The objection raised by Panchayat Minister Mauvin Godinho against Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Palanivel Thiagarajan over the anti-Goa argument at the Central GST meeting appears to be a feeble-minded and timid attempt to score brownie points by stoking State emotions at a national stage when other States were busy discussing crucial agenda.
On Saturday, Godinho charged the TN minister with opposing the GST compensation proposal and is reported to have taken offence to his argument favouring larger states over smaller ones like Goa. However, Thiagarajan unleashed a strong rebuttal launching a scathing attack on Godinho and slamming his contention as a bundle of baseless lies. He went on to explain how Godinho was largely vacuous, hectoring and redundant to others and lacked the basic courtesy of assuming good faith in the comments of other state ministers.
The 43rd GST Council Meeting had crucial business on the agenda, including GST exemption to some Covid-19 supplies till 31st August, exemption of a particular medicine to Black Fungus, formation of GoM to check if further reductions to be given to new items, etc. The meeting remained inconclusive over GST shortfall compensation because there were differences, and there were several other issues that were on the debate. It makes absolutely no sense when a state minister rakes up an issue by making a public statement outside the precincts of the meeting.
Thiagarajan, as a minister representing TN, is well within his rights to look at the interest of the State he represents, as much as Godinho had of Goa. Instead of taking objections to Thiagarajan talk on 'one State-one vote' which he has consistently maintained, Godinho should have listed out points of Goa’s interests, rather than toeing the Centre’s line. The GST council meeting is a big stage for States to put their issues on the table and seek redressal from Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Patriotism and soft emotions have no space here.
If Thiagarajan is raising the 'big state versus small state' argument, nobody stops Godinho from raising Goa’s concerns. Grievances over inter-State disputes and sentiments must be addressed via appropriate channels, and Godinho could have used the party's State-Centre equations to address this issue instead of making a feeble attempt to grab headlines. Outside the GST council, Goa should be in a better position to bargain with the Centre on other key issues because there is a BJP government there too, unlike Tamil Nadu.
The people of Goa which is in the midst of a Covid storm do not have time for such rhetoric of 'small and big State' politics. There are far more pressing issues that need attention, the topmost being vaccination followed by Central relief to Goa's Covid victims. The vaccination of the 18+ group has been derailed because of the shortfall, and there has been no word from the Centre on Goa's request to allow it to use the holdover doses. The people look upon their leaders to take up issues that concern their welfare, nothing more and nothing less.
