Curses come home to roost. The Ponjekars relaxed while the Panaji-based Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited undertook projects all over Goa. Now GSIDC Ltd. has come down to the home turf: cutting 'old' trees in the 'old' GMC compound, demolishing buildings, changing the classification of land, converting old 'heritage' sites into new 'real estate', cloning the new Patto bridge[ albeit 'in' the river, not 'across' it!], demolishing the 'old' football stadium at Campal and trodding rough-shod over the sentiments of the 'old' people living with old memories of a quaint old tow that was Panjim. Ha-ji, it is now Panaji.
Celine Dion of the 'Titanic fame sings the following lines" When you want the most,there is no easy way out.....When you question me over simple actions, I do not know what to say..." It is a refrain that the GSIDC and the state Government seem to have adopted. Like the Backstreet Boys they seem to say, "But I want it that way!" The people of Goa...you and I...may have our aspirations echoed in the words of the very same Backstreet Boys when they sing, " I don't care who you are ,where you are from, what you do ...as long as you love me." Ditto for the trees, the birds and the bees. To many souls like me, it is a hope that things will come back to normal, that this 'bhooth' of four-laning the Dayanand Bandodkar Marg that possessed the Goa Government a year before the Goa IFFI was even conceived, will be exorcised in the election booths of Panaji Assembly segment. No , not by voting for Dr.Willy[except for those who would vote for him anyway] but by voting to help an inconsequential candidate to save face, if not his deposit. Let the MLA of Panaji, who is the Chairman of the Infrastructure Corporation, know that the electorate cannot be taken for granted. That, though the electorate is not asking for his recall or wanting to displace any particular candidate, it can send a message that it is not too pleased with the dictatorial attitude. It will depend on the Ponjekars, if they feel strongly about the city, to send the message. TOGETHER FOR PANJIM. If not, let them not cry hoarse in the streets or indulge in the backroom whispers. To borrow a phrase from my friend Ethel, 'Be ready to stand up to what you believe in'... and be counted by the EVMs.Do not sleep at home on 26 April and consider it a 'protest'...go out and vote. Its now a countdown to the counting on 12 May. A poor show in Panaji will be as clear a message as a good showing in Salcete. No party should take the electorate for granted. Let the political parties in Goa sing with Roxette, " It must have been love, but its over now..... It's where the water flows; it's where the wind blows....but I lost it somehow." MGP has learnt its lesson the hard way. No point going soft on the others. Perform or perish. We can then sing with Bon Jovi, " It's my life; it's now or never. I ain't going to live forever. It's my life!" Viva Goa. Miguel --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.543 / Virus Database: 337 - Release Date: 11/22/2003 ########################################################################## # Send submissions for Goanet to [EMAIL PROTECTED] # # PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), and avoid top-posts # # More details on Goanet at http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ # # Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to reflect respect to others # ##########################################################################
