MARGAO
Art, culture as well as politics reigned supreme at the Shigmotsav organised by the Madgao Shigmotsav Samiti as thousands of people lined up along the original Holy Spirit Church-Margao Municipal square route to have a glimpse of Shigmo floats and romtamel on Saturday.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant kept his date in the commercial capital, making no bones of the fact that the Shigmo float parade has returned to the original route for the simple reason that former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat has returned back to his original BJP party.
The Chief Minister did not stop there. He said efforts need to be done to ensure that former BJP MLA Damu Naik, who is the secretary of the Madgao Shigmotsav Samiti, is given his original position in Fatorda, apparently hinting that efforts will have to be made to get Damu elected again from Fatorda.
The Chief Minister publicly acknowledged that the Lotus has bloomed in neighbouring Navelim with the election of Ulhas Tuenkar as the MLA.
“It was not by chance that Shigmo has returned to the original route in Margao. Our former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat has come back to his original party. Shigmo has come back to the original route because Kamat has returned to the original party,” the Chief Minister said, while welcoming Kamat in the party.
Impressed by the huge turnout of people to have a glimpse of the floats in Margao, the Chief Minister said Carnival float parade in the Commercial capital was also a huge success. He appealed to the people to remain united and together and celebrate the festivals.
Earlier, in his brief address, Congress-turned-Margao MLA Digambar Kamat stressed on the Margao Municipal Council’s decision to bring the carnival and Shigmo float parade to the original route.
“The traditional Shigmo used to start at the Holy Spirit Church square and end near the Municipal square. We have brought Shigmo back to the traditional route,” said Kamat, who returned home from abroad on Saturday.
Kamat recalled that Shigmo was celebrated on the traditional route when he was the president of the Madgao Shigmotsav Samiti and former MLA Damu Naik as the Samiti Secretary. “We have brought the Shigmo back to the traditional route,” Kamat said, while thanking Margao Municipal Chairperson Damu Shirodkar, councillors and the Samiti members for their help to bring the Shigmo back to the traditional route.
In his address, former MLA Damu Naik said shigmo has been held in a traditional manner over the years and the same is being carried forward by the Madgao Shigmotsav Samiti.
Perhaps for the first time, the Madgao Shigmotsav Samiti erected a makeshift stand at the MMC square, which helped to accommodate hundreds of people.
