By Bosco de Sousa Eremita
PANAJI, Goa (SAR) -- A Redemptorist priest has ratified a Goan Catholic legislator's move to support the ousted Bharatija Janta Party (BJP) government, stating that his action is in the "right direction".
Father Desmond de Souza, former executive secretary of the Office for Human Development of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC) said, "After the Congress government, which has been useless (over the years), any government ought to be given a chance".
The BJP-led government was dismissed by Governor S C Jamir, a Christian, on Feb. 2 after some 20 plainclothes policemen evicted a member from the Goa Legislative Assembly seconds before confidence vote.
The eviction was seen as a manipulative effort to win the trust vote after the BJP was reduced to a minority.
The state which has been under Congress for over 17 years has witnessed "lethargic progress" in comparison to dramatic infrastructure development during the BJP-led government's four years.
However, with the BJP assuming power, communal strife also made a mark in the state.
Father De Souza who has been active in public movements for decades and supported several public causes initiated by Saldanha, said that Saldanha's earlier declaration of extending "issue-based support" to BJP was agreeable to him, but several months later when Saldanha joined the government as a cabinet member, he was unhappy.
"I was unhappy with that development because once you are with the government you cannot criticize it."
The support by Saldanha to the BJP has irked the 1.3 million Catholics of the state who feel that their legislator has let them down.
The BJP-led government has over the years been instrumental in sidelining the catholic community for jobs, promotions, even had attempted to cancel Good Friday as public holiday.
The government also brought out a controversial VCD on Goa's freedom struggle, where Catholic priests were projected as members of a mafia group, who were instrumental in destroying Hindu temples in the name of Inquisition.
The state was under colonial Portugal (1510-1961). Centuries of western influence have prompted the BJP to force "Hindu thinking" amongst primary schools students.
During its regime it handed over 50 primary government schools to Hindu groups, including the RSS, the fundamentalist arm of the Hindus.
The priest who has known Saldanha at close quarters said that even though Saldanha failed to be critical of the government on several pressing issues in the Legislative Assembly, he worked silently with a personal approach with the chief minister and got several issues resolved "including revoking cancellation of Good Friday as public holiday."
He said, Saldanha's support to BJP was justified because the Congress were discredited.
Refering to the attack on Christain institutions by Hindu fundamentalists, the priest pointed out that a clear link of Hindu fundamentalists forces working against the Catholics, with the backing of the chief minister, could not be clearly established, except for the production of the controversial VCD.
"It's like blaming the Bishop for an individual priest doing something. Above all, the BJP government was not rabidly communal after the Catholics, and in such a situation Matanhy's decision to support the BJP is safe".
He said, Saldanha was not elected as a Christian representative to defend Catholic community, rather to do good for his people.
"I think we ought not to look at him as a Catholic but as a person there to ensure that justice is done for the welfare of the entire state".
He said, Saldanha has ensured that the draft of the Domestic Worker's Bill is forwarded to BJP legislators for perusal, despite the fact that he is against non-locals.
