I accepted the responsibility with the conviction that I will be able to serve Goa and its people. The AAP’s entry into Goan politics marks the beginning of a grassroots resistance against the traditional political forces that have dominated and destroyed our state. The Congress and the BJP are taking turns in plundering our resources and with recent defections it has become difficult to distinguish between the two parties. The emergence of fringe parties claiming to represent Goa has only institutionalised the practice of post election wheeling-dealing to cobble up a majority.
In this context, the AAP is a beacon of hope for Goa. The people are yearning for real change and AAP means change. After the historic rally addressed by AAP’s National Convener Arvind Kejriwal at my home town Cuncolim, the people of Goa have been offered a clear choice. Do they want to continue the status quo or liberate the state from BJP’s corruption and misrule? During my interactions with the people, I have felt an extraordinary desire for the latter.
This week AAP launched an awareness campaign which informs the people of this choice. Our hoardings juxtaposed what the AAP offers to the people and what the BJP represents. This is not about personalities, it is about what the two parties symbolize. At no point do the hoardings demean or insult any individual, and the Aam Aadmi Party doesn't believe in running a negative campaign.
However, as a political party, it is our duty and responsibility to inform the electorate about the choices available to them this election. An informed electorate is best placed to make the right choice for the future of the state.
The fact that the Bhartiya Janata Party has misused official machinery to vandalize the AAP’s publicity material and is threatening private hoarding vendors to remove the banners, betrays a sense of paranoia. If they are so desperate to remove the banners, it must mean that they do not want Goans to see what choice lies ahead of them. This is an implicit admission of weakness and frustration.
Unfortunately, by using money and muscle power to muzzle the AAP’s publicity material, the BJP has only reminded people about the stark difference between the two parties. The thuggery committed by members of the ruling party does not have the endorsement of the people and will be completely rejected at the polls come February.
A corruption-free Goa is the dream that we have set out to achieve. Goa wants to see a progressive government that works in the interest of the people, and not in the interest of the rich and powerful. The youth wants productive employment, but the Parsekar Government has done nothing to ensure adequate jobs are created every year. The assault on Goa’s culture and social fabric have polluted our home. The exploitation of the trust people placed in the BJP has left a deep bruise in our minds. Come 2017, Goans will make history and elect a government of the aam aadmi.
