the goan I network
MARGAO
An open forum hosted by Dakshinayan Abhiyan on Vision Lok Sabha 2019 has veered round the view that the BJP should be defeated in the ensuing Lok Sabha election, with speakers charging the ruling party for destroying institutions and for posing a threat to the principles of justice, liberty and fraternity enshrined in the Indian Constitution.
There was, however, no unanimity amongst the participants on the political party or candidate who should take on the ruling party. While many speakers said the Congress will be in a better position to defeat the candidate provided that the party fields honest and good candidate and even suggested the name of High Court lawyer and political commentator, Adv Cleofato Coutinho, Aam Aadmi Party volunteers, however, insisted that the party will fight the ensuing elections, with party leader Sidharth Karapurkar blaming the BJP and the Congress for the current state of affairs in the country.
City-based lawyer, Dr Francisco Colaco suggested the name of Adv Cleofato Coutinho as a probable candidate for the South Goa Lok Sabha seat, which evoked support from Goa Forward leader Mohandas Lolienkar and UGDP senior leader Adv Radharao Gracias, both of whom, however, insisted they are speaking at the programme in their individual capacities.
At one point, AAP volunteers expressed their resentment when Adv Radharao commented that the ensuing battle will be between the Congress and the BJP. Radharao, however, stuck to his guns, saying his comment is based on the ground reality and reminded AAP how the party candidates could not save deposits in the 2017 Assembly election in almost all the constituencies barring Benaulim.
Saying that he has opposed the Congress over the decades, Radharao said the time has come now to defeat the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha and ensure that the people protect the right to vote in the future. He, however, said the Congress cannot take the voters for granted, saying the Congress should field a candidate, who need not necessarily be a loyal candidate, but who is honest and a man of integrity and who would perform in Parliament. “Both Francisco Sardinha and Luizinho Faleiro have been in politics for over four decades. Time has now come for the Congress to field new and deserving candidate,” he said, while saying that the candidature of Pratima Coutinho is not acceptable because of her outside origin.
In his address, Adv Uday Bhembre warned that people will lose everything if democracy is lost in the country. “The essence of democracy is collective responsibility, but what we have seen in the past four years and half is that Prime Minister Narendra Modi takes individual decisions right from demonetisation to Rafale deal and the surgical strike. There is no justice as attempts are being made to influence Judiciary. Liberty of citizens is curtailed if one speaks against the ruling party and dubbed as anti-national,” Bhembre said.
Businessman Serafino Cota warned that political parties should not foist bad candidates on the people by instilling fear on sensitive issues such as beef, while Muzzarfar Hussain called for educating the migrant voters not to vote blindly in the elections.
Dr Francisco Colaco hoped the people of Goa will take the right decision and bring Goa from the morass, while former MLA Nirmala Sawant insisted on educating the electorate on the elections. Aquem Baixo Sarpanch Siddesh Bhagat called for uprooting those who do not respect democracy and the democratic institutions, while Mohandas Kamat called for backing a secular candidate to defeat the ruling dispensation.
Dakshinayan Abhiyan President Datta Naik concluded by saying that the deliberations at the programme will hopefully reach the Congress party leadership.
