 |
| Dinar L Barros |
After attending a couple of corner meetings
on invitations by the AAP cadres , including one addressed by Shri Arvind
Kejriwal, it was evident after listening, that most Goemkars are bleeding.
Bleeding profusely from the wounds inflicted by the powers that be. And the
pain and anguish is such that they are in a mighty hurry to smash the guts out
of the present "sitting forty ". This was expressed by most including
the AAP prospective candidates. Though these outbursts are evident of the depth
of the wounds, Goans but naturally are in a quandary and are at a loss to put
forth their aspirations to the Delhi based regional party. On the other hand,
AAP, apparently cashing in on this weakness, is clear on its electoral
aspirations. Use the' broom' to unseat the forty. And this appears to be the
poll plank for the AAP campaign.
We Goans will not bend down to hold the
short, used broom. Used may be by the powers that be. Going back in time, we
used the hand of the Congress to throttle the roar of the MGP lion. Then with
the beaming lotus of the BJP held high with hope, we managed to outshine the
mucky hand of corruption. Remember it is thanks to that thick layer of muck
that the lotus from the village of Parra pond stood tall as a sign of good hope
and purity. Later on, that very lotus from Parra literally ditched the Goans by
showing preferences for the Delhi waters; but not before stopping mining.. The
zero in the much promised "zero tolerance to corruption" has been
replaced by a digit or two. And the zero has been moved after the decimal point!
And now with the turbulent waters and added to it the under currents in most of
the ponds in Goa, the lotus grapples. Concurrently alongside AAP corner
meetings or dialogues venues, freebies are offered in the form of coconut
saplings etc. obviously to divert the villagers from attending the same.cThis
proves that AAP is a force to reckon with for the now jittery MLAs.
We need good governance to weed out
corruption. When mining and real estate, whether legal or illegal has done
irreversible damage to Goa and most Goans, the AAP brand ambassador Arvind Kejriwal
is adamant to increase the cap, legally, and that it would be world class;
albeit the much spoken "Goa dialogues" ! The need of the hour is
world class governance Mr. Kejriwal.
Land reforms are required of the kind that
will ensure affordable land for the Goan
and not just Regional plans with inflated settlement zones emerging as
it appears from the drawing boards of the real estate operatives . The term 'land
development' is demeaning to the very ethos of our rich Goan culture.
Land agents have cropped up in both the
organized and the unorganized sectors. There are land agents among the AAP
cadres, a land agent in almost every elected representative, a land agent in
Sonia Gandhi's emissaries, in professionals, a land agent in the Communidade, a
land agent in the nearby Govt. office. Add to it the property expos. The time
is short when a tsunami of MNCs will wipe away all that remains of pristine Goa
after the Mopa airport is fully operational. The rich Goan land has been turned
into a commodity. Can a common Goemkar afford to buy a small piece of land to
build a decent dwelling? We need a Government that will ensure affordable land
for the Goemkars.
The identity of a Goemkar in a demographic
Goa is slowly but steadily getting smudged. We need a government that will
identify a Goan not by the flimsy 15 years domicile but by tracing back to his
or her ancestry.
Casino culture has been existing outside
almost every tavern, at every ‘tinto’ or in the confines of a mansion after a
lunch or dinner party. It may be in the form of ‘tablamcho khel’, matka, godgodo
and the card games respectively. Being in the unorganized sector these games do
not give revenue to the government unlike the licensed casino. So why not the floating casinos? Well any activity on a larger scale, as is the
case with the floating casinos, is polluting when not monitored and an eye-sore
to be seen in the pristine waters of our rivers. A casino should not be a
money-laundering machine. These casinos could be floating in the high seas
equipped with a functional sewage treatment plant and a helipad to airlift the
gamer. But a floating casino will never be as destructive as the rampant mining
or real estate operations.
The result of the historic Opinion Poll, the milestone of a
plebiscite in Goa's history, proved the very mettle of the united Goemkars.
With clear foresight and determination we voted to retain the unique identity
of Goa. Henceforth, in the same spirit, we Goans will treat every election to
every elected body as an opinion poll and vote unitedly and decisively to
retain our unique identity. And this will be our fundamental aspiration.
And let AAP get the message clear that just
toppling is not the name of the game. ‘Goemkarancher topi ghalchi nuim’.
AAP needs to come clear on their policies for
mining as well as Goa's fragile land.
Goa certainly requires a Government with a
strong political will and a bureaucracy with commitment to achieve the desired
results in meeting the aspirations of the Goans.
Dinar L Barros
Betalbatim
M: 9422059996
No comments:
Post a Comment