TEAM HERALD
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PANJIM: The central government has an ego problem and is in the habit of rejecting application of states to the point that we have to go to them with a begging bowl, Mapusa MLA and Deputy Chief Minister Francisco D’Souza told the state legislative assembly on Monday.
Speaking during the discussion on the government resolution to demand special status for Goa, D’Souza also said that it was our own greed and fault that created the situation that we are facing in the state today.
“The central government has an ego which is why they expect us to go with a begging bowl…” D’Souza said, even as he added that it was “our greed and our fault” because of which the state is in need of preserving its identity in view of the fact that Goans are being outnumbered in their own land.
Earlier in the discussion, Opposition MLA Mauvin Godinho suggested that the House in unanimity take an agitational stance towards the central government in order that they press for their demand for the special status.
“It is a very huge task ahead of us. To get a constitutional amendment, we require a two-thirds majority in the House as well as support from 50 per cent of the states. We have just three MPs at the Centre which is a very small number. In order to press for our demand the entire state assembly has to be with us and we must together go to Delhi and agitate for our demand,” Godinho said adding that they represent the people of Goa for that very same purpose.
Earlier Vishnu Wagh raised the issue of making it clear that seeking special status was not seeking separation from India, but that it was only to preserve Goan Identity.
There are some who are of the view, including those who are demanding special status that it is secession from India that we are demanding. Goan culture is Indian culture,” Wagh said.
Public Works Development (PWD) Minister Ramakrishna Dhavalikar spoke on behalf of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and pledged his support for special status for the state.
For a party that was once trying to merge Goa with Maharashtra it means a lot. Dhavalikar however made no mention of his party’s election plank of the sixtees and seventees.
Vijai Sardesai, Michael Lobo, Glenn Ticlo, Pramod Sawant, Digambar Kamat, Pratapsing Rane, Subhash Phaldessai, Kiran Kandolkar, Benjamin Silva, Avertano Furtado and others voiced their support for the motion in favour of special status for Goa.
