MARGAO
All eyes are focused on the Margao Municipal Council’s special meeting scheduled on January 27, but for a different reason “ to decide on the route for the ensuing Carnival float parade scheduled in the city on February 19 and the Shigmo float parade schedule in March.
The question uppermost in the minds of Madgavkars and Fatordekars in particular and Saxttikars in general is simple “ will the Margao Municipal revert back the ensuing Carnival float parade back to the old Holy Spirit-Margao Municipal route?
This question has started doing the rounds in the corridors of the civic body since the issue has found mention on the special meeting agenda of the Council scheduled on January 27. The question further assumes significance and comes against the backdrop of the fact that the Carnival parade route was shifted to the new SGPDA-Ravindra Bhavan route around half a decade ago.
When The Goan contacted Margao Municipal Chairperson Damu Shirodkar to shed light on the mention of the Carnival float parade route on the special meeting agenda scheduled on January 27, he said there have been requests in certain quarters to bring back the Carnival and Shigmo float parade route back to the old Holy Spirit-Margao municipal square. He, however, hastened to add that it is for the Council and the Councillors to take a call on the matter at the special meeting. ‘The issue has been placed at the ensuing Council special meeting scheduled on Friday. Let the Council and the Councillors take a call,” Damu added.
The last time a serious attempt was made to shift the Carnival float parade route back to the old Holy Spirit-Margao Municipal square route was in 2020 when the Margao Carnival committee chairman Athur D’Silva and supported by then Tourism Minister, Manohar Ajgaonkar took the decision. The decision, however, did not find favour with the High Court and the Carnival parade had to be held along the new SGPDA market-Ravindra Bhavan route.
Incidentally, what had apparently scuttled the plans to revert back the Carnival float parade back to the city in 2020 was the Council resolution No 4934 adopted by the Margao Municipal Council at its meeting held on January 15, 2020.
Against this backdrop, the question that now remains unanswered is whether the incumbent Margao Municipal Council headed by BJP-backed Damu Shirodkar will adopt a new resolution at its special meeting scheduled on Friday. For, a new Council resolution on the parade route by the BJP-backed Council may pave way for the return of the Carnival and Shigmo parade back in the city again. For, the High Court while deciding on the parade route in 2020, had observed that it is for the MMC to resolve such issues if at all the parade is to be held on any particular route other than the route referred in the Resolution No 4934.
Sources do not rule the possibility of the ruling BJP scoring some brownie points against the Goa Forward, whose Chief Vijai Sardesai had been responsible for shifting the Carnival and Shigmo float parades in the city around half a decade ago.
