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| Chief minister and his caged parrots |
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.
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| 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.
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.
Shel-Melaulim send police
packing.
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).
