Lead Article published in oHeraldo on February 24, 2025
“We guys are outnumbered n outdated now… here on, we must learn to let go n silently watch the hellish behaviours of those who do all the devil wants.. they do not fear God…we mean nothing to them.”
This response above in social media from a friend in the health sector reflects the depressing and demoralizing social climate in Goa. If the privileged citizens are left feeling disgusted with the state of affairs in society, one can imagine the plight of the underprivileged sections. Such a feeling of being stuck and helpless with what is happening around is what one frequently hears whispered on the streets nowadays. This is one extreme of the Goan mindset; a sense of hopelessness and helplessness.
At the other extreme is a delusional crowd that is lost in chasing the dangling carrots of Acche din, and Amrit Kaal. Those living in a fantasy world of cultural supremacy: a cognitive blindness. It's about an ideologically intoxicated state of mind that can trample, lynch or drive over others for the thrill. Alongside are those who are under an illusion of having a divine right derived from financial status and political clout to bully others into subjugation. For them, sub-standard governance, unplanned development and an antisocial personality are considered to be smart. Critics are gaslighted with labels such as tukde tukde gang, maoists, anti-national and traitors. The complaints of citizens are trivialized and mocked at with slogans like ‘No pain, no gain’. Whose pain is whose gain and the duration of the pain to be endured by citizens remains unspecified.
In the middle of both extremes are a tranquilized lot which is clueless about the actual reality and are drowning in religious devotion and entertainment. The political abuse and violence around hardly matters to them till it lands on their doorstep. They ignore their civic duties and submit to the abuse of their civic rights believing in some divine retribution against their persecutors. Some may not even cast their vote during elections, nor will they attend the gram sabha. At the most, they will pray for those fighting for social justice, but do nothing towards initiating or participating in processes to build a healthy society. They will feed the hungry and also collude with the exploitative and oppressive forces.
There is hardly any doubt that the ethical and moral decline is sweeping every area of public life in Goa. The antisocial activity one never dared to indulge in during colonial times is now carried out with absolute impunity under a banner of cultural revivalism. The lawlessness and lack of civic discipline is visible on the streets wherein the dignity and safety of fellow citizens no more matters. It’s all about ‘Me, Myself and I’ in every social and economic sphere. Civic sense and discipline are dismissed as a colonial legacy. It is the play of money and political power which decides what will be considered to be just and lawful. The rise in incidents of law enforcers becoming law breakers themselves reflects the extent of corruption and criminality which has engulfed society. Goa has perhaps reached the critical stage when neither stringent laws nor PILs in courts can salvage the situation.
Recently, we have been witnessing some bizarre remarks from the Chief Minister ranging from the laziness in Goan culture inherited from the Portuguese to the wrong history taught in schools about Portuguese ruling Goa for 450 years. For rational minds all this would be considered as cheap, attention seeking and hollow rhetoric which is not worth any response. But, such nonsense somehow tickles the impulsive and reactionary Goan into responding and taunting the politicians, little realizing that the motive behind such fallacious logic is to divert attention from the governance failures by generating some controversy to control the narrative and remain in public glare.
Instead of dwelling on the glorious past and correcting history, this government should be talking about how it has improved the quality of life for Goans in the last one decade, if not more. How the Goans blessed with water self-sufficiency during the Portuguese rule are now deprived of even one hour of water supply. So also, how water from the hinterland meant for irrigation purposes is now being diverted to mega housing projects and resorts to cater to the parasitic and predatory lifestyles of the rich and famous. The list of contradictions in the claims of this government could run endlessly.
An authoritarian and corrupt regime should be more than happy with citizens confining their protests to social media and courtrooms, as long as nothing spills onto the roads and overturns the electoral calculations. This is a seasoned government when it comes to dark manipulative tactics. The recent remarks from the NGT bench, “You made 500 million people bathe in polluted sewage water, water that was not fit for bathing, and people had to drink that water”, goes to reflect the state of mental health of citizens under the spell of a dictatorial regime. This is no different from the insanity of citizens banging utensils with the politicians to drive away Covid.
Goa’s problems stem from a culture which lacks objective critical analysis and reasoning in the social, political and economic affairs. Goans have failed to understand the predatory and parasitic culture which has annexed Goa. With heightened emotionalism and devoid of rationality, Goans continue to miss the wood for the trees and land up repeatedly falling prey to populist political propaganda.
When unlimited festivities are lined up to eat, drink and make merry all through the year, can the Goan ever be in a state of mind to reflect on their social, political and economic reality?
(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/the-tranquilised-mode-of-goas-democracy/419840
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