It was a modest report in the NT by Ms. Soma Patnaik that got my attention
to the PPI. The report said that PPI executives were in Goa to scout for
people and that they were euphoric, having met the who is who in Goa.
Any new political party that surfaces up gets our immediate attention.
Therefore with my resources, I had the reporter traced and even got the
mobile number of Mr. R.V. Krishnan, the President of PPI, based in Pune.
When I did get connected to Mr. Krishnan and after a brief introduction, I
asked him who is it that he had met in Goa to be so euphoric about the
prospects of PPI in Goa. Tell me a name or two, I said, so I know. And he
came out with 'Remo's name. Enough, I said. This gives me the entire
spectrum of what is to come. Then I gave him some hard facts about Goa. I
told him about Goa Su-Raj Party and how it has not been able to break the
cold ice. I told him that I was surprised that no one in Goa mentioned to
him that we existed. I told him that our one point agenda is to drive away
the national parties from the sacred soil of Goa because their have been
doing nothing but looting Goa on the double on the one side and trying to
cause communal cauldrom on the other. That if PPI wants to come into the
fray in Goa, than it will have to take note of the above. More so, they will
have to talk to us and get our approval. That, for us to go along with PPI,
we need to know what it is that PPI has as a belt tightening exercise. I
told him that new parties come with lofty ideals but once they taste power,
their tyres get punctured and they remain stand-still.
Krishnan got my attention and we exchanged our websites. [ www.ppi.net.in ]
Then I got the SMS from his colleague asking me to watch the 0900 p.m. show
'mobocracy' on Times Now giving me the date. I did make it a point to watch
this show and was pleased to see Mr. Krishnan in action. This was my SMS to
him after the show "SAW YOU IN ACTION ON TIMES NOW SHOW AND I LIKE YR STYLE.
MORE POWER TO PPI. C U IN GOA 22ND" The fact is that after my initial
contact with Krishnan, I was invited for the presentation and to meet their
delegation at the Margao, at Jardins dos Aliados (UGDP).
Three executive memberss of goasuraj made it a point to attend the 22nd.
meet at Margao [Self, the president Dr. Dume and Adv. Antonio Lobo]. The
presentation was not what we had expected. It was rather a quiz to get smart
answers from children. Hardly a presentation of a national party of
professionals trying to take on the hard-core and fattened politicians. Mr.
Krishnan (though we do not doubt his capability and the drive) came across
as a teacher who teaches eager students and rewards them for a quick answer.
Hardly a temparament for a person leading a fiery national party.
The attendance was not just poor but very poor. Most present were the UGDP
click including Dr. Jorson, Radarao etc. The odd persons present were Jose
Maria Miranda and Anthony Silva from Ambelim and ofcourse one Mr. Kakodkar
who was invited by us. Adv. Anaclet Viegas left within a few minutes of the
start up.
I did raise my hand and ask a question of Mr. Krishnan like a good student
must do.
Mr. Krishnan, I said, I have gone through your website et al but I would
like to know what is the 'belt-tightening' exercises that you have that will
catapult you into the fighting ring? We had another national party called
'LOK PARITRAN' come up to educated us Goans on the need to perform at the
national level. But no sooner did they start, their treasurer walked off
with the some couple of lacs from the party kitty and that the last we have
heard of them. Now you have come. So we want to know what it is that you
have got as the belt tightening exercise. And, I was not quite happy with
the answers I got.
Later, during the brief interaction, I asked Mr. Krishnan how he intended
funding the party's campaign. Did he have the strategy for collection of
funds? The question I had at the back of my mind is "are you going to accept
money from any tom dick and harry? I was not happy at all with his response.
Radarao, for his part, demolished Krishnans' Top-Down theory. He rightly
analysed that in democracy one cannot but proceed from Down to Top.
And that was the only sensible argument that we heard for our trouble to
trek down to Margao all the way.
However, we wish PPI all the very best and we do hope that the professionals
really make a dent.
We have presented to Mr. Krishnan a copy of our Road Map for Goa and our
Party's Constitution.
Cheers
floriano
goasuraj
----- Original Message -----
From: "edward desilva" <guirim...@yahoo.co.uk>
To: <goa...@goanet.org>
Sent: Sunday, March 01, 2009 6:05 AM
Subject: [Goanet] Professionals Party of India (PPI),
Mumbai massacre survivors join new Indian anti-corruption party:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/4886000/Mumbai-massacre-survivors-join-new-Indian-anti-corruption-party.html
"Our leaders are filthy and immoral," said Mr Uledar, 29, a devout
Christian. "Instead of running the country and giving us security, they are
looting it, getting fat from corruption. I want honest people to come in to
give us a new start."
Standing on a platform of professionalism and meritocracy, the new party is
emblematic of a new mood of anger and frustration among India's rapidly
growing middle class, for whom the new dynamism in the economy is lacking
sorely in the political sphere.
Comprising doctors, executives, academics and other professionals from all
religious backgrounds, it promises to cleanse what is frequently described
as an Augean Stables of sleaze and graft within India's parliament. A
quarter of its sitting members are either convicted of or facing criminal
charges, including serious offences such as embezzlement, rape and murder.
This week a former cabinet minister, Sukh Ram, was jailed for three years in
New Delhi for corruptly amassing a fortune of 40 million rupees (£500,000).
But in general it is rare for such cases to end in punishment.
He argues that if Indians can head multinational companies like Citibank and
PepsiCo, there is no reason why talented professionals with the necessary
expertise cannot govern India in the same way.
I want everyone to know that solutions to our problems are available," he
said.. "If India can have just one parliament of honest, clean, qualified
professionals, we can be a developed nation in five years."
The party even has the blessing of its more established rivals, who
sometimes accuse India's professional classes of being aloof from politics.
Ravi Shankar Prasad, spokesman, BJP: "I welcome the party," said Ravi
Shankar Prasad, spokesman for the Bharatiya Janata Party.
"Instead of criticising from the sidelines, it's good that activists,
intellectuals and professionals want to enter politics. What the party's
impact will be, how knows?"
