On 21.12.16 at Araddy Vaddo, Candolim, during the “Corner Meeting” of Michael Lobo of BJP, attended by a fairly huge crowd, the local Sarpanch Sandra requested the voters to re-elect Sir Lobo on the basis of his individuality by ignoring his BJP tag. During the last election the same Sarpanch asked the voters to re-elect another Sir, the defeated Sir Agnelo Fernandes. I don’t know which Queen conferred the Knighthood on these Sirs to address them as such. Why this sudden change now in the stand of the local Sarpanch and her colleagues is not known but it is imperative for the voters to know it if Sandra and her colleagues believe in democratic transparency.
Sandra cannot take the voters for a ride and voters are not “Ghanttaboil”, she cannot take the voters for granted. This is not a dancing session, yesterday one party and today another, this is nonsense. Voters are not “Khapurlim” who in one Konkani Proverb is described as “Khapurleak khuim kulei Sarke and Thanaim sarkim”. Because of her call last time, voters supported Congress and made BJP as their enemies. This time is Congress as their enemies? What is this? Who gains in this Aya Rams and Gaya Rams business? We want to know the real reason behind deserting Agnelo Fernandes and his Congress by Candolim Panchayat headed by Sarpanch Sandra. Otherwise in the next election Sandra may come up with another party’s candidate. People in Candolim is losing their confidence on Sandra because she is proving to be volatile.
However, as per one story the problem started it seems when the major portion of the loot collected thru Bribe was by precedence pocketed by the last time defeated Sir which is not acceptable by other partners in the crime. No wonder, some Panch members and the Sir accumulated huge wealth when their salaries are miniscule. The looters in Goa are looting the entire loot for themselves only when that money is meant for the welfare of the people.
Secondly, can we ignore the party tag of the candidate while voting for his individuality even though it is good? For any important issue of public interest can the elected representative overpower his party’s decision? Currently, is there any MLA in BJP rank who got hormones in his body to defy the party’s diktats? If yes then there would be a voice raised seeking justice for Fr. Bismarque and for Terakol & Vanxim locals, so too against the IT attack on Catholic Church and many more issues. If the Party supremo instructs any of its members to lower his Pant, he has to, otherwise he is out of the party. And among the Catholic members there is not a single member in the ruling segment who got guts to challenge the party’s decision however anti-Christian that decision may be. Even the so called great and strong the late Mathanay Saldanha had no balls to oppose the anti-Christian decision of Parricar government of knocking down the annual Christian holidays including on Good-Friday.
Once the candidate is elected, he becomes a slave of the party even though he is elected not by the party but by the voters whose decisions he must follow. Will the elected representative assure us that he will ignore his party’s decision and support the voters’ decision because it is the voters who are supreme since they elect him and not his party?
Meantime, Congress in Calangute constituency will sink further if the defeated candidate is re-nominated as its candidate in the coming election. People are waiting to teach him again the lesson of revenge which he was teaching to the constituents when he was in power. Also people wants to know the source of income of any candidate contesting in Calangute constituency. For this, Luizin Faleiro as party president must declare his first because “charity begins at home”. Faleiro and Digvijay please take this as an ALERT.
A.Veronica Fernandes.