Political Gymnastics

(Published in the Herald of 27/07/2013) Political Gymnastics SOTER D’SOUZA The candid admission of the Goa Chief Minister that the Rs 150 crore of revenue generated by the State from casinos is too precious for the government to stop the gambling activity immediately perhaps comes as a slap on the face of ‘parivartan’ fans. In over a year now, Goa has witnessed several flip-flops by the government on contentious issues. What was detrimental to the well-being of Goan society in the run-up to the 2012 Assembly poll has now apparently become a necessity for economic survival of the State. But these twists and turns are nothing new. Goans had experienced such a phase during the 2000-04 period too. Politicians actually believe that public memory is short, and that public gullibility and vulnerability to enticements finally wins them the race. The day seems not far when Goans may also be told that there are thousands of locals whose livelihoods depend on the drug and sleaze trade and obviously the need for more thugs (bouncers) for the smooth conduct of such activity! That all receipts from such trades also contribute to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the State due to which development can be taken up, may even be an economistic logic bought into by many. We see such a justification in regards to the rampant illegal mining activity which lured Goans into the madness of making a fast buck by discarding their sustainable livelihood options, thus giving rise to a tribe which now goes under a label of ‘Mining Dependent Goans’ (MDP). This is something similar to the ‘Chemical Dependents’ who want that fix at any cost. So, ultimately, parameters for the protection of the Environment and Social Health get determined by the quantum of craving or greed (call it what you like) for more money and luxurious living that politicians have succeeded in cultivating in a section of Goan society. This politically cultivated segment of educated illiterates sees sustainable development as regression and devastation as development. It is this same segment of society that will then scream against corruption, crimes against women and thefts. After joining the rat race to make a quick buck, this so-claimed educated class seems to forget Newton’s Third Law of Motion which states: “Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.” In other words, a society that breeds immorality through promotion of vices can only be expected to inherit a morally bankrupt society which does not respect law and the rights of fellow human beings. Religious scriptures and history warns us that an economy which thrives on vices and licentiousness can only pave the path to self-destruction. More U-turns from the government can be expected and it always has an “Emergency Exit” to distract and confuse the public from its shortcomings. No sooner the government’s image begins to look irretrievable, it will be quick to declare that all this dirty baggage has been inherited from years of Portuguese colonialism, Congress misrule and the dangers of Islamic fundamentalism! We see how after all the much-trumpeted threats of putting the corrupt Congress politicians in jail just a year ago, the CM suddenly seems concerned that if he goes all-out to eradicate corruption several government servants will also go to jail for the sins of the Congress politicians. Whether it is the concern about the government servants going to jail that is preventing the CM from an all-out attack against those accused of corruption or, whether the seasoned corrupt government servants are indispensable to political parties who need to fill their coffers to enhance their purchasing power in the next election, is now the big question. For, we have seen in the past, how government officers claimed to be corrupt in one regime and even suspended by an incoming so-called Clean and Able regime were re-instated in just a couple of months and given plum postings. This style of political leadership that claims to have quick-fix solutions to the nation’s or a state’s miseries when out of power, and ready-mix excuses and rationalizations no sooner it assumes power, is the Great Goan and Indian Tragedy. The source of our miseries is not corruption in governance; it is our inability to keep pace with the deceptive strategies of all political forces. Corruption becomes a serious issue when it suits them and a non-issue when it benefits them. So let Goans not have high expectations from our current-day politicians who, Rambo-like, promise redemption from problems overnight. They can do nothing because the underlying truth is that the Goan economy, in fact the nation’s economic model, thrives on promoting violence and immorality in the race for a fast buck. If Goa claims that it is not economically dependent on immoral activity, then let any government ban gambling and seriously crack down on prostitution and we will see how many visitors continue to be attracted to the sands, sea and sun. Goa’s economy is being driven towards a dependence on a ‘Sin City’ culture where everything goes. Corrective measures are needed urgently because gradually politicians also make their peace with the fact that the survival of the people and their economic well-being depends on these activities and in the process they fail to distinguish morality from immorality. http://www.heraldgoa.in/newscategory/Opinions/14