PANJIMITES AND RIBANDARITES VOTE FOR HONESTY
By Tennyson Xavier Fernandes
A few days ago, Gangadhar working as a security guard at RBL Bank Anna
Nagar branch in Chennai, Tamil Nadu demonstrated that he is a practitioner
of honesty by returning a Rs.500 currency note to the customer who had
dropped it outside the ATM. India is a land of beautiful minds and hearts.
I am sure that there will many more honest sons and daughters of Mother
India like Gangadhar for whom character is the crown of life and honesty is
the crown of character itself.
Recently, while speaking on the floor of the legislative assembly, the
Chief Minister of Goa Manohar Parrikar stated that when he was talking to a
college student some years ago, he made a statement that he does not
believe in honesty as the best policy. When the student was surprised by
his statement, Manohar Parrikar stated that he explained to the student
that since a policy can change, he believes in honesty as the best
principle, as a principle does not change.
The politicians in our country are a mystery. Even after 70 years of our
country’s independence, it is very difficult to understand our politicians.
Our politicians talk of honesty but fail to walk the honesty talk. But
there are a few exceptions. In 1996, in order to win the vote of
confidence, the former Prime Minister of India, Atal Behari Vajpayee could
have easily managed the small deficit of 19 MP’s by offering lucrative
cabinet berths to the independents and other small parties. But Atalji did
not sacrifice honesty at the altar of power. Atalji never compromised on
his principles. Atalji paid the price of being a brand ambassador of
honesty by losing the vote of confidence on the floor of Lok Sabha.
However, Atalji won the confidence of the citizens of India as a great
Indian statesman for whom honesty was the throne of his character.
In March this year the BJP won only 13 seats during the elections held for
the Goa Legislative Assembly but still managed to deviously cobble a
government with the help of Goa Forward, MGP and the independent MLA’s with
Manohar Parrikar being appointed as the Chief Minister. Goa Forward, MGP
and the independents who made very critical statements against the BJP
before the elections, after the elections instantly changed their policy of
alignment and buried their principles for the sole purpose of usurping
Power.
The BJP government has started a lot of cosmetic projects is the city of
Panaji through the GSIDC under the brand name of Atal Mission for
Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT). Manohar Parrikar and the BJP
should have followed the footsteps of the tall and upright statesman of our
country, Atal Behari Vajpayee. Instead of offering lucrative cabinet berths
and gaining the support of the Goa Forward, MGP and the independent MLA’s,
the BJP should have given the Congress party which emerged as the single
largest party by securing 17 seats a chance to form the government in Goa.
Manohar Parrikar easily managed to win the confidence of his onetime great
critics Vijay Sardessai and Rohan Khaunte to form the government, but
winning the confidence of the citizens of the Panaji constituency on 23rd
August will be a mission impossible task. Panaji is the flagship
constituency of Goa and India as the former Union Defence Minister was an
MLA of Panaji. The bye election on 23rd August is an acid test for the
Panjimites and Ribandarites whether they believe in honesty as the best
policy or whether they believe in honesty as the best principle. Real
patriotism is a willingness to challenge the government when it is wrong.
I am sure that on 23rd August, my fellow voters from Panaji and Ribandar
will all step out and silently through the EVM’s demonstrate that they
believe in honesty as the best principle. Let us cast our valuable vote not
for the Congress or the BJP but for honesty as the best principle to
protect the world’s largest democracy. Let us all vote for a very honest
Girish Chodankar.
(The Ribandar based writer is a law student and works as a National
Training Consultant for RBL Bank)
Aires Rodrigues
Advocate High Court
C/G-2, Shopping Complex
Ribandar Retreat,
Ribandar – Goa – 403006
Mobile No: 9822684372
Office Tel No: (0832) 2444012
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