No thunderstorms likely this session eugene correia W ith the monsoon session of the Assembly to begin, one cannot expect many thunderstorms. The Congress, in the garb of Opposition, is in disarray.
The long- time and high- profile members of this old and time- honoured party are going berserk. The party is limping, if not already down to crawling, as the innerparty travails doesn’t seem to reflect well. The parliamentary democracy isn’t moving the way it should. There’s no Opposition per se. In such a scenario the government is free to use its machinery as it pleases. Whatever little noises one hears now or will hear when the Assembly sits, will be from some of those who will get a chance to make their voices heard. The Congress seems bent on streamlining its process and put the party on the road to recovery. Its president, John Fernandes, former Rajya Sabha MP, has been given the mantle to tame this unruly beast by whipping it as bests as he can. It’s one thing to discipline a runaway organization that had its wheel fallen off during the last assembly as well as parliamentary elections because of the autocratic nature of its seasoned MLAs, ministers and office- bearers. For John to bring it under his control and manage those who show scant respect to it as a political body of note and significance and one that has served the state in whatever meaningful way is a tall order. Try as he may, he’s bound to find the going tough, nay almost impossible, to bring those facing anti- party charges to face the music. The Bharatiya Janata Party repossessed power in the last elections. In a political battle, every party wants to gain power. The BJP cashed on the mis- steps of the Congress government and the misdoings of some of its Congress leaders. The chaotic management of state affairs and the scams that sprouted from certain departments and the sloppy handling of such cases became the cause célèbre for the BJP. The BJP rightly hammered the mis- management policies of the government and drove home the point that Goa is suffering under the Congress rule. The BJP juggled the political process to its advantage. The alignment with some small parties and independent candidates neatly pushed the Congress to the outer edges of public opinion. The winning of Salcete through overt or covert support to candidates who seemed easy prey to be trapped in the BJP net was a political coup. Once the Catholic vote in South Goa was compromised, half the battle was won. The other half was duly accomplished at the hustings. Blaming the Congress for all the ills that is plaguing Goa now isn’t the answer to the problems the state is facing. No doubt the ban on illegal mining, which went on unabated from the BJP first rule and then transported itself to the Congress regime, and the time it’s been taking to resume mining, yes legal mining, are responsible factors in Goa facing financial distress. It’s good that the BJP came to power at the Centre and there’s help at hand for Goa to march ahead. The Centre’s aid in building another bridge over River Zuari is welcome and also the Goa government’s desire to have a ropeway over the River Mandovi. It’s undeniable that mining is the pillar of Goan economy, as Parrikar emphazied recently as if Goans have been suffering from amnesia, and that tourism is the second pillar that holds up Goan economy. Together, they serve as grease to the wheels of Goan economy is a fait accompli. But the way these two streams that fuel the economy is abused is a matter of great concern. Here the government should ascertain its power, instead of its ministers giving philosophical diktats on “ bikinis” and “ pub culture”. Tourism, as the team that went to Brazil, may have seen is almost identical in sea and sand countries. Goa’s harping on medical and heritage tourism is like a pie- in- the- sky proposition. However, Parrikar needs to remember that it was he who wanted illegal mining to stop. Unfortunately, mining in totality got rutted in the miasma. True, mining cannot be done away with, but it’s also true that the industry work within the constraints of rules and regulations to sustain and develop the mining sector and, at the same time, help in preventing or controlling the likely damage to the environment. When all the factors are counted in and mining resumes on clean tracks, Goa will breathe again the fresh air instead of the foul air polluted by mining. It’s sad and unfortunate that mining- effected people are undergoing hardships. But short- term pain is long- term gain. There’s rainbow overhead. In the absence of mining, the government should have devoted its energies and efforts to fast- forward its tourism plans, though one is aware that tourism has been playing its part. In the light of what happening in this sector, the tourism department’s tagline, kenna fast, kenna slow. This “ kenna” metaphor is unsound. It helps in resounding the word that Goans have been stereotyped with, and which has lost its significance and value in this age and time, “ susegado.” Goans want to shed this tag off its back and, shockingly, the tourism tagline reinforces such an attitude. Kenn reverse, kenna forward, that’s how tourism currently works. It’s the government attitude that’s questionable, no doubt in its tourism propaganda or its foreign jaunts to ministers and MLAs. The much- learned report from the team to the World Cup on tackling traffic problems, that even Brazil couldn’t handle and Pele was helplessly stuck in the jam and missed large part of a match. The government ignored the people’s chorus on the foolishness to send the team, though it was for all known purposes a payoff for favours rendered to the BJP for winning the parliamentary elections. This Parrikar action is nothing but carea- damn slap on the face of the Goan people, for he’s going to do what he wants with his godfather sitting in Delhi with as much little opposition as Parrikar has in Goa. The Opposition is struggling to shape up and Parrikar is his own boss, and the two will take its position on the opposite sides of the Assembly fence. There’s the scenario in the offing. Hopefully, the Brazil- returned MLAs have learnt tactical moves to bypass rival tackles and score goals. On the other hand, the people will go about their business, making usual noises along with opinionwriters and sultry political parties. ( Eugene Correia worked for The Hindu and the Free Press Journal.)