After being the most vociferous face of the Congress for nearly five years, he had found himself in the lurch for almost a year since quitting as the State president following the 2022 assembly debacle -- neither here (State) nor there (national level). Finally last week, he got accomodated and 'permanently invited' to legitimately strut his stuff.
You guessed it right. It's Girish Chodankar, the former Congress State president, we are talking about. Without any formal designation since resigning as GPCC president last year, Girish had found himself at odds with his successor Amit Patkar and the latter's team.
In fact, the duo was engaged in an intense intra-party feud which spilled out in the open with the sudden suspension of Janardhan Bhandari, a Chodankar acolyte, by Patkar. Along with Bhandari, four other appointees of the former president also got the suspension stick from Patkar.
All that has changed now, with Chodankar named a 'permanent invitee' to the Congress Working Committee, and we now hear that the suspension of Bhandari and Co, has also been withdrawn by Patkar. The feud between the two now seemingly settled, the grand old party might as well get down on to the road and begin repairing its tattered house, what with just nine months to go for the 2024 finale.
Goa's political sons
It hasn't been a great week for Goa's political sons. On Wednesday, CCP Mayor, Rohit Monserrate, the older son of Revenue Minister Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate and his MLA-wife, Jennifer, learnt it the hard way that you cannot always get your way solely based on your 'surname' even if you are the mayor of the capital.
Monserrate was left red-faced when he was blocked from entering the galleries at the Goa legislative assembly and no amount of trying worked with the President's security as the mayor presented his invite but forgot to bring his ID along. He had to return without witnessing the special session where President Droupadi Murmu addressed the members. Not a familiar situation for the Gen-X Monserrate, whose surname is otherwise an 'all access' ID across the State.
Elsewhere in Porvorim, yet another ex-politico's son, err...nephew, got a taste of what life is in unfamiliar terrain, devoid of the safety and privileges afforded by the VVIP ecosystem.
The nephew of former Sports Minister Avertano Furtado, apparently on a night out with a friend last weekend, was trapped in a brawl where he found himself at the receiving end. The video clip of the brawl found its way to a popular social media platform where it went viral as a former minister's "son" getting involved in a fight at a bar. Furtado meanwhile has objected to the lad being erroneously identified as his 'son' when he is his nephew and is seeking action against netizens under the relevant cyber laws!
VIP culture versus
common man
It goes without saying that VVIPs holding constitutional positions, particularly the President and the Prime Minister are entitled to their security cover and other protocol.
However, the harassment caused to the common man whenever any of them come calling on official visits, is also avoidable.
As if the problems to commute faced by the average Goan, the uneven and pot-holed roads et al, weren't enough, the closure of the entire route for the VVIP makes life so much more difficult.
Take for example the other day when the Honourable President Droupadi Murmu was to arrive in Goa. A missive was issued that all passengers who had to board their flights till about 6 pm had to reach the Dabolim airport before 3 pm, ostensibly for security reasons. The same diktat was issued when the President was leaving Goa for Delhi.
We sympathize with the passengers who were forced to spend a good three hours at the airport, killing time for no fault of theirs.
Is it a big ask of the authorities, in this day and age, to think out of the box and come up with a more practical alternative for movement of the VVIPs without upsetting the routine of the aam aadmi?
Flamboyant Calangute VP
Secy is back in action
Strange are the ways of the administration. Remember Arjun Velip, the flamboyant panchayat secretary who was unceremoniously transferred from Calangute to far away Dharbandora village panchayat in the aftermath of the Chatrapati Shivaji statue imbroglio, two months ago?
At that time it was considered as a punishment posting, as his role in the Shivaji statue imbroglio didn't go down well with the powers at the top.
The winds have changed direction quickly though. The politically well connected Velip is back in Calangute and with a bang.
The punishment, if at all you want to call it one, lasted just a little over a month.
But such things happen in governments and are accepted by politicians of all hues.
