WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE margaret mascarenhas
Here we go again Okay, I'd like the BJPgoa website to run that poll again. You know -- the one about how many people think the roads of Goa have improved under the Parrikar government. I guess if the giant crater effect, contrasted with huge protruding manhole constructions, constitutes an 'improvement' in the unique BJP lexicon, then these are the best roads I've ever seen in the history of my residence here. Maybe they mean it in terms of a forced improvement of driving skills, where the objective is to increase the ability of citizens to navigate these roads without breaking their vehicle suspension or their necks in the process. After about a week of rain, 18th June Road was in pieces. I tried a detour on the parallel roads, but they were in pieces too. To the inconvenience of many, the Dhempe College road was closed for months, while workers conducted some complicated-looking drainage work, followed by the construction of a meaningless elevation spanning several metres over their drainage work. This curious hill-thing is now a veritable obstacle course, since it too has broken into pieces. In case you haven't noticed, this is how your tax money is being spent year in and year out, irrespective of the political incumbency. Rumour has it that the Catholic and Hindu Brahmin elite, largely responsible though their high profile BJP advocacy for the re-election of Manohar Parrikar in Panjim, are less than delighted with the current distribution of portfolios, which will necessitate their playing in the sandbox with some very scruffy boys. They are starting to see the big picture. And hey, I get their angst. I too like the idea of having a CM who is not personally corrupt and who is clearly not a mental midget. He's accessible and efficient. (He's also very adept at wooing prominent members of the Catholic community) Personally, I think Manohar Parrikar is the right man in the wrong party. And, at the risk of boring you, I will repeat my earlier mantra: some of you may not endorse the BJP agenda which often smacks of communalism, but you have to acknowledge this: at least they have one. And they pull together behind their man. You don't see them behaving like morons, openly bickering over who gets to lead the party, and trying to undermine one another. And despite my deep depression after seeing Professor Mahale appear on a front page BJP ad during the campaign, the alternatives seem either completely unrealistic (Suraj party) or unpalatable in the extreme (Congress, NCP, MGP, UDGP). Which brings me to another rumour making the rounds: that certain MLAs (four, maybe six) from the Congress are considering jumping ship into the already polluted waters of the BJP bathtub. Whether it's true or not, it's certainly believable, given what we have witnessed over the past ten years, and even the rumour will serve to keep rogue elements with portfolios on their toes. As for the wily Manohar Parrikar, the need to manage yet another precarious coalition will certainly keep HIM on his toes. So, perhaps in end, we will actually have balance. Certainly, if nothing else, we will witness an entertaining balancing act. As an escape tactic, I have decided to immerse myself in fiction writing, and finish at least one of the two books I've been working on. So you'll be hearing from me only intermittently over the next couple of months. But before I disengage from the ugly reality, I am raising a toast to Tarun Tejpal, who, in spite of an unbelievable level of harassment and scant support from the journalistic community in India, has stood his ground with regard to the now infamous Tehelka tapes. Reportedly, counsel for George Fernandes and Jaya Jaitly are now claiming that the voice overs used by Tehelka on the tapes are "disparaging to their clients' reputations". I mean, are they kidding? Who cares about voice overs, when you have the visuals? Fellow journalist Anita Pratap told me recently that as a result of the victimization of Tejpal, many journalists are running scared, fearing the loss of their jobs. This does not bode well for journalism in India. Or, for democracy. And now, just in case the BJPgoa website doesn't run that poll again, let me run it here: how many of you think the roads are better since the BJP came into power in Goa? Feel free to write in with your verdict to every Goan newspaper and website you can think of. And while you're at it, send a few letters to your local municipality department. http://mmascgoa.tripod.com ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ To unsubscribe from Goanews Send a mail message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: 'unsubscribe goanews'
