MARGAO: He is not Tom Hanks from the Cast Away movie. The FedEx employee in the film was forced to grow his beard when he was stranded on an unhabitated island in the Pacific. This man from Canacona is from an ‘island’ full of people who simply wanted to be connected to the world through a bridge. Mahesh Varik chose to be a different ‘cast away’ when he began growing his beard to protest against unfulfilled promises by the government. After a three-year long wait and his beard growing up to his belly, the government finally took notice of his ‘hairy’ protest and laid a foundation stone for a bridge in Canacona.
“It is not criticism or protest against them, but my extremely long beard did remind the leaders of the Goa BJP of the word they had given,” said Mahesh Varik, an ordinary businessman and a BJP Canacona block member who took an extraordinary step – not to shave his beard till the people of Canacona get a Talpona-Galgibag bridge.
Varik has finally shaved after three long years; the beard was inching towards his belly, not to forget it had turned several heads, including of South Goa MP Narendra Sawaikar and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.
Varik’s unique step, or as he calls it, a modest way of demanding the Talpona-Galgibag bridge, has come to light after Union Minister Nitin Gadkari laid the foundation stone for the bridge on the first day of the New Year.
“When the Parrikar-government was formed in 2012, I had asked for this bridge and had told that until the foundation stone is laid, I won’t shave my beard. After three years and a beard as long as a badminton racket, my demand was fulfilled, and I shaved my beard as soon as it was done,” Mahesh told Herald.
Recalling the times he came across political leaders, he stated that Parrikar asked him about his beard every time they met. He further said, “The South Goa MP (Sawaikar) and Parrikar had made references to my ‘hairy’ resolution at a public meeting at Goa Velha and soon fulfilled what I had asked for. The bridge will be a boon for the people from Canacona and beyond. It was a demand that we have been making for over 54 years, i.e. since Goa’s liberation.”
The Talpona-Galgibag Bridge will reduce the distance between Mashem-Loliem to Galgibag from 2 kilometres to 200 metres. Children and adults alike used to travel in a canoe to the other side. Their problems will be alleviated now. Additionally, people had to travel long distances to reach schools and churches. Meanwhile, the distance from Canacona to Loliem will be reduced to 7.5 kilometres from 15 kilometres.
Speaking to Herald, MP Sawaikar stated that Varik’s beard reminded the government about the needs of the residents of Canacona and surrounding areas, and it kept the government on its toes. He added that he had met Varik several times and that he was proud of the BJP governments at the State and Centre for talking a major step to relieve the problems of the people.”
Mahesh also recalled some funny incidents that had happened after he took his oath, like his daughter threatening – jokingly – to light his beard on fire when he is asleep, and also attending weddings of loved ones with a 2-foot-long beard.
“I trusted the word of our Government and I vouched for it when people asked me the reason for growing a beard,” he said.
Mahesh may have had a tough time growing and maintaining his beard, as well as answering the questions of people, but he has definitely helped in reducing the tough times for the people of his taluka.
