The current ongoing needless debate in Goa on who should and can contest elections is an exercise in futility diverting our attention from reality - the pressing problems our now very cosmopolitan State is grappling with. We are all part of our great Indian nation known as the world’s biggest democracy.
The law is very clear on who can contest elections and who can vote. As long as one meets the laid down criteria, all this loose talk going on is a sheer waste of time. From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, we are all proud citizens of our huge nation known for its unity in diversity. Unity is strength. Division is a weakness! Where there is unity, teamwork and collaboration, wonders can be achieved.
Let us not be carried away by this worthless talk of caste, creed and domicile politics which will only divide us further while our nation needs to be a unified force. The choice of our leaders should always be based on merit, knowledge, experience and ability they have and are prepared to apply for the benefit of others with total integrity.
As we need to respect mankind, it would be appropriate to stop calling those settled in Goa as ‘ghantis’. How would we feel if our dear Goan brothers and sisters settled across the world were similarly labelled in the new country they chose to make their home?
We should heed the wise words of the late Henry Ford, an industrialist and business magnate, who said, “Coming together is a beginning, keeping together is progress; working together is success.”
