The changing political attire
It wasn’t too long ago that Goa’s Chief Minister, Laxmikant Parsekar was all over social media with a video of the Prime Minister ignoring him going viral. So enamoured was Parsekar by the personality of the Prime Minister right next to him, that he didn’t realise he had completely embarrassed the state. But that didn’t end there. Ever since the Prime Minister was down in Goa, first for the BRICS summit and later to lay the foundation stone for the Mopa airport, there has been a marked difference in Parsekar. The Chief Minister has begun to dress considerably better since then. Not only is his attire now more elegant, but it’s also that he is wearing the “Modi Jacket” along with his kurtas more often for all official functions. On the other hand, Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar was spotted wearing a long sleeved shirt. Indeed a rare sight
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The perils of digital
There was no doubt that the State government hurried through the public function for the laying of the foundation stone for the widening of the National Highway from Patradevi to Bambolim. With the election code of conduct yapping at the heels of the present government, it was a race against time to have the function done and dusted, even at the cost of doing it before the tenders have been opened. And sometimes with hurry there’s the odd blunder. In this case, embarrassingly for the State PWD, the remote controlled curtains that were to automatically unveil at the press of a button refused to do so. And despite repeated attempts the curtains had to be manually unveiled by engineers of the PWD. If nothing else, this should serve as a reminder to the government that digital stuff for all its advantages may not work the way you want it at the time you want it. There’s nothing like manual and mechanical stuff. It’s the very reason why the manual crank handles of my car windows give me a sense of security every time I set out to drive. Let’s hope the “cashless” guys are listening.
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What’s common between Elvis and Phadke?
You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to know what the current BJP led government is up to. No sooner did GCA secretary Balu Phadke announce that he was joining the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), he and three others along with former MLA Dayanand Narvekar were slapped with a fresh case by the cops probing the GCA misappropriation of funds case. No sooner was the AAP’s Elvis Gomes announced as the party’s Chief Ministerial candidate, he was issued summons along with another opposition leader Nilkanth Halarnkar in the alleged housing board scam. One would think that the state government try to at the very least conceal its intentions and not make it seem like what it is. But that isn’t the case. Coupled with the fact that the state machinery especially the police are allegedly helping the BJP to remove the banners of other political parties, to make way for the BJP’s rallies, the code of conduct cannot come soon enough!
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Gadkari’s American dream
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has just returned from a trip to the United States, it seems. The Minister of Road Transport and Highways during his trip happened to use the coastal road between Los Angeles and San Francisco in California. Spurred on by the idea, the Minister who has an excellent track record in pouring concrete into otherwise idyllic scenes, struck upon an idea. He decided that, that road could be replicated along his beloved Konkan coast as a “tourism road” between Mumbai and Goa. Aside from the well established idea that more roads only means more traffic, and not less traffic as one would assume, someone please tell the Union Minister that India is not the United States. That country is three times our size and one third our population. In short, they have a lot of open space to build on without displacing people and animals. It would be better if they first complete the six-lane Old Goa bypass, work on which has stalled and is already long overdue.
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Did Parrikar implicate Godinho?
Did Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar implicate Mauvin Godinho in his effort to justify his inclusion? It would certainly seem so. Cornered by journalists over the welcoming of Mauvin Godinho in the party, a man who he had once accused of a power scam and even dragged him to the Supreme Court, Parrikar said that the “money which was to be lost, was recovered.” Wait a minute! Just because you recover the stolen booty does it mean that the thief has been exeronated? Certainly not, right? Not in this case though. Parrikar said that for him the matter ended no sooner the last rupee of the Rs 63 lakh was recovered by the state exchequer. The rest is for the law to take its own course, he said. That’s really going to happen now that Mauvin has joined the BJP. Ditto with Madkaikar.
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Rakhnno montri’s parting shot
Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar found himself in a spot of bother when his comments that “chronic opponents” especially those in the media should “dance naked”. He said it while attempting to brand his opponents as publicity seekers and that dancing naked will get you instant publicity. Parrikar was of course speaking in Konkani and the words used were ‘kopdde kaddun nachat’. Rather than be embarrassed, Parrikar said the statements appeared bad only because they were published in English and not the language he had spoken them in.
“Konkani is a dangerous language,” Parrikar said defending himself but only proceeding to further embarrass himself. At the function to lay the foundation stone where Union Minister Nitin Gadkari was present. Parrikar castigated the emcee for calling him “rakhnno montri” (Defence Minister in Konkani). “Rakhnno would mean gorva rakhnno! People will think I am a shepherd.”
