MARGAO
Exactly a decade ago, in the run-up to the 2012 assembly polls, former Chief Minister late Manohar Parrikar took the platform of the seafarers to woo the crucial segment of the voter base in minority Salcete and checkmate the Congress in its bastion.
Later, riding to power on a strong anti-Congress wave, Parrikar kept his election promise to the seafarers' community by unveiling a scheme, providing a monthly pension of Rs 2,500 for the retired seafarers and widows, not covered under the DSSS.
A decade down the lane, the seafaring community appeared an aggrieved lot over a host of reasons. Parrikar’s pension scheme was discontinued without rhyme or reason by the BJP-led government in October 2019. And, when it was revived in June last year, after protests by the seafarers, it remained in force only for six months. Just before the election code of conduct came into force last month, the government again revived the scheme for one year when the seafaring community had been pleading for a permanent pension scheme.
The seafaring community appears further aggrieved that the government was not prompt enough in getting the beleaguered seamen stranded on the cruise liners back home when the Covid pandemic first raised its ugly head in early 2020.
As the State goes for the polls, the seafaring community is expected to play a crucial role in the Salcete countryside, including the constituencies of Velim, Navelim, Cuncolim and Benaulim and not to mention Curtorim, Fatorda or Nuvem.
Over the years, the seafaring community might have been the voter base of the Congress party, but the community has a history of voting for a change when they felt the need in their respective constituencies.
The ground reality reveals that organizations espousing the issues affecting the seafaring community have left it for the individual members and their families to support and back the candidates of their choice.
There’s still no clarity on the ground to suggest that the seafaring community and their families will vote in a particular direction in the coming polls. On the contrary, one has come across seamen supporting individual candidates contesting on different party labels.
Take the case of the Benaulim constituency. A section of young seamen had rooted for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the 2020 Zilla panchayat polls. AAP leaders say that party candidate Venzy Viegas, who had taken up cudgels for the beleaguered seamen during the Covid crisis, has evoked huge support from the seafarers. Supporters of the sitting TMC MLA Churchill Alemao claimed that the MLA took up the issue of repatriation of the stranded seafarers with the State government as well as with the Centre.
A similar situation prevails in other constituencies too, with the seafarers found supporting candidates of their choice. Incidentally, apart from other players, the Revolutionary Goans Party has also struck a chord with the seafarers and other NRIs from Salcete.
Says President of Goan Seamen Association of India, Frank Viegas: “Our organization has allowed the members to take a decision of their choice. In certain constituencies, the seamen would have supported those who had helped the community, such as in Cumbarjua if Union Minister Shripad’s son Siddesh had to contest the polls. Shripad along with ex-MP Narendra Sawaikar has helped the seafarers’ community in times of need. So was late Manohar Parrikar who had unveiled the pension scheme for the seafarers”.
Former GSAI President Dixon Vaz pointed out that seafarers and their families need not be told who had lent them a helping hand during the Covid pandemic.
“In 2012, the situation was different. There was a strong anti-Congress wave prevailing then. When we had all approached the then Congress government to work out a pension scheme for seafarers, our request had received a cold shoulder. Then opposition leader Manohar Parrikar promised us the pension and he honoured his work by unveiling the same after coming to power in 2012”, Dixon said.
Both Frank and Dixon wondered why the government did not come out with a permanent pension scheme for the seafarers similar to the other social welfare schemes when the community has made a rich contribution to the State’s economy over the years.
