Truth is fallen in the streets of Goa - Soter

 Lead article published in oHeraldo, September 27, 2021

The wisdom and foresight in the words of a tall national leader like late Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru when he said, “Goa ka log ajeeb hai”, has been amply proven in these last 60 years after liberation. Probably, in no other State across the country have the local people submitted themselves so meekly and shamelessly to the repeated political and cultural assault by the Indian State as the Goans have done. This tolerance to political abuse over the years appears to have now left Goans in a state of not being able to decipher the normal from the abnormal in politics - Truth from Falsehood and Reality from Fiction. Reaching this present state of depraved politics is only possible when the citizens behave mindlessly and aimlessly. 

People very well know that the politicians use every ul’loo banoing (fooling) trick in their book, yet they repeatedly submit themselves to playing ball with this crooked political class. People complain about rampant corruption in politics but they do not refuse the festival saman (groceries) from politicians and their agents which is delivered at their doorstep. Just as all the crime which happens gets blamed on the poor, so does bribing in elections get attributed to migrant vote-banks. But the hypocrisy of Goans does not recognise the sponsorships from politicians for their sports, religious and cultural events and even activism as also a form of corruption. Irrespective of their financial status people have no problem in scrambling to avail the freebies and aid distributed by politicians and political parties as part of political marketing. If the Goans are so interested in clean governance, should they not be questioning the source of the money these politicians, political parties and activist groups splash on billboards, jazzy advertisements, lavish public meetings and sponsors to the public?

With the Goa Assembly elections fast approaching, the merchants of ‘political change’ are once again on the prowl with their monetary investments in the hope of striking it rich by preying upon people’s ignorance and the miseries. The alternatives promised are nothing but old wine of caste, bigotry and business packaged in new bottles with attractive labels. The political predators employ their theatrics of aggression and abuse of authority to attract the youth. They visit Churches and Temples, collect garbage, dance in the potholes all under the lens of cameras 24x7, and blabber at press meets to remain relevant and capture the imagination of the public. It’s all about  vote ke liye kuch bi karega aur bolega  (doing and speaking anything for votes). The babble about good and clean governance is only till they get elected. Thereafter it’s the same filth which surfaces. Citizens are then asked to prove their competence in criticising government policies and projects. We begin to hear utterances from these ministers and MLAs like, “I know what is good for the people” or “I am elected by the people, not you.” They insulate themselves with security personnel and their mobile phones are answered by their personal assistants. 

While politicians and political parties upgrade their art of fooling the people by employing the latest scientific knowledge and digital technology, the voters have remained stuck with their antiquated and crude approach of following gossip and emotionally running with the crowd in electing their representatives. While conspiracy theories are cooked up and marketed with ease by competing political parties in the race - to malign opponents and capture the voters’ imagination - what remains concealed from public glare is the huge investment by politicians and political parties in the hiring of consultancy shops and deployment of marketing agents and activist groups to fox the voters and split votes. The use of predictive intelligence and deep fake is fast gaining ground in driving election propaganda and influencing voters. This is how corruption and lokpal no more matter to the political party which is a bi-product of the India against Corruption that got fossilised after playing its devious games till 2014. Instead, it is now tom-toming about defections, unemployment and freebies to lure Goans. The last Assembly election in 2017 has shown how goykarponn, which was marketed as the alternative to keep the right-wing party at bay, ultimately ended up providing the numbers for the communal party to grab power by concocting stories about the collusion of some opposition leaders. 

Perhaps, if Goans find themselves lost in a paradise of rising crime and corruption it is because, as prophet Isaiah had said to the people of his generation, “Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far off; for truth has fallen in the public squares, and uprightness cannot enter. Truth is lacking and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey.” (Is 59. 14-15). Let’s not forget that the corruption and defection in Goa’s politics is in-built in the Goan mental programing. It’s the unquestioned loyalty and ‘kamam zaunk zai” (our work has to be done) mentality of the people which provides a fertile ground for the political evils like defection and corruption masquerading as common good. 

For the moment, with Goa’s educated middle class now turned into a politically muddled class, it is extremely doubtful whether the Goans have anything left in them to do a West Bengal style khela hobe against the right-wing’s money, muscle and abuse of government machinery in elections. The delusion of a ‘Congress Mukth, Anand Goy’ may well end up as the last nail in the coffin. Whether we like it or not, this State election in 2022 is about the future of democracy and federalism versus the onslaught of cultural fundamentalism, a deep State and crony capitalism. Any political consideration short of this focus could only be inviting a free fall from the frying pan into the fire. 

(The author is a Social Activist and has worked in creating awareness on local self-governance)

https://www.heraldgoa.in/Edit/Opinions/Truth-is-fallen-in-the-streets-of-Goa/180514