Now with the GPCC declaring its support for government grants to English medium schools at the primary level, there can be no doubt that the anti-Congress league will be left with no choice but to oppose and discredit the policy. As the konkani saying goes, "Bhikareak khoim bhikareachi nosai". So is the case with political parties. The judgement of any policy depends on which political party will benefit in terms of votes and in some cases even money. The policy decision to hike MLAs and MPs salaries and other perks is bound to go down as an extremely popular decision that will go unopposed and even without a debate. It just takes a couple of seconds to propose and pass the hike. The policy to give immunity to elected representatives from ythe judiciary will definitely go unopposed.
But when it comes to benefits for the aam admi the response will depend on which political group is going to gain in terms of votes. Giving 33% reservation to women in Parliament and Assembly is as blasphemous as Government Grants to English medium schools, particularly diocesan. Any policy meant to take way the powers and potential money spinner opportunities of elected representatives can never be democratic. So will it be the case with devolution of powers to civil society in governance.
The MoI controversy is exactly this. Political interests are at stake and opportunities need to be created for enticing the voters. Several issues were raked up in the last one year but nothing has clicked with the aam admi. The Church has remained non-committal. That is the primary cause of heart burn one is witnessing in the MoI debate. The anti-Congress league desperately need an issue to drum up electoral frenzy.
The communal fringe that appends itself to this controversy is about opportunism and nuisance. It is not the question about appeasement of Salcettcars, Bardezcars or Tiswadcars, it is about the Congress getting advantage in terms of votes. The anti-Congress league needs to keep its rank and file intact and the only way to ensure this is to engage it in agitation by drumming up an emotional frenzy. The sore point for a sizeable constituency of Goans, though it is vehemently denied in public, is the propsect of some lesser community dictating policy to the government. The policy of the state must be dictated by the majority and voluntarily endorsed by the children of the lesser Gods. If not, it means an insult to the big brother and a sign of being anti-national. This is all casteism in a new avatar, recycled junk. Old habits die hard.
-Soter
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