Referring to the news item in the local media on 15th of this month where CM Pramodh Sawant who like a real "kalcho Poircho Pot'to" in his kiddy statement accused the then Premier of India Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, saying “Nehru delayed Goa’s liberation by 14 years”. Let me confess saying "Let the Heaven and Stars bear the testimony to the truth that I am writing now". As a genuine Goan my love for Goa is not of the one whose roots are outside Goa and I feel by delaying 14 years to annex Goa, Nehru government has saved us Goans from experiencing another 14 years of corrupt rule and disgraceful administration under the corrupt Bharati system. At least our elders escaped from another 14 years of misrule, another 14 years of sleepless nights out of fear for the robbers, during those 14 years they lived a fearless life from the murderers as these murderers were kept well checked of their nasty movements by the strict Portuguese laws, in other words 14 years of peaceful life. Our CM who was a kid then should know that Goa was not liberated by Nehru but Goa was conquered by the Congress Government headed by Nehru. At least some of our elders were lucky to enjoy better life and better administration under the Salazarist regime of Portugal for 14 more years even though I dislike Salazar’s dictatorship and hate colonialism over my Goa from any one, either from local or foreign governments.
We suffered less from the Portuguese regime but now under the Bharati regime we are suffering more. At least under dictatorial Portugal when promises were given to fulfill our requests they were immediately fulfilled but in the so called democracy of Bharat where the democratically elected Premier Modi during his election campaign at Merces roundabout promised us the Special Status and immediately after his victory shamelessly refused to honour his promise. Who is better, dictator Salazar or democratic Modi? I think “it is better to be a master in the Hell than a slave in Heaven”. Portuguese should have been evicted from Goa but definitely not to replace by the local Portuguese – to quote Mahatma Gandhi.
Sawant further said because of these 14 years Goa lacked in the field of Military knowledge. No doubt Goa missed 14 years of its involvement in Military but surely even then Goa acquired laurels in the appointments of so many Generals and even the Chief of Indan Army.
A.Veronica Fernandes.