THEY NEED TO REJECT THEM ALL by Jose Maria Miranda

Goa is perhaps the only State in India which has witnessed, in recent years, so much of turmoil, protests and opposition to plans and projects either promoted by the Government or taken up by builders and developers, actively supported by the politicians.

From the agitations that have been rocking Goa regularly, it is amply evident that the Government has lost the confidence of the people and that the Goans are now opposing almost everything because whatever is proposed by the Government is suspect. People have turned cynical because Government intentions are generally malafide.

We have seen how the Government has delayed the finalization of the Regional Plan to allow unscrupulous builders and developers to have their way – how mining, both legal and illegal, with covert and overt support and even involvement of Ministers, is destroying the environment and making miserable the lives of those living nearby -how low lying areas are being filled and hills are being cut to allow constructions with threat to the ecology. The list is unending. The Government engages in projects, schemes and works that bring profits and cuts to their Ministers and their blue eyed boys, much to the detriment of the people.

We Goans have suffered enough because of the treachery and misrule of the Congress coalitions and the despotic and communal governance of the BJP. The maladministration of the present coalition, the prevailing corruption in the highest circles, the systematic attempts at destroying the beauty, the environment, the ecology of our State and marginalizing Goans by encouraging the influx of migrants, certainly makes the present lot of Congress –NCP-MG MLAs not only unworthy of being re-elected but guilty of the greatest crimes against our State and our people.

The Opposition MLAs of the BJP too don’t deserve a second look, as they are also guilty of several blunders not only in the past but also of not being militant enough to oppose the decisions and actions of the present Government. The BJP was and is in a position to take to the streets and paralyze the Government if it wants to, but their near silence makes us suspect that they too will toe a line not very much different from the present one, if they come to power. The BJP, for reasons well known to them and certainly not unknown to us, has not been vociferous and aggressive enough to confront the Government on various issues, including the Regional Plan, mining, corruption and even the Atala case. Except fo the MOI, no other issue is as important to them. This is the proof of their hypocrisy.

It is very unfortunate that today there are many people who, because they hate the Congress, they are inclined towards the BJP. Alternatives to us may be few but let us not forget that the ideology of the Sangh Parivar is nothing but fascist. Manohar Parrikar, is undoubtedly intelligent and a good administrator. But RSS blood runs in his veins and hence he is known as a despot and a fanatic who surreptitiously enforces his communal and divisive agenda of hate.

Fellow Goans, we have been fooled enough. Let us for once be wise and reject the entire bunch of forty. If among these there are a few who may be good, they too are guilty of complicity by their silence. It has unfortunately been the culture of the Congress party to make a mockery of its supporters and well wishers and embrace and impose on them the most unscrupulous and detestable characters, some of whom had not only betrayed and deserted the party, but also fought and acted against the party’s interests on several occasions. A classic example is Churchill Alemao.

And it is also equally unfortunate that some of us vote for the Congress, no matter what scoundrel they put up, only because a vote for anyone else, however good he or she may be, could get the BJP candidate elected. Let us, however, be also cautious of those who would welcome our slogan “Reject them all” and are waiting in the wings for their chance to loot and plunder. Some of them could be far worse than the present lot. In our eagerness to reject the bad, let us not choose the worst. In a small place like Goa, we know them all.