairs. If these demands are ignored, we will launch a massive statewide protest and hold the BJP accountable for insulting the youth of this country,” Gouli said. Instead of addressing the criticism over the language used against protesting youth, Kuncalienkar sought to shift the focus to the conduct of some protesters, alleging that some participants at Monday’s protest at Azad Maidan, Panjim, had smoked within the premises of the Martyrs’ Memorial. Such conduct and behaviour, he said, also deserved pub lic condemnation.
