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GOA NET WORLD REACTS GoaNOW got in touch with goanetters around the world, for their reaction to what is happening in Goa today. None of the comments have anything positive to say about Goa's avaricious politicians. Goan NRIs are not in maimdhes Goa personally, but they do feel the effect of even the slightest disturbances back home, where live their parents and relatives, where they maintain their ancestral homes or where they have invested their little savings, to ensure a contented evening of life in the land of their birth. Being away from home, they are sometimes more disturbed or agitated than Goans, who live in Goa. Please read on: The rapid changes in Goa's political landscape can be
attributed to the greed for power. Unless the political
egos of some of the key players are satisfied Goa will
continue to experience political turbulence. The BJP's
newest thrust of forming the government will definitely
not be the last of the events Goans are likely to see.
The political scenario is depressing, to say the
least. Goan politicians by and large do not care for the
needs or feelings of a well-meaning electorate. They
manage to beguile the people at the time of the
elections knowing fully well that they will not be able
to keep their promises once elected. The reasons are
many: powerful lobbies outside the government that call
the shots; the inability of elected representatives to
watch others enriching themselves while they miss out;
the prevailing equations between the Hindus and
Christians in various fields, and the fluid national
political scene. The people deserve a stable government
and enlightened forces in the state must bring constant
pressure to bear on elected representatives. Besides
anti-defection laws need to be more stringent. One needs
to bear in mind, too, that though Goa is politically for
Goans, many from outside the State and country have an
important stake in it and can help swing it in other
directions. The fast changing governments in Goa seem to indicate
the capacity of Goans to play democratic game better
than many other countries or states! Democracy is an
imported institution, and originated with business class
that sought to defend its interests by presenting them
as "national" interests! I presume the
originality of the democracy is respected by the Goan
politicians better than elsewhere! I am not trying to be
sarcastic at all. Sunneachi xempddi vankddi ti
vankddich . I
am really fed up with the Aya-Ram Gaya-Ram record track
of the Goa Government, since the liberation. It started
with the Bandodkar Government, when a couple of United
Goans M.L.A.s joined the M.G. party, swapping their
dirty "Hath" for a wild "Shinv".
Later the United Goans became Congress in part and some
MGs joined Congress and vice-versa, and now it's
anybody's guess. But I still blame the people of Goa for
constantly electing the same hoodlums. Now instead of
government, people should fall on election
day. It is a good thing my Italian room-mate has not found
out about this. I used to tease him about how the
Italian government would change every few months. I
guess the joke is on us now. Maybe it is not a bad thing
having these guys in and out of government. Perhaps if
they stayed in government long enough they might
actually have time to
cause real damage. These politicians need to be exposed.
A summary of each politician's various political affiliations (political
disloyalties is more like it) should be made available.
This way those particular politicians, who switch
loyalties for short term gains, can be exposed and
booted out. Goa is definitely in shambles with politicians
defecting, and scrambling for a "Khissa Khursi
Ka". Definitely our dear Goan citizens must be
literally fed-up with such changes. It means that there
is no value for our voters who vote for trustworthy
politicians, who just end up their careers as good
politicians because of their greed for power. As an NRI,
what more can we offer but our condolences to such dirty
politics and politicians. NRIs can do a lot for the
development in Goa, but with this kind of politics, they
are losing their trust and will refrain from developing
Goa due to changes in governance. It can really be said
that in Goa PROGRESSIVE POLITICIANS is not the key word
but SUSEGAD POLITICIANS. The present political mess in Goa confirms that the
inmates continue to run the asylum. Regrettably, there
appears no concern that the public interest be served,
only personal vested interests rule. The lack of
integrity is two fold: first among politicians which is
apparent and obvious, but secondly, and equally
important, among the public who passively absorb the
political climate in Goa with little or no protest while
Goa goes down the drain. Mere complaints about the state
of affairs are not enough, widespread action demanding
good and honest governance is what is immediately
needed. Peaceful street protests and civil disobedience
measures are the need of the hour to bring about real
change. But alas, the sussegad Goan mentality
ensures that the circus will continue and repeat itself
indefinitely. As long as there is no accountability to the people,
the state or the country, these politicians will keep on
switching alliances for personal favors. It is about
time that we evaluate what democracy has meant for Goa
in the last ten years. With a meaning of nothing, we
must end this failed experiment and move towards a
different style of government, where the people are
served first, and not the MLAs. In Goa, I feel, there is no proper political system.
The government must have a correct system in place, then
it needs to be in control of that system. The present
political system instead of working together is working
against each other. If Goa does not have a stable
government then we cannot expect progress and growth.
Who suffers in the end are the people. Of course, I do
not blame the govt. We have to be blame ourselves for
electing them. The Goan people do not deserve what it is
getting from the politicians. I also feel we do not have
a good opposition party. Personally, I do not expect
anything from the present or near future for the
betterment and good governance. The current solution
perhaps could be that if all the NRG' (Non resident
Goans start some sort of a virtual govt. fundamentally
the government's basic function is to protect its
borders and increase its economic growth. Privatising
all industries and encouraging competition is the
primary method of sustaining healthy
growth. The people of Goa elected their representatives in a
democratic way, a long time back. This whole process of
internal coups started in 1998 with Dr. Willy. The
internal coup led by Dr. Willy was successful. What goes
around comes around. He set a dangerous precedent and
the Governor allowed it at the time. In hindsight, I
think it might have been better to dissolve the
government and go through the expense of an election.
This would act as a deterrent to other pretenders. Now
it is very easy - and cheap - to become a Chief Minister
and the people of Goa are paying a heavy price. The
Governor should put a stop to this practice and say that
from now on when there is a vote of "no
confidence" the government will be dissolved and
fresh elections held. Let these politicians be publicly
seen to bankrupt the exchequer. This will stop all this
mischief by the unscrupulous, unprincipled and over
ambitious politicians who want to deny the people of Goa
a say on who they want as Chief Minister. From an NRI
point of view, the politicians of Goa hold no
credibility and are really the laughing stock of India
and others around the world. I would favour a period of
"direct rule" from the centre for a period
until such time as fresh elections can be called. If Goa
wants to attract investment in Goa the political
environment needs to be stable. Investors in Goa, like
myself, fear that what is a "yes" by today's
government could become a "no" by tomorrow's
government, e.g. the flip-flop decisions on building
private power generation plants. This is a sure way to
scare off foreign investment. The current situation in Goa is not surprising given
the fact that the Sardinha government was a splinter
group itself. Politics in Goa stinks and something has
to be done to rid our beautiful state of this malaise.
With frequent changing government, people like us abroad
have nothing to look forward to. Sometime last year,
Joaquim Alemao, who was contesting the Lok Sabha seat,
was in Dubai, where I interviewed him. He informed me
that the then chief minister was due to visit the UAE in
November last to do something for the NRGs. But what
happened, Luizinho did not last that long as CM and once
again our hopes were down in the dumps. We need a real
long stint of President's rule. Fragile governments
cannot last long. So why have a government at
all? How many more collapses of government will it take
the people of Goa to send a strong message to their
politicians that enough is enough? With each toppling of
the ruling coterie the welfare of Goa is set back by at
least five years. Have the politicians no regard at all
for their tax payers' interests? I shall strongly
support a boycott of the next Goan politician who visits
Canada. The present state of Goan politics is a direct
consequence of the lack of motivation, principles and
true values of Goan politicians. Truly elected
politicians should stay in their parties for a full term
and abide by their manifesto, and should not just jump
at the first opportunity they get to become ministers,
ignoring their electorate's wishes and anyone else for
that matter...for their personal greed is placed above
anything that they were elected for. The ultimate
tragedy is that too many changes in a state Government
result into unfulfilled policies and subsequently poor
development of the state, which in its turn will mean
poor prosperity of its people and its economy. More
stringent anti-defection laws should be introduced in
the state because defection is the root cause of the
political instability in Goa
governments. Since Ideology is not the forte of the present day
Legislators of Goa, they might consider enacting a law
limiting the number of times a legislator can cross
floor in a month. This will ensure their credibility
vis-a-vis the electorate. President's rule is not a
solution to the present problem. Let BJP form the
government if it is able to. People must judge its
performance until 2-3 of its supporters decide to defect
again. Meanwhile, ordinary citizens must initiate a
process of identifying their future representatives and
ensure choice of good candidates by each party. It will
help to undertake a systematic analysis of the
background, track record and future plans of each
hopeful and ask him/her to seek approval of candidature
by the party supporters before nomination. Goa with its
educated and enlightened population is in the best
position to be a pioneer in the country in initiating
this process. As an NRI and with fantastic coverage we get on Goa
politics, courtesy the Goanet, I have to say that we
Goans are being taken for a ride. The tragic part is we,
the common people, can do nothing about it. It's no more
what the Goan people want! But its how much the
politicians can pocket/gain. Most politicians barring a
few, are greedy. Over the 7 to 8 governments that have
come into effect and eventually fallen, a novel could be
written on the promises each one has given. I have a
long way to go. Wonder how many Goa Governments and Goa
Chief Ministers I'll come across. Another government collapse coming at a juncture when
the hounds are at the gates, does not bode well for Goa.
The ruins of the political mindset are revealing that
the politicians are once again playing chaturang
where the stakes are the minds, lives and souls of its
people. Goa politics but not the Goan people deserve
what they are getting. The nature of Goan politics is a
governance that excludes the desires of its people. This
is stunning considering the reputation that the Goan has
for being a person of basic integrity, civility and
decency. The political edifice needs restructuring and,
sadly, I can only say so much from afar. And it hurts
terribly. I feel that Goans are being sold out by their
own. Also, the references to churches being built on
earlier temples true as they most certainly will be,
reeks of an insidious campaign to ignore the peaceful
co-existence that Goans have dwelled in contemporary
times. This is something that few parts of India can
boast of. The political firmament has allowed these
ideas to gain credence by its refusal to attack
them. The electorate is equally to be blamed at par with
those elected. It's a murder of democracy, with the
numerous fractions and manipulations at regular
intervals to the whims and fancy of the MLAs! Every
year, one CM for a less than 2.5 million populace--this
appears to be a 'scam' and a mockery scenario. From the
NRI point of view, the game of playing musical chairs
played by Goan MLAs in not conducive to the welfare as
well as 'investments' poured in by Goans worldwide in
the State of Goa. It is proved beyond doubt that
personal ambition of MLAs plays important role than
service to the electorate. I like to believe in the innate goodness of human
beings but every time our leaders do this my beliefs are
called into question. This nonsense will continue until
the system is altered drastically. A good start can be
made by tackling the basics. Figure out a way to reduce
the size of the legislature. Make the numbers
manageable. Is it too late for this? We have had this present bunch of all sorts of
elements calling themselves leaders but they have been
leading Goa to disaster by their hopping around with
incompatible partners for their own personal benefits.
There has not been any substantial changes in
development in Goa due to the continuous changes in
governments and their respective policies. The
infrastructure in Goa has been in disastrous conditions
with no proper planning for the future. Yes, they cannot
plan for the future, when they are not sure of their own
political survival for the present. Whatever they say,
other than very selfish motives, there is no
justification for their switching partners every quarter
of the year. Goa is very rich in all resources –
human and natural, but the relative gains we can
accumulate are lost due to faulty planning and unwise
actions of these "unholy alliances" which fall
apart twice a year if not more. Goa deserves a much
better breed of politicians who will be sincere to the
tasks and live up to the expectations of Goans in Goa
and all over the world. All NRI Goans look for stability
in the state for their savings and investment. Wishing
Goa and all Goans the best under these trying
circumstances. The changing political scene in Goa is viewed with a
mixture of mirth and contempt. The analogy that springs
to mind is a children's nursery school where a recurrent
activity is the game of musical chairs. I, for one, find
it difficult to understand the nature of the problems.
Why cannot Goa produce a single selfless, dedicated and
caring political leader? The current political scene of Goa is very
disturbing, especially for NRI individuals planning to
return home. Goa has ranked to the top of the list for
changing governments in recent years. This act has also
made GOA disappear from the Investor's list. This act of
betrayal will not only discourage the locals but the
NRI's as well. Goans from the Gulf are now shifting in
big numbers to countries like Canada/Australia/New
Zealand. The reason being none other than the political
instability in the State and poor living conditions.
Goans willing to settle back home expect a normal life
and it is the duty of these elected members to protect
the rights of Goans. Will Goa ever be a better place to
live in? Such scenarios of power grabbing will invariably
continue, for as long as Goa's elected
representatives look after their own selfish vested
interests. It is a frustrating experience for NRI Goans
to see their aspirations for Goa jinxed by the
thoughtless and incorrigible Governments that Goa has
had during these past years. The large NRI Goan populace
provides Goa huge revenues by way of foreign currency
remittances. It's a shame that successive Goa
Governments lacked the vision to capitalize on this
valuable resource and use it as a means to improve
Goa's poor infrastructure. The current political
state of affairs in Goa, is a mockery and insult to the
face of the Goan electorate, which is largely educated.
Goa ineluctably requires a change from the status quo,
and a good solid governance at its helm, to bring about
prosperity and tranquility to Goa and Goans. Goa's
Government must have a long-term vision, a resolute
mission, and concrete goals, for Goa to ride on the
waves of cutting-edge technology and industry, in a
pollution free environment. Goa and Goans do not deserve this shabby type of a
political circus. This is not a government, this is more
like a disgraceful merry-go-around. No honourable person
would stoop so low. Most of the Goan politicians of
today have no interest of Goa nor its people. It is a
shame. I am sure they can not say that they are
"Proud to be Goans". On my part, I am not
proud to be associated with this breed of Goans, who are
not honest to themselves. The political situation in Goa is a "SPITTING
CONTEST"? The one who's spit does not dry wins.
This is one way I have viewed the situation. Each of
these political conglomorates have gathered fellow Goans
to see whose spit does not dry. Looks like none of these
Politically Incorrect fellows have any strong
"Enyme" in their being. What does it tell you,
us, me, him, we and the rest? Goa or the Indian
Government should seriously consider sending incumbent
political heroes with all their zero's for a course in
Public Policy and Government. In a couple of weeks I
will once again vote for a new president of the United
States of America, I have taken great pride in being an
Asian American, democracy works here in the US of A. The
Electoral commission of India should come with a
mandatory solution for the current political situation
in Goa. Any country gets the politicians it deserves as the
free vote is in the hand of the people and they should
place their vote carefully and were it will be
trusted. Notwithstanding several efforts by responsible Goan
citizens, the political machinery is in a shambles. The
latest surreptitious move by the BJP to take over the
reigns of Goa government is a disgrace. Responsible
citizens should awaken to the clarion call for unity,
especially in view of the despicable RSS agenda, which
is evidently against the Constitution. It damages
India's reputation among the comity of
nations. I really feel disgusted the way things are going on
in Goa, specially in politics. Why can't we have a
stable majority government that can run its full term
and even get re-elected? We are yet to see this trend in
the last 10 years and I feel that the problem lies with
the voters and politicians alike. We have had the same
brand of politicians circling around us and I personally
feel, we should invite and encourage more of our honest
Goans and new parties like the Su-Raj party to get
involved. Come on Goans, lets wake up and get rid of
these old politics and politicians and welcome some new
ideas and new commitments with Goanness and its future
in mind. |