Politics is a business. And that is where the problem lies. Don’t you want to end this business? Goa does not need leaders who have made politics into a dirty business. This do or die election is all about ending the business of politics and starting the people’s business of good governance.
Goa is among the most corrupt States in the country, and it’s politics that is responsible for this
From pre-election days to the end of the term politicians are involved in a vicious cycle of business. First, they spend crores of rupees to get elected and then they spend their entire tenure to make up that money.
This is why Goa in reality is one of the most corrupt States in the entire country. When politics is all about business, then governance will be corrupt to feed that business.
But it all starts with the politician managing to capture votes through direct trade. Once you make voting all about a trade or business, it’s like taking supari to finish the future of your children.
Have you wondered why so many young people have migrated abroad? Working in all kinds of jobs mainly in the UK. Because they don’t see futures here. Futures that have been killed because politicians are busy looking after their own futures.
There will be many coming to your door to give you this supari and tossing you dreams to buy your vote. But will you ever do a trade for your children’s future?
DO NOT ENTER THAT TRADE, FINISH IT ONCE AND FOR ALL
Will the villages of Goa depend on a few crumbs thrown by the political big fish?
Why can’t people have a share of government spending? Why should the powerful and the politically strong corner all resources? Local projects should have local participation for the benefit of the local economy. The villages and small towns cannot depend on some crumbs thrown at them for projects dictated and controlled by Panjim?
Has a single MLA shown some heart for small businessmen?
Businesses are now fully shut or are struggling to be open. Have you heard of MLAs across the political class making this a priority? Many have demanded that hotels should be open and tourism should restart. Has a single MLA shown some heart for small businessmen? No.
Most of them are Goans who may not be working in the ‘beach belt’ but are deeply distressed. All of them run legal businesses. They pay their taxes and fees. Unlike mining, these small-time businessmen did not lose their jobs due to any illegal activity.
If you are not a mining worker, will you get no help to restart your business?
Mining activity in Goa came to an absolute halt in 2012, when the Shah Commission outlined massive illegalities in the mining trade forcing a halt to mining activity in Goa. Mining workers throughout Goa took to the streets. But who was backing them? The mining barons. They literally put a proverbial gun on the shoulders of workers and used their plight to justify the restarting of their businesses.
Who paid for the trips of the mining workers to Delhi and their hotel stays? Who paid for so many press conferences and their travels through the State? These questions are justified. No one should lose livelihoods but when people with hundreds of crores use workers to fight their proxy battles, it is called manipulating sentiments, and the government, supporting the mining barons was fully aware of this.
Goa is absolutely green now. Mining dust has been replaced by fresh air and clean water. Goa has got revived. This is the Goa that we have left behind and the Goa we want to see.
Here’s a simple roadmap for the future. Crush political businesses
Crush the business of politics, refuse that supari, and most importantly do not ever trust defectors who have betrayed you.
