Getting beneath that politician’s ‘Topi’ - Soter D'Souza

By By Soter D’Souza | 24 Jan, 2016, 07:58AM IST

There is no doubt that the general public in Goa is sick of the present set of Goan politicians. The grumbling and cursing at the conduct of the politicians is witnessed at every street corner. The Goan politician has become a target of mockery on social media. Many swear that they will give the politicians a befitting response at the 2017 Assembly elections. There are as many social action groups mushrooming around town as the issues, though more or less appearing to work at cross purposes and further aggravating the confusion. Yet, going by the political behavior of Goa’s citizens and at the risk of being judged a pessimist, one should not expect anything different in the outcome of the forthcoming Assembly elections in 2017 when compared with the past. The cunning and treacherous politician-industry combine will ultimately triumph with their time tested ‘Ul’loo Banaoing’ and ‘Topi Lagaoing’ strategies. The public will also be content with scapegoating politicians for all the misery. 

Whether we may have the humility to accept it or not, the reality is that the politicians seem to control the Goan thinking and responses. If only the public could pull back for a moment and reflect as the political developments unfold, they would soon understand the tragedy of their (public’s) responses. This does not mean that issues floating around are not genuine. But the reactions from the public, particularly the social action groups, are a cause for concern. What even baffles one is the conflict of interest of many so-claimed activists who appear more like imposters and known to be on the side of God and Mammon at the same time.  This is probably why there is no definite resolution to a conflict except a prolonged child’s game of ‘merry-go-round the mulberry bush’. The nearer an election the more are the noise decibels which arouse a sense of fear and guilt in people with a call for action as if there will not be another tomorrow. The tactics are so obvious for those who can see it. The people are kept busy to prevent them from seeing reason and exploring healthy responses. Gossip is news and mob hysteria the political response. 

The levels of naivety in Goan society are so alarming when even educated people believe a fake Whatsapp message and circulate it as the truth. People fall for conspiracy theories which are put out to mislead or divert people’s attention from more immediate political realities. The most irritating part of such public behavior is that it gets justified, by even priest and activist, as having been done in ‘good faith’. As the French Nobel Prize winning Philosopher Albert Camus had said, “The evil that is in the world almost always comes of ignorance, and good intentions may do as much harm as malevolence if they lack understanding.” One fails to understand as to how an action can be said to have been done in good faith when public arrogance fails to even consider the merits in a counter opinion which gets sounded or other options which are available. Ignorance manifests in arrogance and responsibility for the resultant negative consequences gets denied by dumping the blame onto others. ‘Authority bashing’ has become a fashion nowadays with ignorantly wise Goans pontificating on issues without sufficient understanding and tolerance to hear the other side. The ultimate beneficiary of such reckless public responses is the crafty politician who enjoys seeing the public on a wild goose chase.

If future elections are to see people driven outcomes then it will be important for voters to behave rationally rather than emotionally. There is a need to break away from the mob culture which is increasingly being fuelled by hired propaganda agencies by exploiting digital technology. 

http://www.heraldgoa.in/Review/Voice-Of-Opinion/Getting-beneath-that-politician%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%98Topi%E2%80%99/98152.html

Herald Review, 24th January 2016