In poor light
Hundreds of families in Porvorim have yet to receive their quota of 3 free LED bulbs each, under the Goa govt’s UJALA scheme, inaugurated on July 9 with much fanfare. This is largely due to the poor announcements made by the government through their advertisements regarding the distribution centres at various locations. For instance, a few bulbs were distributed at the Pilerne Panchayat on Sunday, July 10, even without prior information to most of the residents. Those who missed out on Sunday were told that another day would soon be announced for distribution of these bulbs. Now the Panchayat has told us to collect the bulbs from the electricity dept at the Porvorim sub -station. The electricity dept on the other hand has told us to collect the bulbs from the Panchayat office. And so the game of passing on the buck goes on, causing a lot of running about and hardship to the residents who are still not sure from where to collect the bulbs and how long they will have to wait. What a shame indeed.
A F Nazareth, Porvorim
Fake politics
Apropos Vishwajit Rane’s change of heart regarding his opposition to alliances and his recent threat to quit the Congress if it fails to forge an alliance with like-minded forces, I feel that by now, if there were indeed ‘like-minded forces’ in the Assembly, the terrifying manner in which the BJP government is functioning should have already ensured that an informal alliance had arisen naturally and organically amongst the opposition MLAs. So many environmentally and economically destructive projects are being forced onto the people through anti-democratic policies like the IPB and in many cases without even going through the pretence of a policy or justification to the people and the electorate. In addition, what is even more alarming is the rise of a very dictatorial and fascist trend as seen in the unresponsiveness of this government to the people.
It is very revealing that the opposition and some of those who are supporting the government and feeling the heat within their own constituencies are now trying to propagate a mahagatbandhan. If in the course of the four year rule of the BJP, the terrible things that have been done to Goa and Goans have not motivated these representatives of the people to get together in the Assembly and rip the government on its policies, projects and direction on behalf of their people and their motherland and future generations to come, then in my opinion, it is very unlikely that a political alliance formed for purposes of elections will have any lasting power or potential to be a genuine agent for change.
If MLAs do not feel a compelling need to get together in the Assembly and defend their constituencies and the people who have voted them into power, in today’s scenario, then it is highly unlikely that a formally constructed mahagatbandhan will serve the purpose with any energy or heart or will last in its true spirit. Our role as voters is to look at things realistically and objectively and not build castles in the air or believe in pie in the sky. Life is real. Life is earnest
Diana Pinto, Nagoa
