Team Herald
MARGAO: The Asmitai Zagor celebration organised by Goa Forward Party (GFP), drew a sizeable response with people from all over Goa travelling to Margao, leading GFP to announce that this will be an annual event on every Opinion Poll day anniversary.
GFP President Vijai Sardesai, former MLA and Opinion Poll stalwart Teotinio Pereira, another Opinion Poll stalwart Victor Mascarenhas, former MLAs Farell Furtado and Atanasio Babush Monserrate, Ministers Vinod Palyekar and Jayesh Salgaonkar, and several others were present at the meeting.
Sardesai said, “We have won today. We had aimed at revisiting Goenkarponn in Goans and we have successfully done it and will continue the same in the name of Opinion Poll day. The new generation who doesn’t know about Opinion Poll and how it saved the identity of Goa have to be told through all means and we will do it.”
Questioning Congress he said, “Why does Congress boycott Asmitai Dis? Are you frightened or ashamed? We are with the government to fight for Goans.”
Taking potshots at the successive governments Sardesai said, “Today 51 years are complete for the Opinion Poll and not once has it been celebrated. We need to ask this question to the parties that have run the government till date. Did they utter the word Goenkarponn till date? Are they ashamed?” He added that they are a regionalistic party and not just a regional party.
Pointing out to the Bahujan Samaj,, Sardesai said, “The 24 percent Bahujan Samaj who voted for Independent Goa today want English education. The Delhiwaale want to come and swallow Goa and that is the biggest challenge. Goans have taken Portuguese and are commenting against me. They too are Goans and we are Goans too and now we have a common enemy which we will have to take on together.”
Making an overture to the taxi owners Sardesai said, “I say no Uber no Ola, only Goans will have to run businesses of Goa. We are today speaking on marginalising locals and to avoid this we want to have a policy.”
WRD Minister Vinod Palyekar pitched for Mhadei and said, “Is it wrong to fight for our mother? It is not and we will keep fighting for the cause of Mother Mhadei. It is me who is to be blamed for the entire issue of Mhadei as I have taken a strong stand against the diversion of the river. We will continue to take a strong stand.”
Farrel Furtado who recently joined GFP lamented that the Opinion Poll is not taught in schools as it is not in the text books.
The crowd spilled well beyond the Lohia Maidan and enthusiastic supporters kept waving party flags appreciating what was being said.
Prospective GFP candidates were seen at the meeting, including former minister Jose Philip D’Souza, Yuri Alemao and Cipru Cardoso.
Others present included Sergio Carvalho an activist with Jagrut Goenkaranchi Fouz, Dr Ernest Rodrigues who has always opposed Congress in Curtorim, Moreno Rebello ZP member from Curtorim and former minister Arecio D’Souza.
