VIBHA VERMA
vibha@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Election Commission of India’s (ECI) decision to schedule Goa’s polling day for the Lok Sabha elections on April 23 has not gone well with sections of the Christian community. A significant section of the minority group has expressed its disappointment arguing it would mar the solemn mood of the Holy Week. They also pointed out, that dry days, usually imposed 48 hours before the elections would affect the Easter Sunday celebrations.
Ethel Lobo, president of the Catholic Association of Goa said, “This time the Election Commissioner has not given any thought to religious observances. This will have a slight impact on the elections since most Catholics will be pre-occupied with religious activities. I think for the next election the Commissioner should do a proper job and should see that religious dates do not overlap.”
“It is unfortunate that ECI chose a date for voting in Goa during the Easter festival. They could have avoided clashing Easter Sunday with the election,” is how businessman and Founder of Heritage Jazz Armando Gonsalves reacted to the development.
Noted artiste and educationist Tomazinho Cardozo too shared the same opinion suggesting that the election should not clash with the Lenten season. “During the Lent period, some of us observe fasting and give up on liquor besides certain luxuries. Good Friday is anyway a dry day for us, and unfortunately the forthcoming dry day to be imposed before the voting will impact Easter celebrations. As far as our customs and traditions, we have liquor although within limitation,” he said.
In order to ensure the election does not impact major activities such as examinations of the students, ECI had carried out an extensive survey across the country before declaring the poll dates on Sunday. Gonsalves lamented that the ECI failed in its survey as it did not consider Easter Sunday while choosing the voting day for Goa. “It’s insensitive on the part of ECI. Goa has a large section of minorities and there is no reason they should have done it,” he said.
The Goa Catholic Minority Front (GCMF) too opined that Easter should not clash with the elections. “The festival is planned much in advance whereas the election dates are suddenly
announced and as such, it (consuming alcohol during the festival) should be allowed,” GCMF Convener Barnabe Sapeco said. There are always a number of events planned for Easter Sunday, including weddings, which could now get affected by the code of conduct.
While all three have urged the ECI to consider relaxing rules during this festival period, Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) has also sought that the election office should go soft during this period. TTAG president Savio Messias said, “Considering the culture and nature of Goa, the ECI should consider being a little soft else it will affect a lot of celebrations. Also, distribution is not a major issue in Goa unlike the other States because alcohol is available all round the year.”
The largest umbrella of the tourism stakeholders has suggested that authorities should be able to distinguish between political and festive celebrations. Asked on whether imposing the code and upcoming dry days will affect tourism, Messias replied in the negative.
Additional CEO Narayan Sawant, on being contacted by Herald, confirmed that dry days will be imposed 48 hours before the election days while a senior excise officer said they would work as per instructions of the ECI.
