TheCongress is staring so much into the abyss, that the multitude of self-appointedcaptains is guiding its ship straight into an iceberg. While attempts atpolitical rejuvenation, are limited to sporadic meetings of MLAs trying tofigure two things. The next cache of booty to start discussions of a topplingexercise and then hoping to find enough ruling coalition MLAs to stop and droptheir shoulders to lend an ear to their plans. But all this is in a netherrealm. The Congress’ pitiable reality is that it is fighting for oppositionspace to justify its legal position of being the largest opposition partyleaded by an opposition leader.
Readand go back to all the assembly questions and debates that merit seriousresponses and investigation and you realise that the principal opposition spacehas been taken by the independents led by Vijay Sardesai and some of thenewbies like Rohan Khaunte. The only saving grace has been the Curtorim MLAAlexio Reginald Lourenco.
TheCongress has an unenviable problem. Four months ago it got booted out on twoissues .The family raaj and the shameless corruption. Most of the major issuesthat are bubbling on the political surface are scams that are of the Congress’own making. It cannot go after the BJP on the issue of illegal miningbecause many Congressmen are body deep in the mining trade and transportation.It is shy of asking the BJP to step, on the gas on corruption because its MLAsand leaders are architects of several irregularities and scams. The High Courthas held GIDC of illegally allotting SEZ plots with scant regard for rules, thereare irregularities in other plot allotments, the PWD became a fountainhead ofcorruption with rampant multi-tendering of road works with little to show onpaper, to select contractors under pressure from local MLAs and its minister.
Thereforethe grand old party is spending all its time not shadow boxing but shadowducking, to be able to gather itself up and question the government on issuesthat need questioning. The casino bill barring entry to Goans may have warmedthe hearts of mothers, wives and aunts in the hope of keeping the boys home,but has shocked the larger industry. The decision to move the floating casinosout of the Mandovi is welcome but the opposition should have extracted adeadline for this.
Similarly,the move to give an additional license to Maharaja Casino, whose vessel hasbeen floating on the Mandovi waters, has been attacked by Fatorda MLA VijaySardesai with not a murmur from the Congress. The Chief Minister isuncomfortable with this and hasn’t quite managed a convincing response. Anopposition is built on issues. The art of turning an ember into a flame epitomisesgreat oppositions. The Congress in its infancy in this term as opposition ismore likely to douse embers than light fires.
Thissituation is unhealthy for any democracy because it severely affects the checksand balances equilibrium. Parties that sweep to power with phenomenal mandateslike the Janta Party in 1977 and Indira Gandhi’s Congress in the 1980 losttheir way due a combination of their own follies and an opposition that wentbeyond capturing public sentiment. It created public sentiment. The Congresscame back from its emergency rout to rule and then allowed the opposition touse the Bofors scam to shoot it down.
MrParrikar’s performance will hinge on governance alone. Hence it is imperativefor the Congress to be the eternal watchdog, rising above its owninefficiencies and more importantly its own fears. The opposition’s watch has to be catalyst forthe government to govern. Practically though, we have to find this fromelsewhere. The Congress just isn’t capable or more importantly willing todetect the real promises of the government from the cosmetics.
Goa’stragedy is that the opposition Congress knows that if the government performs,many of its own leaders may not have a political career left.
