The heavy drizzle pattered down, but it did not
"rain on our parade" and halt it in any way. The
66th Republic Day Parade of India went through
beautifully, complete with airshow and motorcycle
acrobatics. The only negative was the ghastly Goa
float. If they were looking for bombs, this had to
be it. The Goa float bombed fair and square. The
dancers looked bedraggled, the poor things must
have been freezing; there was no live music band,
and instead of the usual three-part float, there
was one miserable segment with a giant ugly-as-sin
crab taking pride of place.
------
CRAB MENTALITY most apt for the shenanigans that goes into
throwing merit out of the mix.
View all photos at:
http://www.targetgoa.com/goabuzzdet.php?bzid=6643&&id=3
------
Why are most Goans disgusted at the sight of the Goa float?
Because Goa's float used to be the preserve of one man --
Francisco Martins, also known as Fanquito. For some reason
the BJP decided he had had enough of his day in the sun and
it was time to give someone else a chance. As usual there
was politics at play in the choice of float design. Of course
it was also a matter of almost a crore of public money.
In January 2012 Francisco Martin's float won the 1st prize
among the states as it had many times before. In March 2012
the BJP stormed into power in Goa and Manohar Parrikar became
Chief Minister. In December 2012 when Francisco Martins sent
in his design to be sent as Goa's entry to the screening
committee in Delhi, his design was held back and a design
made by S Khedekar, Vice Chairman of Kala Academy was sent
instead. Khedekar, let it be pointed out, has in the past
designed floats for Goa and won the second prize.
------
FRANCISCO MARTINS 1ST PRIZE FLOAT OF 2012 - THE LAST TIME HE
PARTICIPATED. Those vibrant colours of 2012 and that golden
sun was badly needed in today's grey weather.
------
The R-Day parade screening committee in Delhi sent the design
back asking for it to be improved. It was improved and sent
back and it was rejected. For the first time Goa, which had
won the first prize the previous year, did not even qualify
for 2013.
In December 2013 when artists were asked to submit designs
and quotes for the R-Day Parade of 2014 an angry Francisco
Martins decided not to send in a design. He did not send a
design for the 2015 Republic Day parade either. Instead, we
the people of Goa paid out Rs 98 lakh for this -- thing.
The only Goa smiling when he saw the float was the
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. It was a brave
smile considering that he set in systems in Goa
that shut persons like Francisco Martins out from
places that matter. Have a look at the last Goa
float designed and set up by Francisco Martins in
the 63rd Republic Day Parade in 2012.
It's right and fitting that a godawful giant crab should be
the pièce de resistance of the 2015 Goa float. It brings out
the crab mentality that ends up destroying merit in Goa.
------
The front of the 2012 float (top) and the rear portion of the
same float (bottom)
------
http://www.targetgoa.com/goabuzzdet.php?bzid=6643&&id=3
