Churchill Alemao - the 'Jumping Jack' of Goan politics. - By Nisser Dias

Churchill Alemao

Benaulim constituency MLA Churchill Alemao’s common diatribe has been that political parties does not matter to him as he has always been people’s candidate.

How since his plunge into politics in the late 80’s he has changed parties like he changes his underwears.

Churchill Alemao’s tryst in politics started with his election victory as the Congress candidate in 1989. Few months later on 27^th March 1990 he split the Congress to form the Progressive Democratic Front government in coalition with the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party.

During this PDF-MGP coalition government, with MGP’s late Sasikala Kakodkar as education minister the medium of instruction was changed from English to mother tongue.

During this period Churchill created history by becoming the first Catholic Chief Minister of Goa, albeit for only 19 days as he resigned to pave way for Dr. Luis Proto Barbosa. PDF government collapsed in December that year.

With NCP

In 1994 elections Churchill Alemao was elected to the Legislative Assembly as the UGDP candidate and remained an MLA till 1996 when he contested parliamentary election and defeated Congress candidate to the Lok Sabha Eduardo Faleiro.

At the bye-elections held in 1996, he introduced his brother Joaquim Alemao in politics and won the Benaulim constituency as the UGDP candidate.

After a gap of 10 years during 1999 elections, Churchill Alemao in an act of ‘ghar whapsi’ returned to the Congress fold and won from Benaulim constituency and was rewarded with the Industries and Tourism ministries.

Francisco Xavier alias Micky Pacheco the UGDP candidate defeated Churchill Alemao in 2002 thereby ending his reign in Benaulim constituency.

Thereafter the Congress party again rehabilitated Churchill Alemao by nominating him to Lok Sabha however when 2007 assembly elections were announced he trained his guns at his party and termed Congress as communal and corrupt.

He resigned from the Congress party and set up his own outfit known as Save Goa Front and was victorious after defeating Luizinho Faleiro.

He  attempted to topple the Digambar Kamat led government in 2007. Though his coup failed, Churchill Alemao managed to get his pound of flesh by merging his fledgling outfit into Congress and get a prime ministrial berth as PWD minister.

In 2012, as Congress candidate Churchill was usurped by independent candidate Avertano Furtado in the Navelim constituency.

With TMC

Churchill once again left the Congress and contested Parliamentary polls in 2014 on Trinamool Congress ticket and was again defeated.

In 2016 Churchill’s began his political escapade with the Nationalist Congress Party and won the Benaulim constituency in 2017 Assembly election. 

He was the lone NCP MLA in the Assembly and extended support to BJP government throughout the tenure but wanted alliance with Congress to fight elections, as the Congress party rejected his offer, he joined Trinamool Congress party to fight the 2022 Assembly election.

 

Prashant Kishor’s ‘Original Sin’ – By Nisser Dias

Goa is going to polls in 2022; Trinamool Congress Party (TMC) has taken a plunge into this political carnival. As a political outfit they have all the right under the Indian Constitution to broaden or widen their spectre.

Secondly they are riding high on a wave of convincingly defeating the BJP in West Bengal twice. Once during the general elections and second during the by-election of chief minister Mamta Banerjee.

But with TMC comes a different package or baggage whatever one may call it. And it is India Political Action Committee. In short I-PAC founded by Prashant Kishor.

Kishor informed the world he would quit the group but I-PAC would remain after the victory of TMC in Kolkata is one facet. That he convinced Luizinho Faleiro into joining Didi’s party is another aspect which has to be viewed from the political prism.

In the Christian doctrine, the community believes in a conjecture called ‘Original Sin’.

It is the condition or state of sin into which each human being is born. In common parley it has been ascribed to the sin of the first man, Adam, who disobeyed God in eating the forbidden fruit (of knowledge of good and evil) and consequently transmitted his sin to his descendants.

This doctrine has its basis in the Bible. Similarly is the case of Prashant Kishor and his CAG (Citizens for Accountable Governance).

CAG’s original sin was facilitating or pole-vaulting Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister of this country. After Kishor fell out with prime minister, he disbanded or rather re-christened CAG to I-PAC.

What followed subsequently is suffering and death of common man, increasing communal divide, nose diving economic graph, sky rocketing of fuel prices and wholesale self glorification cult to make Modi larger than life.

In short Kishor created a monster. Now he is trying to wipe his slate clean of his original sin. Hopefully in this quest he will not create more monsters. We have already experienced Luizinho Faleiro’s ‘Salazar rule’ in Goa as chief minister and would not like to be his subjects again.

Corporate manufactured mandates fabricated with lies, smear and slander are not healthy for democracy as the citizens’ start believing fallacy as truth since they are told with a straight face.

One such lie manufactured during Modi’s campaign in 2013 was bringing in all the black money stashed away in foreign countries and depositing Rs. 15 lakhs in each and every citizen’s account. Like fools we are stilling awaiting it to happen.

I-PAC by default is part of these lies too as it was strategizing BJP’s campaign.

Mamta Banerjee may have the grit, guts and determination to take on the duo at the Centre. But it will not happen with the career politicians in Goa and especially those roped in by TMC through I-PAC.

Goan career politicians have a lot of skeletons in their closet which will surely spill out if they even try to squeal against Prime Minister Modi and Home minister Amit Shah.

TMC ‘Man Friday’ Luizinho Faleiro could not even take-on BJP government in Goa as he did not want to upset his applecart, hence cannot be expected even to take digs at the powerful duo at the Centre. At the most his strategy will be to only take pot-shots at the BJP as a party.

Besides Goa, six other states are going to polls in 2022, UP, Manipur, Punjab, Uttarakhand and later in the year Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. Why is TMC and I-PAC not strategizing contests in other states, why only Goa is a question mark.

Because I-PAC comes at a huge cost and political parties are not willing to dish-out astronomous amounts.

Prashant Kishor surely understands that creating a cult costs piles of cash, destroying it takes even more. Hence for that reason citizens of this country will have to bear with the consequences of the ‘Original Sin’ of I-PAC Prashant Kishor’s ‘Frankenstein Monster.’

 

The Madam’s Man...... --- By Nisser Dias

Now:- Mamta Madam's man

Mamta Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress party (TMC) testing its political hot-pot in Goa, has curried the political canvas to the extent of chief minister Pramod Sawant terming it as ‘political tourism.

The churning of it has caused Congress party to lose senior party man and Navelim MLA Luizinho Faleiro. From ‘Sonia Madam’s man to ‘Mamta Madam’s man in his new innings.

But then as the old adage says, ‘rats do desert a sinking ship’. It has happened earlier also, hence it is no surprise. All politicians are opportunist, Luizinho is no exception

The grand old party has been sinking 2014 and very little is being done to refloat it.

Luizinho’s outburst during the press conference after his resignation as an MLA and also as the primary member of the Congress party was complete with half-truths and innuendos, which is his trademark.

He started off on a very wrong note stating he was proud to be born in Navelim, a village of late Dr. Francisco Luis Gomes and Cardinal Oswald Gracias. Incidentally the latter is from the village of Orlim.

Secondly though he could be credited for introducing Goa, Daman and Diu Official Language bill in the legislative assembly in 1986 post the bloodiest agitation for Konkani language, Faleiro cannot take the credit for leading the agitation forcing the government to accept Konkani as the sole official language.

If at all somebody deserves the credit it should be Churchill Alemao who led historic agitation.

Thirdly Faleiro says he was part of student’s agitation, which is another lie as it was Desmond D’costa, Prashant Naik, Jhoti Dhond, Sandesh Prabhudessai, Sabina Martins and others who led this agitation.

Chameleon's hand

Luizinho Faleiro was part of Zuari employee’s union. It is better not to delve deeper into his role in the union.

He spoke about formalin laced fish being brought to Goa. Did he raise the issue in the Assembly? The answer is no. What did he do during his two terms as chief minister of the state for traditional fishermen and trawler owners? Nothing. What has he done to handover the wholesale fish market to Goans? Nothing. But he has the gall to claim credit for the effort of others.

Though Goa gave Congress party the mandate in 2017 to govern, he claims that he was stopped by party observer Digvijay Singh from handing over the ‘intent to form government’ letter to the Governor.

One must remember that the party does not give letter; it is chief ministerial candidate who has the backing of majority of MLAs back presents it.

4 independent MLAs were opposing Faleiro’s move to meet the Governor with the letter as they were opposed to the idea of him being the chief minister. It was an indication that the 4 independent MLAs did not want the repeat of ‘Salazar’s rule’ in Goa.

So it seems like, his own selfish motives to become the chief minister of Goa for the third time eroded the Congress party’s opportunity to form the government.

So also in the last four and half years in the assembly his performance has been dismal. Let him list the motions and bills he has introduced in the Assembly since 2017.

His move to shift political parties is hoodwink TMC into giving him the reins of power again as he has reached the end of the long rope in Congress where his word does not carry weight.

Then:- Sonia Madam's man

One question that is on everybody’s mind is how TMC zeroed in on ‘Sonia Madam’s Man’ to be first to be inducted in the party. The answer to this question lies with one of the media houses holding its sway in Salcete. The ‘patrao’ of this media house is a long-time bum-chum of Faleiro and has been promised Rajya Sabha seat.

Besides one of his employee is also from West Bengal. The Bengali using his connection with his home-state elected and nominated representatives and the ‘patrao’ networked to bring TMC and Luizinho together.

It is a win-win situation for both. While Didi’s party gets a foot hold in Goa, Luizinho was facing anti-incumbency in Navelim. It is rumoured if he fails to win in Navelim he will also be made Rajya Sabha member.

Whether the Madam’s man will be happy with the equation is to be seen in the coming elections.

Rapists seems to enjoy preferential treatment under BJP rule in Goa - By Nisser Dias

Sorrowing lies my land under
BJP

Imported chief minister of Goa Pramod Sawant seems to have completely lost his bearings. To blame the victims of rape at Benaulim beach or their parents is like the chief minister agreeing that Goa has become lawless under the BJP rule.

What right does anybody has to violate a girl, even if she is out late in the night or if she is wearing skimpy clothes or even if she is without any clothes.

As the head of the state and the head of home department he should at least a small amount of common sense that rape is committed by rapists or criminals not by women being out late. Blaming the victims and their parents is like rubbing salt into their wounds.

By questioning the movements of the victims, is this non-Goan chief minister sending criminals a message to rape, murder, rob and commit other crimes?

Has Sawant forgotten the rape of a young girl in a school during regular hours in Vasco when late Manohar Parrikar was the chief minister? This victim was in school, not at an isolated spot or on the beach late into the night, but was raped under BJP rule.

The accused in this case was not even identified forget arrested. And the current government is building a memorial for the late chief minister who goofed up the investigation and could not give justice to the young victim.

By blaming the victims of rape at Benaulim beach or their parents Pramod Sawant has scored a self goal and completely exposed himself of being incapable, incompetent of governing the state and inept of handling the home portfolio. Over and above he has disgraced himself.

This incumbent chief minister has the habit of putting his foot in the mouth while trying to make his point and it is because he does not know Goa’s culture and history.

There is a legend that is passed down from our ancestors that during the Portuguese era, one could peacefully sleep in houses with doors and windows wide open. It was because there was fear of law.

However this ‘fear of law’ was laid to rest in the Assembly in 2002 when policemen dressed as ‘Marshals ’ were ordered to bodily lift legislators out of the August House again under the BJP regime.

CM of Goa: Is he the saviour to
the victims or rapists?

So the opposition has rightly pointed out that the law and order has collapsed or that there is no fear of law in Goa and criminals can get away with any crime.

Questioning the presence of youngsters on the beach late into the night is one aspect, what were the rapists or criminals doing in public place at that hour and where were the police?

Why were the men-in-uniform not patrolling these public areas? Or is it that they visit these spots only to issue fines for traffic violation or not wearing masks and to collect their hafta?

And have we forgotten the recent incident of a police sub inspector involved in rape of a girl. Does the chief minister have an answer for that?

That the police department is yet to arrest one of their own involved in heinous crime also sends a message to criminals that they can get away with anything under the BJP regime in Goa.

Furthermore it is rumoured that one of the ministers in the current dispensation was trying to influence the police in fudging the investigation and police officials especially the Indian Police Service (IPS) officers are so malleable they simply crawl when asked to bend as most of them want a piece of Goa after retirement and hence does not want to upset the powers that be.

Though an enquiry should be held into this aspect but surely it won’t happen as the non-Goan chief minister of Goa does not have the grit nor grime for it.

 

Goans shed fears of scarecrows and their shadows long back. NSA and police can’t deter us -- By Nisser Dias

Chief minister and his caged parrots

As Goa commemorated its 75^th year of Revolution Day on (18^th June 2021) non-Goan chief minister of Goa Pramod Sawant ordered the south Goa Collector to invoke National Security Act in the district.

The timing of the decision is very pertinent. BJP led government in Goa is on a sticky wicket because of its controversial decisions to bring about destruction of environment in the state.

This government want to suppress the voice of environmentalists, activists, writers and opposing political leaders six months before the Assembly elections.

National Security Act (NSA) is a draconian law that allows preventive detention for months, if authorities are satisfied that a person is a threat to national security or law and order.

Its wide sweeping powers give the government which is on a backfoot to target any individual who challenges the decisions of the government.

In 2019 Congress government in Madhya Pradesh under Kamal Nath booked 3 individuals under NSA for cow slaughter. How can this act be a threat to national security? BJP government in UP under Yogi Adityanath government used NSA against cow slaughters in 2020 and in 2021 against persons for spreading rumours of oxygen shortage to treat Covid-19 patients.

Governments are known to use this Act very loosely and liberally to shift the blame of mis-governance, mal-administration and divert attention.

Basically these security laws are designed to enhance the executive’s powers in ways that facilitate human rights abuses. And governments do use these laws to quell opposition and instil fear in people. Pramod Sawant government is no different and he draws his strength from his bosses in Delhi who have imposed undeclared emergency in the country.

Mis-managed Covid-19
pandemic

Chief minister should know that his days are numbered at the helm of affairs. He has been a total failure. He has mis-managed the finances of the state and dropped the state into dept trap. He has mis-managed the covid-19 pandemic causing deaths of thousands of citizens while he enjoys the perks of the office at the cost of tax payer.

Even shameful is his act of asking the police to initiate action on those persons criticizing them. This is like imposing military rule in the state.

It basically means people cannot criticize his mis-governance as they will be booked under NSA at the same time action will be initiated against persons criticizing the police.

Thus all activists, environmentalists, political opponents, writers and even journalists have to tread carefully and not oppose government decisions of destroying people lives by transporting coal, destruction of environment by allowing power project, double tracking of railway line and highway through eco-sensitive, bio-diversity rich Mollem, or government will let the police to hound you with sedition charges or NSA or Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA)

In this era of BJP rule at the centre and state, the police force has been reduced caged parrots. Be it the Director General of Police and the ranks below they act as puppets when strings are pulled.

Shel-Melaulim send police 
packing.

 Lest the government and the police forget, in January this year   people of Sattari taluka challenged and chased the police away   and forced Sawant government to shelve setting up of IIT in   Shel-Melaulim, even though chief minister was determined to go   ahead with the project.

 Pramod Sawant has utterly failed as chief minister; he does not   understand administration, does not understand finance, does   not understand law and order and has no clue of what       governance is all about.

And for that reason he wants to impose NSA and use police instil fear in people before the elections in February 2022.

But Pramod Sawant unlike you, Goans drove the Portuguese to claim their land and in the process shed our fears.

We will not be quelled by scarecrows like you chief minister and your shadows (police).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chief minister! Resign. You failed. -- By Nisser Dias

 People are dying all around us, they are dying in their cars waiting to be allowed in the hospitals, people are dying in their homes, they are dying in the hospitals. Death is all around us.

Photo-op. No face mask during
Covid vaccination 

And the government has no clue what to do next. The imported chief minister of Goa is busy with photo-ops, appearing on television everyday like a news-reader with advice which makes no sense and playing a covert and clandestine political battle with his health minister over a year now since the deadly virus hit Goa.

But then what can be accept from a man who uses his face-mask to wipe his mouth?

Pramod Sawant, please accept that you have no administrative capability to handle crisis, be it health or financial.

Atleast now accept that you have failed. Step down from the pedestal position. Go home.

The current situation in Goa is of your making. In 2020 you failed in understanding the pandemic, this year even before the second wave could hit Goa, health minister Vishwajit Rane urged you to either stop entry of tourists from neighbouring states spilling into Goa or to make RT-PCR negative report mandatory. Mr. failed chief minister, all the right advices fell on your deaf years.

And now people are dying left, right and centre on your watch. This genocide is of your making. You are wholly responsible for it.

No face mask at 'Hunar Haat'
exhibition

Instead of heeding to the advice and suggestions of the health minister you dashed to Delhi to seek tutorials from home minister Amit Shah, who was himself spreading the virus in West Bengal and the other states that were going to polls. Secondly what better advice would a sadist like Shah provide when he thrives in seeing humans crawl, beg in pain and suffering?

Vishwajit Rane cannot be spared too, he did not have the guts and the spine to stand up to the chief minister to tell him that what he was doing was wrong. While he was in Congress he would roar like a lion but in the BJP he has been reduced to a kitten.

Rane talks only about procuring items. Now he is talking about setting up oxygen plants, why did this thought not come to you early, were you waiting for the disaster to strike?

However in all this, the non-Goan chief minister of Goa cannot be spared because he tried to hog the lime-light since 2020. This is indication that he had usurped the powers of the health minister to project himself as the saviour for Goa which he is not.

The number of Covid mortalities are increasing and closing to three digit figures. Who is responsible for these spiralling deaths. Over the eve of lockdown you inaugurated a bridge with hundreds of your supporters. You allowed ‘Hunar Haat’ exhibition in the thick of the pandemic? Who allowed the Municipal elections? You! Pramod Sawant are responsible for the spread of Covid infection. The blood of all those who have lost their lives is on your hands.

No face mask at new High Court
complex inauguration 

Even the Goa Bench of High Court in its order on a Public Interest Litigation has ordered that the state government to demand a negative certificate issued 72 hours prior from those entering Goa.

This is what the health minister was requesting since the beginning of the second wave in February-March. But you overruled him because of your insecurities.

Pramod Sawant, you have failed. Resign. Goa home.

There is an acute shortage of oxygen, beds, space, vaccines, oxy-meters, ventilators, medicines, health care staff, isolation centres for doctors and health care workers. The health care system is on its last legs. You are responsible for it.

Mr. Chief minister if you had any foresight or vision and opened the state’s purse strings to build a robust health infrastructure Goa and Goans would not be in the current predicament.

Own-up Pramod Sawant that you have morally failed to continue as chief minister. Resign. Go Home.

 

 

Is the Goa government pushing Goans towards Naxalism? -- By Nisser Dias

There is no doubt that Goa is experiencing the worst form of governance. The great Abraham Lincoln had said in a democracy government is, “of the people, by the people and for the people”.

Today in Goa the government presided over by the first non Goan chief minister has given the famous statement a different twist.

For Pramod Sawant, his governance is, Off the People, bye bye People and F… the People.

Be it double tracking of south western railway line passing through populated villages along the coastal belt or laying of new railway line, highway and power transmission line through eco-sensitive Mollem by axing thousands of trees. And that too, without giving a damn to one of the 5 environmental hot-spots in the world.

It does not end with the three linear projects. Now the BJP government in Goa want to propel Coastal Zone Management Plan down the throats of the Goans.

All this to benefit the chosen few capitalist in the country. And the chosen few have adopted the government at the centre.

What the Goa chief minister and his ministers fail to comprehend or realize is that the government is turning Goans into Naxalites, ultimately leading to revolution against the government.

Allowing double tracking the railway lines, the government is bulldozing our heritage structures. Be it our ancestral Portuguese era mansions, damaging our places of worship, reclaiming our fields, ponds and low lying areas.

By this, the government is denying us our heritage. It is taking over our means of living.

Elaborating further, the government is robbing us of our heritage, culture and ethos. Our palatial houses which we painstakingly maintain. The government is grabbing our properties, fields in which stand our swaying palms and varieties of fruits and fields that we still cultivate our crops and vegetables.

And all this for transportation of coal. Which if allowed will blanket our houses, properties, beach stretch and also our lungs with coal dust.

So, what is the option before us Goans when the elected government is not listening to its people? It is to adopt Marxist inspired mass revolution to liberate ourselves from the autocratic and oppressive government.

If double tracking of south western railway line is dissecting through the heart of Goa, the three linear projects are designed to destroy our hills and forests. And with Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) the government is snatching away our entire coastal stretch of 104 kilometres, our rivers, fresh water bodies, our islands and destroying our houses and religious structures along the river banks and shores.

The recent public hearing on CZMP was a farce. Under the guise of Covid-19 the state administration under the non-Goan chief minister of Goa used its machinery to keep the public away from the hearing and pass the plans to facilitate few capitalists. The very next day Pramod Sawant went on record to say that all opportunities were given to the people to raise objection.

His statement explains the many controversial decisions, acts of this government is to serve other masters and not the people of the state.

If Goans managed to keep Goa from being merged with Maharashtra, the present Maharashtrian chief minister of Goa is gearing to annihilate our beloved state through projects that benefit only a few capitalists.

How long are we going to be mute spectators? How long will these BJP governments at the Centre and in Goa test our patience?

An old adage goes, “a drowning man will catch at straws”, similarly when destruction of Goa seems inevitable, Goans will be forced to be like Naxalites to prevent the governments from obliterating ‘Amche bagarrache Goem’.