By Ranjan Solomon
The nation is in the throes of a crisis. Political dialogue has gone backstage and political muscle- flexing is now in vogue. The BJP rejects anything it disagrees with. It punishes with impunity and uses instruments of the State, who really must serve, as the servants of the people and, instead, uses them as its handmaid.
In Goa, things are a copy of this national scenario. Emboldened by the fact that their party governs in Delhi, the BJP in Goa has resorted to unilateralism. The Chief Minister, Ministers, and even innocuous Chairs of Corporations tend to behave like they own the State. The rare exceptions, such as the Goa State Pollution Control Board, are the few performing bodies that function according to a vision, plan and strategy, and show tangible results.
Unilateralism is the operative word in governance today. Accountability has been removed from the dictionary. Ministers take decisions that are too often knee-jerk and rash. It can be beef-eating (a right which many of us refuse to forfeit regardless of who likes it or not), the right to practice a religious observance such as ‘Qurbani’, blanking out religious observations in the name of ‘security’ (feast on Anjediva Island) – whatever that means in the language of our Defence Minister who still has no answers for his infamous Pathankot fumble, the unilateral closure of the Goa Meat Complex with no reasonable explanation for why it was done, the (attempted) sellout of GTDC assets, a bewildering mess-up on the MoI, lies about the promised ‘Kabrastan’ for the Muslims, and refusal of permissions to expand Christian educational institutions, etc. The BJP’s biggest failure is on the communal front. It won on the back of assurances to the minorities and has ended up deceiving them. It begs the question: Why are the handful of MLAs allied to the BJP still hanging around for in this proven-beyond-doubt communal outfit? In a similar vein, it promised to root out corruption and is now in bed with the casino lobby. It even promised to mete out punishments to those who swindled the State coffers through mining activity only to end up – as usual – doing nothing.
In the name of development, the small and medium sectors are today being taxed out off their livelihood spaces. Shack owners, for example, today pay taxes in excess of 500% more than they would have just a few years ago while, at the same time, the government bends over backwards to accommodate those who have the clout, political and others, to win licenses and permits. Private shack owners have lost their licenses not because the courts ruled against them but because the government did not support their claims and put their own legal weight behind their legal battle. The fishing community is now being further displaced by the arrival of sea planes which disturbs their livelihoods and the Tourism Minister, and GTDC Chief counts it as an achievement. The ex-Chief Minister (part-time boss of this dispensation) even announced he would return land taken away from the SEZs to their original owners. Here was blatant contempt for the will of the people whose mass-based SEZ Movement backed a legal battle that the people finally prevailed in.
Recently, the Defence Ministry announced its decision to host a DefExpo and Aero show in Goa. At stake is close-to 150 acres of land. The communities in the immediate vicinity oppose it as do most Goans. The Chief Minister has shown he is bent on pursuing the plan because of its huge negative environmental fallouts. Arguments that sensitive land is now under threat by this exhibition get the CM’s deaf ear. Not only is the area eco-sensitive and an important source of bio-diversity, it is also the location of wild life and a grazing source for tribal farmers who use the land for grazing their cattle.
By BJP standards, dissent is not viewed as essential to a healthy and vibrant democracy. For the BJP democracy and consensus building is of sheer nuisance value. They would rather ban the independent social sector and be done with it. The cynical remarks about NGOs are heard too often in the corridors of government. They know that NGOs too much about the truth and that they ask too many questions.
On the flip side of all this, is a huge deficit in alternative viable political spaces. There is the BJP, and the Congress who currently offer themselves as our choices. It feels like the people must choose between the devil and deep sea. The Third Front and AAP have now emerged and each of them swears that they are the best alternative bet. Their manifestos are yet to be released. Mere intent is not enough to qualify for a vote. The stray independent MLA is just that – devoid of identity and more inclined to the BJP.
There is no clearly defined ideological space in the political quagmire. The Congress was shown the door because it showed arrogance and indifference to the people. It has still not awoken from the slumber it went into after its defeat nearly five years ago. Will the new entrants avoid the temptation of being all things to all people and, instead, show courage by way of reasoned choices the people can make? Will they show respect for authentic democracy by making the space for genuine participation of the people in all matters pertaining to their lives.
(Ranjan Solomon is an independent researcher and commentator on human rights)
