An uneasy calm prevails ahead of the Church-led protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act, National Population Register and National Registry of Citizens at Lohia Maidan, Margao on Friday. The politically-attached BJP legislators in South Goa, especially those from the minority-dominated Salcete, are feeling the shivers. The apprehensions raised by them may be genuine, but they can’t absolve themselves of the blame. Why was this issue not seriously taken up earlier with the party leadership?
The contentious CAA kept a whole lot for debate, despite the appeals and assurances from the team of BJP central leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In Goa, onboarding minorities was critical not only from the perspective of law and order but because a sizeable section of the ruling dispensation is banking heavily on their votes. The BJP in Goa can’t afford to play with communal sentiments at this juncture.
Several leaders like Filipe Neri Rodrigues, Wilfred D’Sa, Clafacio Dias, Nilesh Cabral, Alina Saldanha and even Michael Lobo will be in a dilemma because the Church has taken a stand. Legislators sandwiched between party, and religious lines should have impressed upon Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to hold a joint meeting of various religious leaders and clarify the government’s stand. Pressing the panic button now cannot diffuse the situation.
There were growing signs of resentment despite calls for peace. The CM tried to clarify at least half-a-dozen times this month. He went on to explain that CAA was Mahatma Gandhi’s dream. He tried to assure that nobody’s citizenship will be voided through CAA. Sawant’s assumption that Christians and Muslims are supporting the legislation, at a pro-CAA rally in the capital city earlier this month goes to suggest that the BJP was taking comfort in the mere presence of minorities at the meeting.
It appears that the BJP leadership ignored religious leaders on such a critical issue affecting the State. It may be recalled, former chief minister Manohar Parrikar religiously established an excellent connect with communities and their leaders and leveraged his position. If we may recall, the landslide 2012 victory for the BJP was, to a great extent an outcome of the close rapport Parrikar had with the Church leadership.
Reaching out to people across the spectrum over the CAA is significant since there is a steady wave of rejection building up in Goa. The minorities remain unconvinced despite the several pro-CAA rallies and meetings. BJP president Jagat Prakash Nadda’s presence in Goa changed very little. The BJP leadership must blame itself for having allowed the situation to go out of hand. And engaging religious heads now is going to be too little too late.
With the Church’s position clear, political leaders affiliated to the minorities and aligned to the BJP will face a tough time and will be gauged based on which side of the fence they stand. It remains to be seen how they manage to wade through this phase of discomfort.
