I happened to bump into Girish Chadonkar a year or less ago. I recognized the newly-appointed Congress Party Goa President from his photo as he appeared often for several months in the newspapers.
I took the opportunity to introduce myself. My name didn't ring a bell but a few bells did go off in my mind, and in my ears, too. It was a brief conversation but I remember this part well: "The old leaders of the Congress have to go," I said. "Otherwise, the Congress will have to go." "Very true," was his reply. I hope he will not regret his words as he merely agreed with an obvious, axiomatic statement. But can the Congress Party Chief in Goa a year later ask the old leaders to pack their bags? Has the scenario changed? We all know how the Congress failed to form the government in Goa because there was in-fighting as to the choice of the Chief Minister. It was the all-important issue for every elected Congress MLA. It has been said often enough if there are a dozen elected Congress MLAs there will be a baker's dozen to claim the Chief Minister's chair. And, again, it was the same old story. That is the magic of the Congress Party in Goa. Meanwhile, the BJP swooped down and claimed the majority, formed the government, and secured the Chief Minister's chair. A lot of people in India were surprised at the disregard of parliamentary procedure, and flouting of democratic principles. Since then, after what happened in Karnataka, it was the BJP who got a big surprise and it was the people who were surprised that the BJP showed surprise. The people continued to be surprised, and began to feel strange, as though democracy and democratic institutions did not exist in India previously. It was a confusing time, indeed. Are there going to be any more surprises, as it appears as though ethics and moral principles are dead and buried deep into the earth, and almost anything is acceptable in politics today. I hope not as my blood pressure can't take any more of it. Anyway, to get back on track, can the Congress oldies ride into the sunset with an air of dignity? After all, they have been around for too long in politics and it is time for a well-earned rest. Do they want to become a roadblock in their old age? Haven't they made enough of a mess of Goa in the past? The BJP continues to give Goans what we do not want! If you ask for a 5-metre road you will have great difficulty getting it. Try asking for a 20-metre road and your answer and gift will arrive before the end of the year. That is the way it is in Goa today. Government is Santa Claus, only better. Big roads, big bridges, big buildings. For Goans? Wake up, please, and smell the caju fenny. Of course it is for the moneybags from all over India and the world. Everybody loves Goa, everybody wants to invest in Goa. What's wrong with it? If Goa is too small a state, go vertical. Follow the leader Singapore, Macao or Las Vegas. Why not? Everything has an angle to it no matter how innocent it may appear on the surface; a beach, a hill or a plateau. Take a closer look and you will be in for a surprise. Never mind sustainable development; sadly, governments are in too much of a hurry to notice environmental damage. That is a problem for future generations. They will have to wrestle with it. The job of government is to promote development and, anyway, we who are living today will all be dead when the problem arrives! So, why all the fuss and paranoia? New wine in old bottles? The old corrupt political bodies and minds have promised Goans in the past the world. They have failed miserably to deliver the goods again and again. Which is not to say they have not prospered and become wealthy themselves. No corruption in mining we are told! Really? Everyone who was involved in mining for years knows there was a great amount of corruption by both governments. Thousands of people know it first hand and have benefitted from it. But here's the clincher: no proof means there is no corruption. Can Girish Chodankar bring in new blood with new bodies too? Not without a little help from his friend Rahul Gandhi. And, let's not forget, new minds with some creative thinking skills to bring the Goan economy out of the morass it has sunk into and, sinking deeper… Is Girish Chadonkar the man for the job?