MAPUSA
With assembly elections just five-odd months away, Ports Minister Michael Lobo showcased his organisational prowess by holding a massive cycle rally in Parra on the occasion of the Gandhi Jayanthi on Saturday, sending a subtle message to his detractors.
In his address, Lobo said that the rally has been organised to send a message of peace but the mammoth gathering of participants from all over Bardez was pregnant with political connotations.
“We are promoting the message for peace in the world. This rally is being organised by ‘Together for Bardez’,” he said.
It’s an open secret that Lobo has set his eyes on the constituencies of the politically significant taluka in North Goa.
Also, he has already been on record that he can get candidates elected in all the seven constituencies in Bardez.
Referring to the famous words “ be the change you want to see in the world “ attributed to Mahatma Gandhi, he called on the people to bring the change in Goa, without elaborating though.
“A lot of people complain on different things. Be the change that you want to see. People have come out to participate in the rally to bring the change in Goa,” Lobo said.
With Goa warming up to the 2022 elections, the actual message of the statement was not lost on the electorate.
Mindful of the threat of the third wave, the Ports Minister said everyone has to follow all Covid protocols to keep the virus at bay.
“We are coming out of the Coronavirus…People were all inside and did not know what to do. This rally will be successful but we have to take care,” he said.
Lobo’s better half and Parra Sarpanch Delilah Lobo was also in the forefront at the event. Some panch members of surrounding villages and at least one councillor from Mapusa also made their presence felt at the event.
According to the organisers, 773 people participated in the cycle rally although 1,500 had registered to take part in it.
The young and the old, professionals and government officials, boys and girls and even children participated in the rally.
A large group of volunteers took pole position before 6 in the morning to ensure immaculate organization of the event.
From an open jeep with video journalists piloting the rally to an ambulance to drones hovering above, all minute details were taken care of to ensure that the event was well covered and went off without a hitch.
The rally was organized by the Parra Citizens Forum and with the help of Sports Authority of Goa and the PT teachers from Bardez and supported by Michael Lobo.
