THE DRUMS OF WAR :: By Dr Oscar Rebello
docosca...@rediffmail.com
My dear Diggu kaka,
It was with a sense of shock and awe that I heard your
passionate appeal to all of us Goans, on December 19, 2009,
to rise and fight all the "enemies of the State, out to
defame us." Nasty fellows, these critters are, setting up a
huge conspiracy to pulverize us. So, I guess, like Mel
Gibson in 'Braveheart' with war paint on, or like Jake Scully
in 'Avataar' in a blue funk, you will lead us into battle
against these "enemies of the State".
Let's get out all the ammo, get our guns blazing, all arrows
in the quiver and with a "Zayyat Zage" (Let Us Awake) song in
our hearts take to the battlefield.
We'll mobilize all the stakeholders of Goa, and
take this challenge head on -- Hindus, Christians,
Muslims, Saraswats, Bhandari Samaj, Dalits,
"Bhitorle" and "Bhaile", men, women and children
are all at your service, ready to shed their last
drop of blood to defend Mother Goa.
Get the horses, elephants, donkeys, nuts and bolts into action.
We are marching to our death and mighty proud of it.
But whoa, whoa, whoa! Could we hold this enthusiasm under
control for awhile? I'm a trifle confused. I'm ready to do
battle anytime, anywhere but there is a significant question
to which I need an answer. Who is the dickens is this
dangerous enemy of the State we are supposed to fight to
death?
Let's list our usual suspects:
* Is it the real estate barons, lovingly nurtured and tended
to by your government bigwigs, who are set to convert Goa
into one giant urban slum? Who is this big enemy of the
State out to defame Goa?
* Or, is it the narcotic and sex mafia, operating with
impunity and blessed by your authorities, who are
converting our precious youth into bedazzled zombies who
are the fantastical "enemies of the State" out to defame
Goa?"
* Or, perhaps it's our cunning casino industry, rocking the
revenues of Goa and then driving individuals to suicidal
bankruptcy who are our elusive "enemies of the State, out
to defame Goa"?
* Or maybe, just maybe, I've stumbled upon the holy grail! It
could be our benevolent illegal mining lobby. They are
digging out our mineral wealth with such rapacious ferocity
to leave indelible scars on our little Goa. So maybe they
are the "enemies of the State out to defame Goa".
* Or, psst... could it be this brazenly invasive stealth
media -- especially electronic -- who are regularly
exposing our carefully masked marts and who are our Dushman
No 1? The stinking garbage in our core is solely our
problem. How dare these drones expose our dark underbelly,
let them focus only on our superficial glitz and glamour.
* Or, hallelujah. It must be those NGO mosquitoes: the GBA,
the GXE, the SVM, the GGRM et al who are making ordinary
people aware of their rights and teaching all of us the
underlying maxim of democracy, "The poorest in the State
have the first claim to her resources." So, I'm sure it
must be these folksy fishermen and farmers, tribals and
taxi drivers; gram sabhawalas and grandmothers who are the
vicious "enemies of the State out to tarnish Goa."
* Or, wink, wink... nudge, nudge... could the needle of
suspicion point towards your own darling ministerial
brothers-in-arms? Does an insurrection against a police
station or a chest-thumping declaration that Goa is the
"rape capital" of India or the filthy sewers of corruption
many of you wall in classify as being enemies of the State.
Or is this -- shiver, shiver -- a breach of priviledge.
* Or, maybe it is all those prize idiots (including yours
truly) who, swayed by your carefully cultivated "nice guy"
image, danced footsie with you, swallowing hollow promises
hook, line and sinker.
* Or, perhaps it is Manohar Parrikar and Aires Rodrigues, Fr
Maverick and Sabina Martins, Damu Naik and Francis D'Souza,
Rajendra Kerkar and Matanhy, who are exposing all your
government's dirty little sins of commission and omission
(more of commission than omission, of course) and sullying
the fair and lovely image of Amchem Goem, who are the real
traitors.
* Or, maybe it is Goa's tiatrists and poets, writers and
thinkers, activists and editors, who have the relentless
courage to confront your administration and governance who
are the merciless "enemies of the State, out to defame
Goa".
So, in sum, Lord Digambara, please, oh please, tell us who is
the REAL, REAL enemy of the State. Please identity
him/her/it.
I am ready with my grandfather's rifle to cross the
illusionary and unnecessary Golden Jubilee bridge to nowhere
and fight in a swashbuckling game of bravado to vanquish all
our foes.
Let reinforcements come from Delhi, the nukes from Russia,
the healthcare for our wounded from Israel and belly dancers
for some R&R from Anjuna. Just give me a call anytime you are
ready, Chief. Meantime, I'm off shopping for a mirror.
[First published in Herald, Dec 23, 2009.]
