the goan I network
PANAJI
The Pramod Sawant government in the State found itself at the centre of a controversy of sorts after reports emerged that an invite to television journalist Faye D’Souza to be one of the keynote speakers at the lecture series during this year’s State-sponsored DD Kosambi Festival of Ideas was withdrawn.
That the candidature of D’Souza, a vociferous critic of the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), to be a speaker at the festival dropped was admitted by Art and Culture Minister Govind Gaude who addressed a press conference to announce the programme of the festival.
Gaude who initially sought to sidestep questions from journalists on the issue however said D’Souza was dropped to avoid a “mess” and “chaos” at the festival.
But when The Goan contacted her, the Mumbai-based D’Souza tersely said: “I declined the invitation to that event because of other work commitments.”
Gaude, who was bombarded with queries from journalists on the issue at the press conference, meanwhile, had said: “Tomorrow, there should not be a mess or chaos. It is such a huge festival we do not want to be in a contradictory position.”
Gaude was asked if D’Souza’s name was dropped from the list of speakers at the event because she was publicly campaigning against CAA.
Gaude claimed public debate on the CAA, NRC and NPR issues had been welcomed by the governments both at the Centre and in Goa and added that eventually it was the prerogative of the Art and Culture Ministry which he heads, as to whom to invite for the lecture series. Gaude meanwhile added that the festival which is slated to begin on next Monday will have weightlifter and Olympic medalist Karnam Malleshwari, Para-Olympic Games medalist Deepa Malik and Dr Chhavi Rajput, India’s first woman sarpanch with an MBA degree delivering talks.
The Opposition Congress party meanwhile took objection to the government’s move to turn down the invite to D’Souza at the eleventh hour.
Congress spokesperson Trajano D’Mello said the BJP-led government had once again showcased its trait to suppress freedom of expression.
D’Souza was editor until recently of popular national news tv channel Mirror Now and was seen as stridently critical of the establishment.
Her sudden exit from the news channel a few months ago surprised many and
was a topic of debate in
media circles.
