MARGAO: Speaking on the occasion of the 54th anniversary of Opinion Poll Day, the Goa Forward Party President Vijai Sardesai said that, “54 years ago, Goans voted to maintain our distinct and unique identity, but today it is clear that the Chief Minister has shown his true anti-Goan colours.”
“Instead of officially commemorating Opinion Poll Day, a key date in our history, he is inaugurating the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) with Prakash Javadekar principally responsible for allowing diversion of Mhadei River water by Karnataka – which shows his priority towards our history as a people and State. Sawant showed his opinion is to finish Goa at all costs,” said Sardesai.
In a strong vocal address to the people, Sardesai said, “Two years ago Dodamarg locals resolved to be part of Goa only because a person from their region (a bhumiputra) has become the state’s Chief Minister.”
“By saying after more than half a century of defeating the mergerists it seems they want to effect a reverse merger and rule Goans by making them minority in their own land by merging areas of Maharashtra into the State,” Sardesai said and added that “it’s almost two years now of Sawant rule and he has sold our lifeline Mhadei, moved to facilitate double tracking, arrested young Goans exercising their freedom of speech on Mollem and Liberation Day, ordered police brutality on our women and children at Melauli and now sought to bring ganja in the name of Swayapurna Goa.”
He said, “Sawant is not an elected CM of the people of Goa, but the selected CM by his Delhi bosses who blackmail him to keep him in power.” Sardesai warned that “Sawant’s people in Delhi want to take over Goan business and livelihoods from tourism, to taxis, to municipal ordinances and markets.”
The GFP chief said that Goa has had enough of the incumbent BJP ruled government and pointed out that every day people are fighting Sawant’s oppressive regime. Sardesai highlighted that Goans all across the State are speaking out on the same issues against the BJP but are not united in their approach.
Commenting on the upcoming Assembly polls in 2022, Sardesai said, “everyone is looking at the elections, but nobody is thinking to save Goa now.”
He said, “this is our time to unite, to unite our voices, to unite our opinions and to unite our opposition as one Team Goa.”
He further noted that “we all have our differences, but we must forget our differences to preserve our secularism, our culture, our heritage and our identity. Fifty-four years ago, Dr Jack de Sequeira did it thinking of the future of Goa. Today we are his future, and we have the responsibility to protect Goa at all costs from the BJP for the future of our children tomorrow.”
Speaking on the events in Melauli, Sardesai issued a stern warning to the Goa police officers saying, “think twice before you follow orders to assault our people, I hear IPS officers are directing our Goan police officers to assault and victimise peaceful protestors – but they will go back to Delhi, and you will remain here to answer the people.” Furthermore, Sardesai drawing inspiration from the ongoing farmers’ protests in Delhi, said, “The BJP has brought the people of Punjab, Haryana, UP and Rajasthan on the street, maybe Sawant wants the same in Goa during our 60th year of Liberation.”
He also said that if the police evict peaceful protestors, Fatordekars and Goans can uproot the ‘Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd’ which is the agency overseeing the ongoing double tracking in the State.
The GFP president reiterated his call for unity saying, “we must come together to Save Goa Now as one unites Team Goa; how long will we fight each other for electoral gains? This is our moment, this is our movement – my arms are open to defeat the Team BJP, let us join together as one united, strong Team Goa.”
