But the fact remains that there were more bouquets than brickbats for the Parsekar government. Quite an achievement
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The civic reception hosted by Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrao on the occasion of Christmas is not just a get-together. It is an event of significance. It could also be construed as a political event by some although the intention is to meet, connect and express the feelings of the church on issues concerning the laity and State. Many might have expected the Archbishop to blast the government, but it did not happen.
Taken as a whole, the address of the Archbishop bears the stamp of honesty and clarity. For perhaps, the first time a distinction has been made between what is happening outside Goa and within. And it would seem that while the church is still very concerned about the spate of attacks in other parts of the country it is relatively pleased with the state of tranquility in Goa. In a way, it reflects the chief achievement of the BJP government which is rule from the centre instead of the right. This idea was pushed to the point where it resulted in a split in the RSS, yet the government held on to its education policy of giving grants to English primary schools run by the Diocesan Society for Education.
The Archbishop pointed out the contribution of the church and its members to nation building, but lamented that despite this input it is still viewed with suspicion and accused of using charity to convert. The question posed is how can a tiny three percent present a threat to the integrity of the nation? Goa has been relatively peaceful under the BJP government but the same cannot be said about the rest of India and the Archbishop was right it in expressing this feeling.
As far as the land issue is concerned, no one denies that it is a significant issue, but the manner in which this government dealt with it was not inspiring. Five years have passed and the regional plan is yet to be finalized. This lack of urgency in finalizing a plan for protection of land resources is the biggest failure of the government.
The Archbishop sought to deflect criticism from some quarters of the Church’s interference in the electoral process by saying that the guidelines issued before the polls focus on electing the right people to the Assembly. This is where the line separating religion from politics tends to blur a wee bit and the Archbishop attempted to explain that if some party comes to power due to the advisory of the church it does not follow that the party was canvassed for by the church. Truth is, one cannot have it both ways. If the Church chooses to guide its flock then it cannot run away from the consequences of the guidance issued.
Lastly, in a significant departure, the Archbishop thanked the present government for the support it has received in the last year in the furtherance of its plans and projects. Was this an endorsement for the government? It is difficult to say, but the fact remains that there were more bouquets than brickbats for the Parsekar government. Quite an achievement.
