The Opinion Poll day discourse takes an interesting twist. There is no commemoration for a day which stands out in the history of Goa. Why? Jack Sequeira, nephew of Dr Jack Sequeira, made an impassioned plea hoping that the government would recognise his uncle’s contribution and give him the due space in Goan history.
The Opinion Poll day has enormous historical relevance because it is the very basis on which Goa stands tall as a State today. It was on January 16, 1967, and a referendum offered the people of Goa a choice between continuing as a union territory and merging with the State of Maharashtra. It’s the most defining moment in the annals of Goa’s history because it gave us separate identity and Goa could subsequently earn full-fledged Statehood in 1987.
Opinion Poll day perhaps scores over many other State commemorations but has been consciously ignored. Instead, the occasion has been effectively used for political slugfests to trade jibes and win brownie points.
Goa Forward chief Vijai Sardesai fired a political salvo claiming the government is represented by 43 per cent people who voted for merger of Goa, and hence will not commemorate the day. The fact of the matter is successive governments failed on this count, not only the current dispensation. Previous governments, including the Congress regimes and even the coalition government which Vijai was a part of and which was very vocal about Goenkarponn, have refrained from commemorating
the day.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant struck a chord at the Goa Yuva Mahotsav on Friday stating that there’s no higher priority before him than protecting the identity of the State. Interestingly, CM’s focus was on support to Konkani language, which is one of the aspects of the larger issue. However, the other aspects of Goa’s identity cannot be ignored or segregated.
Minister for Solid Waste Management Michael Lobo on Thursday made a pitch for restricting non-Goans from buying non-settlement lands. He also expressed the need to install Dr Sequeira’s statute in the Legislative Assembly as a mark of honour.
If we may recall, it was during former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar’s first assembly sessions of 2012 a Bill was tabled barring the sale of agricultural land to ‘outsiders’. The Bill was subsequently sent to a select committee and finally rendered defunct. The lack of will from legislators clearly lay exposed.
The immediate need of the hour is to create awareness about the fading Goan identity. Our discussions and debates should revolve around the changing landscape and the out-migration of Goans. The single biggest issue currently is Goans giving up citizenship in search of greener pastures.
There are serious issues to ponder. Communal divides cannot put a spoke in Goa’s history. The State known for its communal harmony, cannot set such an example. Opinion Poll day certainly deserves a State commemoration. And its time, leaders shun their political leanings and work in the true spirit of protecting Goa’s identity.
