By Aires Rodrigues
It is appropriate that the Goa Government has decided to name the Goa Engineering College after Goa’s first Chief Minister late Dayanand Bandodokar.
But successive governments despite their assurances have done nothing in memory of Goa’s first Leader of the Opposition Dr Jack Sequeira. But for Dr Jack Sequeira’s then tireless efforts, Goa might have today been languishing as a mere taluka of Maharastra
Dayanand Bandodkar and Dr Jack Sequeira had a vision and passion for Goa. Only a few of such politicians still remain in our midst and will be also always remembered for the good they have done for this State. About the rest and in particularly some of the current politicians who have been leading and steering Goa down the gutters there will be no obituary to write and no land remaining to even raise a Samadhi. May be the Central jail being built at Colvale could be named after one of them.
Dayanand Bandodkar and Dr Jack Sequeira dared to speak what their heart felt. Unlike many of today’s politicians who are self-centered, they relentlessly raised and pursued issues concerning the backward, down-trodden and neglected communities of Goa.
It is imperative that students today in our schools and colleges should be told and made aware of the contribution of Dayanand Bandodkar and Dr Jack Sequeira towards Goa. They cannot remain our forgotten heroes.
Politics today is no longer a mission, not even an honest profession. It has been reduced to a scoundrel’s last resort. It has become a ruthless business, with morals and ethics twisted beyond recognition, thrown to the winds or long buried deep in the slush of ignorance and thuggery. Those belonging to a genre of politicians with qualities of head and heart cannot survive in today’s politics. Today a politician has to be thick skinned and a hypocrite to the core. He has to be ready to break and bend all the rules to survive
It is distressing to see and be witness the continuing rampant destruction and devastation of Goa. We were promised a Parivartan by this government but Goa is just getting further corroded beyond recognition. Posterity will never forgive them for their selfish role in this irreparable damage and destruction of what was once known as our once beautiful Goa, the Paradise of the East.