The opening day of the short 5-day Legislative Assembly session saw sparks flying thick and thin as Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari delivered a shortened address to the House. The government came under fire for touching upon only broader parameters of tax, revenue, investment and employment while skirting contentious issues that needed urgent attention. The tone appears set for the three days that are to follow.
However, the Opposition needs to be wary of making the most within the limited time at its disposal. It would be touch and go, and significant decisions may be hurried through due to paucity of time. The governor speech, expectedly, did not touch upon controversial subjects. No government would invite the wrath on itself. The Opposition will have to tread cautiously, and tactfully engage the government on the burning issues, rather than indulge in futile individual showmanship.
The opening day gave a glimpse of the Opposition fire, but on the flip side, it exposed the hypocrisy of crying hoarse over a truncated session inside the precincts of the House. It is bizarre that there was no attempt to push for an extended session when the Governor, on December 22, announced his decision to summon the Assembly. The Opposition never rose in unity, then, to demand an extended session.
The camaraderie and mood inside the House beat the logic of curtailing important Assembly sessions, especially when social distancing and face mask protocols are being flagrantly violated. It baffles the mind when Assembly sessions are shortened drastically while the State opens up almost everything, including the just-concluded International Film Festival held in hybrid mode. The reluctance to hold longer Assembly session reflects a tacit move to circumvent scrutiny and run away from issues.
The short outbursts on coal expansion and the banners of protests after the Governor's address have set the tone, but none of these will count in the end. The Opposition will have to fire on all cylinders when the debate opens up, without banking too much on some of the BJP MLAs who have sided with the people on the ground. Minister for Waste Management Michael Lobo while speaking on the sidelines of the session, sounded positive of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant capping coal handling at MPT. Ironically, the body language appeared distinctly different from what Lobo conveyed at Dramapur on January 12 where he vowed to stand by the people of Goa “to see that only good things happen.”
While the Opposition troops in with all the fire in its belly on Thursday, it must bear in mind the critical failures of the past. There have been times where unnecessary theatrics have ended up wasting precious time and conceding the advantage to the ruling. There has to be a constructive engagement and meaningful debates. Strategies have to be in place instead of merely ranting and providing entertainment for some citizens watching and headaches for others.
