The ground is no longer steady beneath the feet of Goa’s political establishment.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant can feel the tremors. The anger is no longer a murmur — it’s a gathering storm. And to prevent that storm from turning into a political tsunami, he has begun dangling a last-minute olive branch before St. Andre MLA Viresh Borkar — a promise to keep Amendment 39A of the Town and Country Planning Act “in abeyance” if Borkar calls off his indefinite hunger strike.
But here’s the real question: is Goa supposed to be grateful for a pause button?
Because trust in Sawant and TCP Minister Vishwajit Rane has collapsed. Not dented. Not cracked. Collapsed. Credibility, once squandered, is rarely rebuilt — and in this case, it may already be beyond salvage.
Borkar has put his life on the line demanding a full repeal of Amendment 39A. And Goans, cutting across divides, have rallied behind him. This isn’t political theatre. This is a reckoning.
Let’s not forget how this amendment was born.
When the BJP government pushed 39A through the Assembly, it wasn’t through dialogue or consensus. It was bulldozed. Opposition MLAs were denied adequate space to debate. Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas was marshalled out. Others staged a dharna in protest (with notable silence from Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai). The message from the treasury benches was blunt: brute majority equals unquestioned authority.
The amendment was endorsed despite visible resistance.
And now the same government wants breathing space? To keep it “in abeyance”? For what — consultations? Legal vetting? Or to quietly reassure powerful builder lobbies that their interests will eventually be protected?
Goans aren’t naïve. They understand what 39A represents. They understand what it enables. And they understand who stands to benefit.
The demand is simple: repeal it. Not suspend it. Not defer it. Repeal it. Period.
The people of Goa have already shown what collective resistance can achieve. The government was forced to retreat on the proposed Unity Mall project after sustained public pressure. That victory emboldened citizens. It proved something vital — that this government is not invincible.
And the pushback will not stop here. From land policy to coal transportation, the message is growing louder: Goa is not for sale.
The era of “make hay while the sun shines” governance is ending. The sunshine is fading. Accountability is rising.
After intense discussions with Borkar, the Chief Minister reportedly convened an urgent late-night meeting with Rane and the Chief Town Planner. Midnight strategy sessions are rarely a sign of confidence. They are signs of crisis management.
When Rane emerged, the swagger was gone. The combative lectures about “procedure” and “forums” had evaporated. The bluster had thinned into silence. When public anger hits critical mass, even the most confident ministers discover the limits of rhetoric.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister’s approach bordered on transactional politics. A typed letter holding 39A in abeyance — ready to be handed over — but only if the fast is withdrawn. This is not governance. This is bargaining.
A government is not supposed to negotiate with its people’s conscience. It is supposed to respond to it.
For years, Borkar sought deeper discussion on 39A. The requests were brushed aside. With a comfortable majority, the ruling establishment believed it could override dissent. That assumption now stands shattered.
The clock has turned.
Today, a single amendment has become a symbol of something larger — the struggle between political power and public will. And as Borkar continues his fast, demanding total repeal, the pressure mounts.
The question is no longer whether 39A will be paused.
The question is whether this government can survive the consequences of ignoring Goa’s voice for so long.
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