. In democracy people and the opposition speak in the same voice. Here pained Goans are shouting at the top of their voices, the main opposition party has no voice
. Match-fixing between the ruling party and the main opposition party has led to Goans fighting alone on key issues with no political support
. A ‘snake in the grass’ and a ticket giving ‘conductor’ in Congress are ‘fixing’ to finish the party
In any democracy, it is always seen that the people, and the opposition together raise issues for their land that the ruling party fails to address. The opposition’s voice becomes stronger when the people’s voices become stronger. Strangely in Goa, the main opposition is keeping totally silent when Goans are suffering by strategically keeping away from issues that matter the most to Goan.
On flood, coal, Bhumiputra, double tracking, Major Ports Bill, Old Goa heritage destruction, where is the opposition?
Does the opposition not care that their children breathe fresh air, and do not choke due to coal pollution, or have clean beaches? Do they not care that so many have lost all their life’s belongings due to floods and the compensation which has just been announced will not reach them soon, with the compensation for the last cyclone’s damage yet to be paid? Do they not care that the heritage of Old Goa is getting destroyed due to a construction project and no one is supporting the common Goan fighting to protect it?
Do they not care about those churches that are being destroyed and razed to the ground in other places, depriving people of the right to pray and on the other hand a massive construction project is being allowed within the protected heritage area of Old Goa, even as people across faiths and walks of life have vowed to take to the streets? Has any party spoken with any understanding and against the destruction of the church or supported the people including students who are fighting and will continue to fight against the construction on the Old Goa heritage site?
Do they not care about forest areas getting destroyed left right and center, many a time aided by the elements in the Forest Department itself?
Do they not care that even when an institution formed to act against corruption in official circles, that after the Lokayukta gives detailed reports and suggests action against corrupt officials and institutions, the government takes no action? But the main opposition, the Congress is equally silent. What is it afraid of?
Do they only want to get votes based on caste and religion and fight about issues that are far bigger and more important affecting Goans and their children?
In every place, religious heads are approached to influence the community, or the community is already influenced and votes in a block to favour their caste or community candidates. Has any party decided to break this and concentrate on the real issues that will affect the future of your children?
Young people are so disappointed that they ask ‘Why should they be in politics”. That is because they do not get inspired by the quality of political parties and their agenda which is not linked to what people want.
Does the opposition even care that a Major Ports Bill got passed in Parliament without a single protest by the only opposition Congress MP Francisco Sardinha, who is giving an excuse that bills are given only at the last moment and other leaders had to speak. (For the record the bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 12, 2020, passed in the Lok Sabha on September 23, 2020 and passed in the Rajya Sabha on Feb 10, 2021. In its entire one-year passage has the MP raised the issue among the people of Goa, if not in Parliament?
Do they not care that our artistic culture is being crushed because stage artistes are without work and there is no support to revive their art? Does any political party and especially the main opposition talk about this?
So it’s clear, people are suffering, and politicians are enjoying.
The Congress has a lot to answer for. And its own partymen have said clearly that the current party leadership is involved in “fixing” to choke Goa and allow the government to breathe easy.
While the ruling party has a lot to answer for the manner in which the Bhumiputra bill was passed, the leading opposition party the Congress has a lot to answer as well. Goans are totally surprised that the leader of the Congress Legislature party, instead of being present and opposing the bill led his party out of the Assembly, walking out on another issue, without even suggesting that the bill should go to a committee of the House for further study. This is yet another example of how the two main official functionaries of the Congress party in the organisation and Assembly are doing everything they can to make life more comfortable for the ruling party.
Meanwhile, there are some smaller parties who are doing nothing but helping the ruling party. And there are some political entities who just want a hand anywhere.
On the other hand, the Conductor continues to offer and distribute multiple tickets in the same constituency, mainly to those who are not even in the party.
This is the way of working of the Conductor Raj: Many people in some constituencies have received calls from the Conductor offering tickets. At times the Conductor has even asked a third person if a prominent businessman from one area would want to contest from another area, with the assumption that the businessman would be willing to part with funds to get the ticket, though the businessman had no clue about this move.
After promising three or four people, one is finally given the go-ahead, conning the others who become absolute enemies of the party.
Does the Congress really need enemies, when it is getting finished from within?
Even before a single ticket is decided, and with the party having no plan and the twice resigned but still hanging on GPCC president Girish Chodankar, open fighting has broken out within the party, with grassroots Congressmen openly calling senior leader Digambar Kamat names like ‘snake in the grass’, after former anti-Congress MLA Benjamin Silva was inducted into the party, after bypassing the Congress ZP member Julio Fernandes.
As Herald reported, the South Goa District Committee had organised a function at the District office, to induct Silva into the party. However, a group led by Congress ZP member Julio Fernandes, interrupted the function leading to a major clash between the two groups, as a large number of Silva’s supporters were also present.
Objecting to the move to induct Silva into the party, the opposition group charged Kamat and Chodankar with destroying the party by giving entry to defectors. They even accused the South Goa MP and leaders of not uttering a word of protest against the Bhumiputra bill.
The Velim story will get replicated in many constituencies due to the reckless deal-making and allowing B teams of another party to split Congress votes.
Many Congress workers in villages across are openly highlighting that Girish Chodankar and Digambar Kamat are doing “self-development”. In a video released by a Velim- Chinchinim local Malcom Pereira, Kamat has not just been called a snake in the grass, but accused of “self-development” and vowed to teach Benjamin Silva a lesson and asked, “Are you here for a party or ticket”. Highlighting so many villagers who joined the Congress as primary workers with no expectations, Pereira alleged that Silva has been brought in only to split votes. Taking Rahul Gandhi’s name, Pereira says “Girish Chodankar has changed the tiles of his house four to five times. Goa ka leadership aapka ganta baja raha hain (the Goa leadership is fooling you). You people have finished Goa systematically. You have seen the dust”. The video which has gone viral talks about the youth to come forward to lead and throw out leaders like Sardinha, Digambar Kamat and Alexio Sequeira.
Congressmen have said that Gundu Rao, Chodankar and Kamat are working as a team. The High Command is displeased at Gundu Rao
According to highly placed party sources, the induction of former AAP Convenor Elvis Gomes was cleared by the High Command as it was felt that Gomes had a grassroots base and could add to the numbers, especially in Cuncolim. But instead of inducting Gomes, AICC general secretary in charge of the Goa Desk, Gundu Rao and Chodankar pushed for the induction of Joaquim and Yuri Alemao and got it done months ago. Joaquim had lost narrowly to Clafacio Dias last time. Dias of course is one of the defectors to BJP.
The three member team
Sensing the delay in the induction of Elvis Gomes, it is learnt that the High Command wanted to know the reason for the delay. Apparently Elvis Gomes had a direct connection with Rahul Gandhi who asked him why he had not joined. Apparently, on hearing that the three-member team of Gundu Rao, Digambar and Girish Chodankar was blocking him, Rahul Gandhi got very upset and expressed his displeasure to Gundu Rao.
The sudden departure of Gundu Rao cutting short his last visit to Goa has raised eyebrows and is an indication his continuing as Goa in charge is getting close to impossible.
If Gundu Rao goes, it will be almost like 2017 when AICC desk in-charge Digvijay Singh was removed
It is a fact that before the 2017 election, AICC Desk In charge Digvijay SIngh made candidates like Prasad Gaonkar and Churchill Alemao not to join the Congress and work for other parties. Both won the elections and could have added to the Congress tally. But that did not happen. Even after the Congress won 17 seats and Luizinho Faleiro, the party president wanted to go and stake claim to form the government, Digvijay like a traffic cop asked him to stop, giving BJP time to do its deals. The mess that the party was on hand to land on the doorstep of Digvijay Singh.
The same deal-making has started in Goa too and fixing.
No party is saying that everyone must unitedly fight for Goa. The party that unites will be the party for Goa.
An united fight for Goa that goes beyond caste and religion is the only way out. Fixing won’t do because common Goans are evolved and will vote for the future of their land their families and their children.
As for the Congress, if the ‘snake’ is not caged and the Conductor doesn’t stop distributing multiple tickets, then its best to say bye-bye to the people before the elections.
Some Congressmen like the three-member team have destroyed Goa from within. To cleanse it has to remove such type of people installed to lead. But they have actually led the party to the disaster it will face unless it gets its vacuum cleaning act together and the full team of three goes.
