The final speech of Charlie Chaplin in ‘The Great Dictator’ is legendary. And if it strikes a chord today, we get it. But then, what use is the power of democracy that you have if you don’t use it? What is the use if you surrender it? What is the use of having the power to press that button of change, if you are meek and allow those who have betrayed and failed you to come back? What use is a pen if it is not used to be mightier than the sword? What is the use of having a pedestal on which a common man can stand if he chooses to grovel on the floor?
DO WE KNOW THE POWER OF OUR VOTE?
The speech then, and the reality now is about one simple thing – understanding the power within each of us a citizen of a democratic land. At a time when we getting ready to exercise the greatest ever tool, given to us to shape our destinies. Our vote. Do we know the power of that vote?
DO WE KNOW THAT OUR VOTE IS A PRICELESS TREASURE?
Let us ask ourselves. Have we traded our vote too easily and succumbed to the cunningness of politicians? Politicians will always be there in a democratic system. That can’t be changed. But what can be changed is not trading our votes. It’s a great treasure and it is priceless. This treasure is also our power.
WE CANNOT BEG FOR JUSTICE WITH BEGGING BOWLS. HEADS MUST BE HELD HIGH TO GET JUSTICE
What has the Goa government that does not have the people’s mandate, done to us? They have made a full plan to choke us with coal, by pushing anti-people projects of double-tracking, the power line and the highway expansion.
They left us gasping for oxygen and are not even prepared to conduct a judicial inquiry on who was responsible for the collapse of the health system where 50 plus deaths of COVID patients occurred each night in GMC for close to a week, in May.
They construct highways and roads but don’t have the sense to realise there are traditional fields of farmers next to them. Debris and mud of construction choke those fields and rainwater floods them, destroying crops. At times roads run through them. So many farmers have lost their full crop for a year. What will they eat? Who will they feed?
THIS IS NOT DEVELOPMENT. THIS IS CAUSING HARM. WILL YOU FORGIVE THOSE WHO CAUSE YOU HARM? AND IF YOU CAN’T WILL YOUR VOTE PLAY A ROLE FOR A BETTER GOA?
What has led to this? Sheer greed? As Charlie Chaplin said in ‘The Great Dictator’, “Even now my voice is reaching millions throughout the world – millions of despairing men, women, and little children – victims of a system that makes men torture and imprison innocent people”. Yes, it is the same system that imprisons a simple activist priest who only fought for tribal rights. What was his crime that he was falsely accused and thrown into prison devoid of his basic human rights?
It is the same system that misuses the National Security Act and uses it, in reality like a fear weapon, to keep those against the “system” at bay. Will you ever take money and vote for this inhuman and insensitive system that is fuelled by sheer greed?
The people have become a victim of the ego and high handedness of the behaviour of elected rulers – ministers.
Our Ministers and MLAs get the title “Honourable” prefixed to their designations and people would like to know how many such ‘Ministers’ are honourable? They keep making promises after promises, only to fool the people and how many promises have been fulfilled? 10,000 jobs have been promised. How may have or will get them is the question.
The question is: Can we allow our freedom to be lost due to rampant corruption, exploitation and injustice at the hands of our greedy and selfish politicians? Can we allow our Constitution to become a convenient tool for politicians to manipulate? We have seen how our political leaders instead of promoting harmony and common brotherhood are engaged in sowing the seeds of hatred that are threatening the very survival of democracy.
Will you be deceived with paltry sums of money that exchange hands during elections? Will you bow and bend and plead before the political bosses? Will you allow the winning candidate to pursue his/her financial interest rather than the public interest? It is high time to apply brakes to stop this sorry state of affairs where a handful of politicians have emerged as kingpins, and call the shots with a brute manipulated majority and have succeeded in making Goa their unchallenged fiefdom.
You, the people have the power
Charlie Chaplin’s speech still; shows us the way “In the 17th Chapter of St Luke it is written: “The Kingdom of God is within man” – not one man nor a group of men, but in all men! In you! You, the people have the power – the power to create machines. The power to create happiness! You, the people, have the power to make this life free and beautiful, to make this life a wonderful adventure.
Then – in the name of democracy – let us use that power – let us all unite. Let us fight for a new world – a decent world that will give men a chance to work – that will give youth a future and old age a security. By the promise of these things, brutes have risen to power. But they lie! They do not fulfill that promise. They never will!
Hence it is up to all of us to use our ultimate power, our vote, to get what we truly deserve. A better Goa for our children.
