It was a pleasant surprise when a much-loved middle eastern folk tale featuring a character we have all grown up with, Aladdin and His Magic Lamp, was brought up outside the Assembly by the Transport Minister. When asked by when commuters would get a proper taxi counter at Mopa airport (pre-paid point-to-point), he retorted by asking if has an “Aladdin’s lamp” in order to get a taxi counter done in a jiffy
So, what is Aladdin’s lamp? In the folk tale, Aladdin’s lamp is a magical oil lamp featured in Aladdin, whose owner can control a cosmic Genie who has wish-granting powers.
Come to think of it, the transport minister is not wrong. The Goa of today really needs an Aladdin and his lamp not only to have a taxi counter at Mopa but essentially to preserve, protect and look after Goa and Goans’ interests so that our land, culture, heritage, livelihoods, economy, health, tourism and, above all, our dignity is protected.
GOA DOES NEED ALADDIN’S LAMP TO LIGHT UP ITS PATH OF INTELLIGENCE
Aladdin’s lamp will protect Goa from “double trouble”
Once this path is lit up, the right decisions will be taken. When Goa has Aladdin’s lamp, decisions like enhancing the doubling of coal handling at berths number 5a and 6a of the Mormugao Port Authority from 7.5 metric tons per annum to 13 metric tons per annum will not be taken. When Aladdin’s lamp is there, the genie who comes with the lamp will stop doubling of coal handling, clearly done to transport and ensure that increased amounts of coal from overseas mega-companies meant for plants in Karnataka but destroying Goa.
Aladdin’s lamp and its genie will easily prevent not just killer coal dust pollution but protect people, especially children, from the potentially destructive impacts of inhaling this coal dust. Aladdin’s lamp will help the Minister keep his people safe.
GOA DOES NEED ALLADIN’S LAMP TO LIGHT UP ITS PATH OF INTELLIGENCE
This doubling of the railway track along the encroachment into people’s homes with no authority or permissions to build a retaining wall, disrupting their lives and blocking access to their homes will never happen when Aladdin and his magic lamp are there.
GOA DOES NEED ALLADIN’S LAMP TO LIGHT UP ITS PATH OF INTELLIGENCE
Alladin’s lamp will develop the taxi app, get a full fleet of taxis with digital meters or on apps and make a Mopa to Betalbatim ride cost half of Rs 4,500, that costs now.
Then the lamp is really needed to once and for all bring about an amicable solution so that Goa and its airport join the track of international airports where last mile connectivity is not an exception but the normal.
GOA DOES NEED ALLADIN’S LAMP TO LIGHT UP ITS PATH OF INTELLIGENCE
Aladdin and his magic lamp will do wonders at every step. The lamp will create magic to benefit 40 % of those who have lost their lands for the Mopa airport and are yet to be compensated because their land ownership titles are not yet clear (even though they may be living on that very land for generations). With compensation or rehabilitation, they will join the success of the airport and not feel that they are victims.
GOA DOES NEED ALLADIN’S LAMP TO LIGHT UP ITS PATH OF INTELLIGENCE
Goa has a factory that was built to see that our farmer brothers get not only land to develop sugarcane, but a factory that would buy their produce and act as a market friend. One rub of the magic lamp will produce the genie who will ensure that more than half the land is for farming and the factory does not go for other purposes while farmers have no crop and access to the market.
GOA DOES NEED ALLADIN’S LAMP TO LIGHT UP ITS PATH OF INTELLIGENCE
Aladdin’s lamp, by opening up minds and lighting the path of intelligence, will make drug dealers and their mafia bosses totally disappear. The Hyderabad Narcotics Enforcement Wing will not be needed to clean up Goa’s drug scene and arrest some of the purported big boys of Goa’s drug trade.
GOA DOES NEED ALLADIN’S LAMP TO LIGHT UP ITS PATH OF INTELLIGENCE
Aladdin’s lamp will surely ensure that villages after village in Goa are not thirsty for water. Wells will not have become dry and the PWD water will reach many coastal villages of Assagao and Anjuna. In areas in Sanguem and parts of Divar, surrounded by water, people will never hire water tankers which would travel over water on ferries to supply water to the island.
GOA DOES NEED ALLADIN’S LAMP TO LIGHT UP ITS PATH OF INTELLIGENCE
Alladin and his magic lamp will ensure no negotiations and discussion with the Centre, the courts or Karnataka is needed on Mhadei. The genie will not let our Mhadei bend its ways and ensure Karnataka mends its ways, bringing much joy to our wildlife areas. Our farmers and our fish stock will survive because the water will no longer have like salinity.
GOA DOES NEED ALLADIN’S LAMP TO LIGHT UP ITS PATH OF INTELLIGENCE
Alladin and his magic lamp are not only needed, but it is perhaps the last hope for Goa to remain Goa in so many ways. The magic of the genie, who will arrive as soon as Aladdin rubs the lamp, will lift Goa’s fortunes so that our honourable and elected leaders do not have to worry at all for the people. The genie will take care of everything.
GOA DOES NEED ALLADIN’S LAMP TO LIGHT UP ITS PATH OF INTELLIGENCE
And last but not the least, the magic map will give intelligence to political leaders who have betrayed Goa and not allowed a party with a popular mandate to come to power, bowing to powerful greed. The magic lamp will ensure that such leaders will mean what they say to the people beyond their good speeches.
GOA, THEREFORE, DOES NEED ALLADIN’S LAMP TO LIGHT UP ITS PATH OF INTELLIGENCE
