It’s that time of the year when most of the Salcete’spoliticians turn Santas, sponsoring the youth and funding cribs across thetaluka.
With Salcete’s big papas like Churchill Alemao, JoaquimAlemao, Aleixo Sequeira and Filipe Neri Rodrigues out of public life, the onusis now on the new MLAs to fund the cribs and Christmas celebrations in a talukawhich is dominated by a large catholic population.
“The problem is that in the past the Alemaos worked likeRobinhoods. They looted the state and funded all these youth activities andsports. Now, people from Cortalim to Betalbatim and Majorda to Benaulim lookforward to me, as the senior most politician in Salcete. I am bound to supportthese traditional cribs in Salcete,” said Nuvem MLA Mickky Pacheco.
But the newly elected Velim MLA, Benjamin D’Silva has adifferent take on funding mechanized and traditional cribs, besides sponsoringchurch feasts and village crosses.
“Any sports or art and culture event gets governmentfunding. I don’t believe in wooing supporters by doling out money, either bysponsoring or funding events. When boys have approached me, I have sent theirapplications to the Art and Culture Department,” D’Silva said.
Second time MLA and the lone Congress voice from the South,Reginaldo Lourenco pointed out that it’s not just about funding these youth. Italso means keeping the tradition alive of making cribs from bamboo and clay todepict nativity.
“As we grow up from the ranks of a panch to sarpanch and toan MLA we have always been approached and we have funded these activities forChristmas. So it’s more of a tradition for politicians to fund such activitiesand the youth in the villages,” Lourenco said.
Salcete’s lone minister in the BJP-led government andindependent MLA, Avertano Furtado has decided to go all out for the Christmasseason.
“The State has been in a state of gloom with ban on mining.I think Christmas brings a little cheer in everybody’s lives. I have not turneddown anybody who approached me for a donation to put up a crib or a star,”Furtado said.
He expressed his wish to fund a live crib that will movearound Navelim during Christmas to keep the spirit of the season alive.
But not to be left behind is his political rival ChurchillAlemao, who is not just funding cribs but also tiatrs and tiartrists to hostshows across Benaulim and Cavelossim to keep himself in public eye, as he plansto contest the 2014 Parliamentary elections.
“I am a veteran politician and in my late 60s. EveryChristmas is like God’s blessing in my old-age. I have to thank God for keepingme in the midst of my supporters and I will fund them every Christmas,” Alemaosaid.
Cribs that are made out of different material needsconsiderable lighting, which compels youth to ask for donations ranging from Rs5,000 to Rs 70,000 and with politicians ever ready to fund them the youth lookforward to the season of merry.
