India has had a long history and tradition of puppetry. References to puppets can be found in the Mahabharata, Ramayana, Panchatantra, Naishadeeya Charita, a world of mythology and history. Puppetry as an art was basically a source of entertainment and a means of communication to pass on messages from the kings to the commoner. Basically, they were controlled on a string, and their actions, expressions and behaviour were coordinated according to the message the King wanted to convey.
In a piece on puppetry by Gitanjali Saikia “Puppetry in Assam”, she writes “Among puppets, string puppets have more scope for manipulation than other puppets. Different body gestures like laughing, talking, and embracing can be expressed easily through string puppets.”
Puppetry developed its metaphorical sense – someone controlled by a more powerful person or group – as far back as 1540.
In the politics of India, the art of puppetry is played out too. Everything is placed at the feet of the one who controls the political puppets. Then it no longer becomes an ancient art, but a contemporary shame. Everything from values, morals, self-esteem, and duty towards one’s people is all sacrificed for the puppet controller. People who they represent suffer, they lose their rights, they lose their natural and other resources, their lands and fields, and their livelihoods. Goa is no different
The surrender of Goa’s rights by allowing the diversion of Mhadei water for canals in Karnataka was possible because our ministers acted as puppets on a string
The Union government approved Karnataka’s revised Detailed Project Report (DPR) to divert Mhadei water for the Kalasa-Bhandura project, ignoring Goa and Goa’s interests. Goa’s needs were dismissed as a small fly in the face of the larger political interests of Karnataka which returns 28 MPs to Goa’s two. And with the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, winning Karnataka is more important in the larger plan of winning India, by the ruling party than protecting Goa’s water resources and its irrigation and water needs. It just does not matter.
By what about those elected by the Goan people to protect Goa’s interests? Who has the right to govern after sacrificing Goa’s interests?
As reported by Herald in its Review section on Sunday “The Karnataka government by claiming drinking water shortage for twin cities of Dharwad and Hubballi, unilaterally went ahead and started excavating canals at Kankumbi for its Kalasa-Bhandura Nala project, in a bid to divert Mhadei water in the Malaprabha River basin much to the chagrin of the Goa government, which raised strong objections to the proposals of diverting tributaries of Mhadei as it would spell complete disaster for aquatic life, marine life and terrestrial ecology and deprive the people of Goa of the water for drinking, irrigation, and industrial purposes.”
But since these objections did not result in saving Goa’s interests, these objections seemed like just lip service.
Look at how the Union Government’s decision actually flouts the Karnataka government’s undertaking to the Supreme Court bench on August 17, 2017, that no construction is going on in the Kalasa-Bhandura project area and that no construction will be carried out in the future. Karnataka failed in getting a relief in its appeal or of modifying the order. So how did the Centre allow the diversion of Mhadei waters from Goa and construction in Kalasa-Bhandura.
Goans must also know that Manohar Parrikar on December 21, 2017, wrote a letter to the Karnataka BJP president B S Yeddyurappa, stating that the Goa government is willing to consider the request to work out amicable solutions restricted to drinking water to the drought-prone areas. But was this letter in Goa’s interest? Has Karnataka ever considered working out any amicable solution for Goa? The Union Government’s latest decision proves that the letter meant absolutely nothing.
Let us also look at Goa’s legal expenses. According to Herald’s own Right to Information based report in July 2019, the State government has spent exactly Rs 9,28,92,019 only on its advocates till then. Then Advocate General Adv Atmaram Nadkarni, charged a fee of Rs 3.3 lakh for every hearing and Rs 75,000 for every conference. Nadkarni’s total fees since 2015 amounted to a whopping Rs 6.3 crore. He travelled to Delhi 92 times and his travelling expenses came to around Rs 37.2 lakh.
There were charges that he did not file proper replies before the Tribunal nor was there an appropriate opposition to Karnataka’s case. Neither did he oppose the use of water by Karnataka within the basin and this completely weakened Goa’s case.
Adv Aires Rodrigues who demanded a thorough inquiry into the legal handling of the Mhadei case wrote, “The Government should scrutinise all his bills and a thorough inquiry into all the payments made to him and his battalion of lawyers in the Mhadei case must be conducted by an independent agency. Now after being sacked from appearing for Goa in the Mhadei case, Atmaram Nadkarni is reportedly in the Supreme Court trying to interfere in the Mhadei matter by trying to hamper and jeopardise Goa’s interest.”
There indeed has to be a proper probe into what interests led to Goa’s case being weakened and how was Karnataka allowed to get the Mhadei waters diverted for its own interests at the cost of Goa and its people.
Puppets on a string sold Goa elsewhere too
By allowing the Major Ports Act, railway double tracking which took away access to people’s homes in South Goa, the Tamnar power line through Mollem forests, the Mopa link road by destroying cashew fields, these puppets on a string sold Goa. Why didn’t Goa’s ministers, its MPs stop this? Where was their voice? How was the Major Ports Bill passed in both Houses of Parliament with not a word spoken by our MPs across party lines, stating this will destroy Goa, and give the Port authority power over our local bodies and democratic institutions?
Many of these issues lie in South Goa. Questions seriously arise about whether South Goa has credible ministers to take care of people’s interests or not
Democracy was being sold and the puppets simply danced to the tunes of their ruling masters. Our forests, our fields, our crops, or identity, our way of life, our culture, heritage, environment, beaches, sand dunes, mangroves, Khazan lands, etc. are all being destroyed because puppets on a string do not heed the people’s voice and simply dance in the manner, they are pulled by those who control the strings.
The Mhadei betrayal has shocked Goans beyond imagination. There is genuine anger at this sellout. Why shouldn’t people, take the democratic option to take to the streets in protest is what people are asking? When all of India took to the streets to protest the gang rape of a Delhi student, it spurred the government into action. The total destruction of Goa, the surrender of its interests, and allowing a more powerful State to dictate and crush Goa’s interests is nothing but a governance rape of Goa, which is evoking feelings of great frustration and anger.
So, who has the right to govern Goa? That is a question Goans are asking. And if something as important as Mhadei waters are snatched away from Goa, this question must be asked repeatedly. Because Goans thought they elected leaders, not puppets. And to be called leaders they have to get out of the strings.
In any case, they must know that those who control the strings can easily let go of one or many puppets once their interests are served.
It’s a shame that Goa is being sold by these puppets and the people of Goa will never tolerate this crude show that is selling Goa bit by bit.
