By | 26 Feb, 2017, 01:09AM IST
The distress that Goans complain of in various forms are far from accidental but in a way invited through persistent political short-sightedness or even blindness in some cases. The politicians and the social entrepreneurs cannot be expected to voice the hard truths as that would mean a dent in their popularity ratings and impact their economic turnover. It’s difficult to find public acceptance for the blunt truth, particularly when it comes to politics. This is why the ‘goykarponn’ designed, produced and attractively packaged in Manoharbhai’s western elite Panaji continues to find consumers in Goa’s rural landscape. It is hardly realized that there is a vast difference or contradiction between the goykarponn of this modern generation from that of our ancestors. The goykarponn of yesterday was about investing for the wellbeing of future generations while the goykarponn of today is about living and enjoying in the now. The contradiction becomes as pronounced as that of ‘Intruz’ with the present ‘Carnival’, not ‘Carnaval’. The plight of today’s Goan springs from the desire to have the best of both the worlds; to keep the cake and eat it at the same time. Goans have to decide one way or the other and stop fooling themselves by playing off tune music and staging distractive tiatrics under the pretext of saving Goa.
A recent study reveals that anxiety and depression is on the rise in urban areas of our country. Probably it would be more appropriate to say ‘urban lifestyles’ instead of ‘urban areas’. Instead of handling this depression and anxiety clinically, the remedy gets deflected to blaming the politicians and chasing empty dreams about changing the political system with surgical strike options dictated by none other than the crafty politicians who employ strategists and marketing agencies and operate from secretive and guarded war rooms. The promised change is often show-cased with rapid development of national highways (NH), coastal tourism, cheap doles and schemes and such other promises laced with attractive promises of generating employment opportunities. The short-sighted greedy goan who is always optimistic and prefers to look positively at political con jobs is quick to collaborate in the exercise to grab the fast money without any care about the future. This is exactly the case with those selling liquor along National Highways and those operating shacks and other allied activities on Goa’s pristine beaches. They care less for other’s rights, carrying capacity of the ecosystem or international and local codes or laws governing such trade or activities. They place their trust in their political godfathers to dilute the laws or protect their illegal activities until such time that the Apex Court gets petitioned to step in and stem the nuisance and plunder conducted under the dignified label of ‘Livelihood’.
The cunning politician in government, whose livelihood depends on pouring cement and mortar by generating work tenders, sells these development novelties to Goans with palatable half-truths. The greedy Goan whose common sense is rendered unconscious with dreams of making a quick buck and improved living conditions and social status buys these lies without any reflection. Anyone sounding an alarm bell gets brushed aside as anti-national or anti-development. So pushing a NH through the heart of Goa with noble excuses of decongesting traffic by 6-laning and reducing travel time and also commissioning shopping malls and bars next to the NH gets cheered vociferously. Some land owners are quick to welcome such deceptive development as it appreciates their land prices and gives them economic opportunities. The party goes on until such time that justice catches up and truth ultimately prevails. We saw this happen with mining and one can expect the same fate for tourism.
We tend to forget that just as one man’s food can be another man’s poison, so also someone’s livelihood could be another’s devastation. One such case is of livelihoods from selling booze. It is only when such selfish interests get threatened that we begin to hear sob stories about loss of livelihoods and martyrdom of the poor dependents on such activities with unjust demands being made for politicians to dilute or relax the laws to suit the greed. Till then the larger Goan society refrains from opposing the penetration of the highways in villages which destroy the demography and are meant to cater to real estate interests when, actually, they have no place in a tiny and ecologically fragile State like Goa. Hardly anyone sheds even a tear for the farmers of Agassaim and Verna whose fertile farm lands are destroyed to expand the national highway.
If Goans really mean business then it is time that their words are consistent with their actions. Non-cooperation with the government sponsored festivals and amusement activities as a mark of protest, is one way to respond. Or else, if Goans want modern economic development then they also need to be ready to accept the destruction and evils that come along with it. There can be no short-cuts or concessions if Goykarponn is to exist.
http://www.heraldgoa.in/Review/Voice-Of-Opinion/Political-shortsightedness-and-blindness/111989.html
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