Goans squabble over the crumbs for ‘Amchem pott’ -Soter

 Published as lead article in oHeraldo on December 23, 2024

The recent polarisation and clashes witnessed at village level forums, over noise pollution, EDM festivals, mega housing projects and other contentious development issues, only goes to expose the depth of the crisis in Goan society. For a compromised tribe of ‘Amchem pott’ (livelihood) and ‘amcho(i) bhai-tai’ (our MLA) the fundamental rights of others and community welfare hardly matters. What is interesting is that a dysfunctional Goykarponn has now landed up with Goans bashing Goans. This is the ideal ‘mahol’ (atmosphere) for a toxic political regime and an exploitative economy. Goa's socio-political bankruptcy provides the stage for celebrations and partying 24x7 for the greedy politicians and filthy moneyed sharks.

Apart from the nostalgia of that glorious Goa of old, being aggressively branded and marketed in these times of social decay, the irritant of socio-political dualism inherited from a past continues to haunt the present. The cultures of the old and new conquest continue to diverge and stalemate any process for Goan unity.

The Opinion Poll statistics stand witness to the social-political fissures and the bluff of ‘Goychi Asmitai’ (Goan Identity). The mergerist mentality though narrowly outnumbered in the Opinion Poll has continued to, unconsciously or consciously, disrupt the process for an ‘atmanirbhar Goem’. In these times of cultural and economic pollution, and with a breed of contaminated citizens selling themselves to politicians for doles, sponsors, and protection of illegalities and unlawful activities, how can anyone expect peace and prosperity?

The post-liberation moral erosion leading to encroaching and grabbing the lands of the bhatkars and comunidades with fake labels of landless ‘mundkar’ or agricultural tenant has now crawled into other social spheres. Now, economic activity which causes public nuisance and violates the fundamental rights of citizens gets justified as ‘Amchem pott’. The ‘might is right’ and mob culture which is employed to bully and covet the neighbor's goods, under the cover of religion or undoing historical injustices, is definitely not a civilised approach to remedying social disparities arising from failed government policies.

With the traditional ‘ganvponn’ system in villages having collapsed and the days of the comunidades numbered, the implanted Panchayati Raj system, supposed to be a local self-government, is nothing more than a show-piece and an exhibition booth for the local MLA and the government. This institution is ridden with corruption and a leadership which often has no idea of local governance, making them servile to the Panchayat Secretary and puppets of the local MLA.

The performance of the Gram Sabhas is equally disappointing. The attendance is rarely out of any conviction to fulfill a political duty, but more about citizens instigated with some or the other emotional issue who have no idea why they have come. This forum is abused by an activism driven by sensationalism, and trending and viral issues, instead of focusing on matters which are locally relevant and a priority for the welfare of the village community. Voicing personal grievances takes precedence and other functions assigned to the Gram Sabha hardly matter. The atmosphere in Gram Sabhas is as chaotic as Goa’s roads, with laws getting interpreted and liberties taken as per the public’s imagination and convenience.

Recently, a government official who attempted to bring sense in citizens at a Gram Sabha meeting in Salcete, on the futility of bashing the Panchayat Body over mega housing projects and land issues when the Panchayats are not legally empowered, only met with ridicule and accusations of misleading the people. Such a mediocre mindset that refuses to see the reality is at the root of the Goan misery; hostility towards reasoning and critical thinking.

Gandhiji had said, “Nothing is so easy as to train mobs, for the simple reason that they have no mind, no premeditation. They act in a frenzy. They repent quickly…”

Goans have trapped themselves in a politics which flirts with selective and sensationalised issues. Manipulating public emotions by raking up some or the other issue has become a PR exercise for some politicians and a self-branding and marketing gimmick of some activists, often rendering the cure to be far worse than the disease itself. Manipulating the public has become easy with technological advances and dark psychology tactics. Reactionary outbursts instead of a proactive approach only lands Goans into repeatedly shooting themselves in the foot. It is now becoming increasingly difficult to recognise the Persecutor from the Victim and Rescuer in this drama triangle of Save Goa.

The social, political and economic disease is now far too chronic and complex to be treated by individual heroics and stray localised tantrums. Single issue protests emerge as elections approach only to fizzle out without tangible outcomes. The ‘man with a hammer syndrome’, with different experts pulling the narrative in different directions through their constricted lens of expertise, only results in a merry-go-round and ultimately causes public fatigue. This leaves the public feeling cheated and exhausted. The trust deficit in the community is one of the reasons for lacklustre responses to protests.

After having exhausted the cards of language, statehood, special status, acche din, mega projects and the rest, we now have another political bait of ‘Second Liberation’ being thrown to the public. How long will Goans keep squabbling over the crumbs to feed Amchem pott and pretend to be shocked about land scams and cash for jobs scams? Amchem pott cannot take the liberty to create public nuisance for what is the government’s failure in providing legal and ethical means of livelihood for the citizens.

Wishing one and all, a liberating Christmas season filled with self-introspection and critical thinking and redemption from their self-inflicted bondage of selfishness and greed.

(The author has worked with community initiatives related to Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention, HIV/AIDs Prevention, Panchayati Raj, Anti-Corruption, Environment Protection and Social Justice.)

https://www.heraldgoa.in/edit/opinions/goans-squabble-over-the-crumbs-for-amchem-pott/417247