Now with the GPCC declaring its support for government grants to English medium
schools at the primary level, there can be no doubt that the anti-Congress
league will be left with no choice but to oppose and discredit the policy. As
the konkani saying goes, "Bhikareak khoim bhikareachi nosai". So is the case
with political parties. The judgement of any policy depends on which political
party will benefit in terms of votes and in some cases even money. The policy
decision to hike MLAs and MPs salaries and other perks is bound to go down as
an extremely popular decision that will go unopposed and even without a debate.
It just takes a couple of seconds to propose and pass the hike. The policy to
give immunity to elected representatives from ythe judiciary will definitely go
unopposed.
But when it comes to benefits for the aam admi the response will depend on
which political group is going to gain in terms of votes. Giving 33%
reservation to women in Parliament and Assembly is as blasphemous as Government
Grants to English medium schools, particularly diocesan. Any policy meant to
take way the powers and potential money spinner opportunities of elected
representatives can never be democratic. So will it be the case with devolution
of powers to civil society in governance.
The MoI controversy is exactly this. Political interests are at stake and
opportunities need to be created for enticing the voters. Several issues were
raked up in the last one year but nothing has clicked with the aam admi. The
Church has remained non-committal. That is the primary cause of heart burn one
is witnessing in the MoI debate. The anti-Congress league desperately need an
issue to drum up electoral frenzy.
The communal fringe that appends itself to this controversy is about
opportunism and nuisance. It is not the question about appeasement of
Salcettcars, Bardezcars or Tiswadcars, it is about the Congress getting
advantage in terms of votes. The anti-Congress league needs to keep its rank
and file intact and the only way to ensure this is to engage it in agitation by
drumming up an emotional frenzy. The sore point for a sizeable constituency of
Goans, though it is vehemently denied in public, is the propsect of some lesser
community dictating policy to the government. The policy of the state must be
dictated by the majority and voluntarily endorsed by the children of the lesser
Gods. If not, it means an insult to the big brother and a sign of being
anti-national. This is all casteism in a new avatar, recycled junk. Old habits
die hard.
