It was when I was schooling at Arpora School that I joined the Congress Party because inspite of its innumerable flaws they committed since the independence of India, I still found in this party some good. From 1947 till the time of introduction of the worst type of Hitlerian rule of Emergency all over India by premier Indira Gandhi, Congress did well. Indira Ghandhi the great daughter of the great world leader Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was on behalf of Congress party earlier stripped the Princes and Nawabs of India of their Princely Purses in the name Indian Socialism to bring about economic equality in India.
The economic revolution that Indira Ghandhi dreamt ultimately remained in her dream only as a joke. What good she was capable of bringing to tide the big disparity in India between Poor and Rich? The few Indian Rich are becoming richer and richer and the poor becoming poor and poorer thereby creating a strong animosity between the two segments of Indians.
Indian poor got only one weapon into their hands and that is the electoral democracy thru which they can cast their most powerful weapon known as VOTE and thru this electoral democracy they can bring about a change but is it possible in India with the Indian masses and even they succeed in this revolutionary system, will the leaders of this change cooperate to implement the change? I doubt very much this will materialize in our land because in India in general and in Goa in particular we lack proper leaders to implement this type of changes because our leaders of the poor and of the masses are most corruptable suffering from inferiority complex and are likely to go against their own segment. If we in Goa had a strong leader among the masses, our poor people would never remain poor. It is a tragedy that we lack capabe persons among our poor to lead the poor and even among the poor a few come out successfully from their poverty line they unfortunately do not do anything for the betterment of their poor brothers and sisters. These few people from the masses have proved themselves as selfish, they only fill their own pockets without caring for others.
Now the election time is approaching very fast, all the earlier MLS’s and also the first timer will come to your places like BEGGARS and without any shame will BEG with you in folded hands your precious votes. Some of these rascals they did not care you during the COVID tragic time when everyday people were dying in big numbers. Did they come to your places to enquire with you if you need any help? Some of these bloody sons of their stupid mothers will come to ask your Votes. If possible, kick them out from your places, by kicking them out you will not lose anything, your one vote for them is like Oxygen for their life and survival. Even if you spit on their faces they will never say anything because your vote is more important now. Thru your one vote some of them they won the election and minted money for them rightly and wrongly and thus became crorepotis. What benefit you got from their crores?
They by amassing huge wealth built big Bungalows not one but so many in so many places, purchased big Costly Cars and properties and are living like MAHARAJAS. While enjoying these facilities did they see you and did they ask if you need anything or are you having any problems? No, Never because they are not bothered of you. They will say as some of them said earlier that they belong to the same category as you, me and others and thus bringing them to our level. But never believe them, they once become MLA’s and Montris they change their status to 360 degrees while our status remains the same. They will never identify themselves with us because they acquire very high level due to their political power and financial pyramid. If they identify with us then they must live like what we are living. Why they want to live in the Government Bunglows at Altinho Panjim? And on top of it all they say they and we are of the same level. They will never be able to identify themselves with us because they have huge amount of illicit money while we do not and as such they will never be able to identify with us. In such a situation we must not vote for them. According to the Congress philosphy we are all one, but later on other parties too followed this philosophy. When we have so much of financial disparity among us that is between the political ruling class and others we will never be under on roof.
A.Veronica Fernandes.