Goa Election 2022, result of split votes? -Soter

 Published as Lead Article in oHeraldo on March 28, 2022

The results of the Goa Assembly elections 2022 may have shocked some of the Goans, but definitely not all of them. It’s once again the same duplicity of Goan communalism which employs a confusion to divide and rule strategy, by showing one face on the street and quite the opposite in private. The results are nothing different from the persisting polarisation arising from an unspoken majoritarian assertion for Devnagiri Konknni script against Romi Konkani script or the denial for English medium of instruction grants, to subjugate the minorities. The majoritarianism invoked by caste supremacists in Goa is the same Hindutva taking the cover of Hinduism to appear secular. Unfortunately the toxic love and toxic trust of the Goan catholic community fails to recognise the veiled deception of these communal forces circulating in various avatars. Despite all the whining and pining of Goans, the vote share of the BJP in Goa has in fact risen to 33.3%. What does this imply?

Let us not deceive ourselves into believing that the election outcome is a mere accident resulting from a split of votes. The revolution to split votes was probably hatched in 2018 under the pretext of protecting Goan livelihoods. The fact that none of the issues like freedom of speech and religion or the destructive development projects ravaging Goa were reflected in the Goan voters’ choice, says enough about the self-centred mentality of Goans. On the contrary, BJP’s propaganda about Congress defections and family dynasty became the anthem song for many Goans during the elections. The weeping and mourning we are given to see and hear over Goa’s destruction seems more for public consumption. Behind the scenes it is a very different story, and elections are no better a test to figure out people’s convictions in what they say. While the minority community cries foul about risingcommunal discrimination, it had no problem supporting the saffron forces in this election. It is such a selfish Goykarponn chasing politicians for government jobs, illegal land grabbing, doles and freebies which take precedence over community and State welfare. Even protests are now about money and political ambition; ‘paisa feko aur avaaz dekho’.

Goykarponn is now about the quest for unbridled wealth and display of muscle power. After all Goa ranks first in per capita income in India and with it come all the evils. This explains why 62% from among the 301 candidates contesting the election were crorepatis. Which projects or trades will be opposed and which will not, or which politician is a hero or villain very much depends on who gets a share in the looting or profits and who does not. It’s all about ‘kaun goykar banega crorepati’. And as usual this compromise in principles hides behind a stale excuse that “most citizens have little or no control over what happens.” It’s money which shapes the political discourse, the thinking and actions of the modern Goan.

The warning about a possible split in votes helping the incumbent regime to regain power was repeatedly being sounded in many circles. Yet, the minority community chose to play ‘khela hobe’, burn themselves with ‘uzzo’ and brush away any traces of common sense with the ‘jaadu’ to install the BJP. The statistics are witness to the fact that a fake revolution has landed up gifting around ten seats to the political party which has been bent on destroying the pluralist Goan identity. The political alternatives that a section of Goans touted have actually worked to promote the Hindutva game. With feni and festam (feasts) being all that Goans understand best, but not politics, they remain sitting ducks for the saffron brigade on the prowl.

Let us not be fooled with the cover up about the young regional party not splitting votes in Christian dominated old conquest alone, but also doing the same in new conquest Hindu bastions. The truth is that Hindutva forces do not necessarily target only minority bastions, they also focus on Hindu bastions over which they have no political control.

The argument that BJP having secured just a 33.3% vote share does not amount to a popular mandate, because 66.6% voters have not voted for the party, is yet another clever ploy to play down the communal polarisation and distract the secular forces from the reality. The narrow margins by which some BJP MLAs got elected in no way reduces their nuisance value for the next five years.

The attempt by some Goans to dump the blame on the Congress for the rise of BJP is absurd. The Congress party bashing indulged in by some elite and influential Goans at this juncture of history actually helps the BJP, and not the other way round. To run down the Congress instead of exposing the BJP which is in power is ridiculous. Let’s not forget that the Gandhi family in Congress is what the RSS is in BJP. This is why distancing the Gandhi family to disintegrate the Congress party is the primary thrust of the saffron forces.

With the preference shown by Goans for a double engine sarkar, let us only hope its speed in commissions and omissions does not land Goans in the Arabian Sea.

(The author is a social activist and has worked in creating awareness on the issue of local self-governance.)

https://www.heraldgoa.in/Edit/Opinions/Goa-Election-2022-result-of-split-votes/188219