Politics has never been so dirty and unprincipled. The monsoon session in the Goa Vidhan Sabha, relatively peaceful compared to Parliament and proceedings in other States, has only 7 members in the opposition, the ruling party using its brute majority obtained by defections, poaching and other means, to completely ignore and overrule the opposition on almost every matter.
Likewise in Parliament Bills are passed without discussion and opposition walk outs, unfortunately divided by their own ego and self-interest not to mention a very antagonistic ruling party that labels any criticism as antinational and of late a walkout in the Rajya Sabha for labelling opposition as traitors!
However they managed to bring a no-confidence motion against the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, knowing fully well they will lose to the majority ruling party, just to force him to talk about Manipur in Parliament, which he had assiduously avoided for over 3 months.
The PM did appear and talked for over about ninety minutes, briefly mentioning Manipur and the unstructured opposition walking out losing a golden opportunity to achieve their objective.
The whole nation and all political parties are unanimous on our achievement with Chandrayan-3. This was not hurriedly planned by our scientists, involving wide consultation with NASA, European Space agency, Russia and painstaking resolute planning starting from India’s first rocket launch in 1963 from the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre which was originally a catholic church, voluntarily given by the community for the progress of science.
Among this group of scientists was APJ Abdul Kalam detailed in his book “Ignited Minds Unleashing the Power within India”. We have successfully landed on the south pole of the moon but why are incidents like Manipur and Nuh in Haryana which have shocked the nation in its inhumanity, lawlessness and violence allowed to happen?
We also have encounter killings and instant bulldozer justice started by a Yogi Chief Minister in UP now ruthlessly followed by some BJP ruled states, mercifully stopped suo moto by the Haryana and Chandigarh High Court! Whither natural justice, humanity and accountability when a particular community is targeted where many innocent people, women, children and families having nothing to do/disapproving of miscreants, suddenly find themselves on the roads, their residences, even a three storied building, shops, and all belongings destroyed without notice or due process of law under the guise of illegal constructions that were permitted to come up and existing for years, is misuse of power and inhuman.
Rather than blaming previous governments, accepting present responsibility and accountability of the central and state government with unbiased instant consequences on officials as per law unlike instant bulldozer justice is lacking!
Tiny Goa’s contribution to the armed forces and in the liberation of Goa is painstakingly documented in two books by Valmiki Faleiro. The first was “Patriotism in Action” which surprised me in the number of Goan officers, many of them at the highest echelons leading the nation’s forces in every battle since independence and “Goa 1961”, a well-researched history of all events ever since the Portuguese thought of landing in India.
Presidents, Vice Presidents/ Speakers in Parliament and so many from the minority communities from all walks of life have contributed to building this nation to where it is today. In our hospitals many examples of doctors, patients, donors of blood and body parts, religion and caste no bar! Why in our democracy is there discrimination and people patronize polarization and militant proponents?
The hurry in development without detailed discussions and consultation with a scientific temper and not election-mode oriented now needs to stop.
There is climate change and disastrous consequences as can be seen in the landslides and flooding where huge buildings are falling like a pack of cards and devastating consequences! In Goa massive construction work reported underway in a no-development zone in Pomburpa, Olaulim, with Aldona MLA participating in the people’s march against illegalities, will lead to such calamities in Goa! The courts seem to be the only hope of people.
The long overdue judicial reforms are being attempted by replacing the 1860 IPC, 1898 CrPC and 1872 evidence Act by the 2023 BNS (Bharatiya Nyaya Sahita), BSS (Bharatiya Suraksha Sanhita) and BS (Bharatiya Sakshya) sent to a Parliament Standing Committee. It is reported that the Rajya Sabha has asked for a report in three months and government aims to pass these Bills in the winter session.
The Home Minister informed Parliament that crimes against women and children and social problems faced by them have been addressed. There are lots of apprehensions about the rights of adult’s choice in marriage, modern scientific psychology, women crying rape when friendships/ living together sours or deceit including promises of employment or promotion. Marital rape finds no mention.
However terrorism has been defined, organized riots, attaching property, lynching, community service etc. introduced but whether new powers for speedy justice will protect and ensure every citizen’s constitutional freedom.
After more than a century and a half of colonial laws in force being changed, it remains to be seen when these Acts will come into force after transparent wider consultations and justice prevails in their implementation.
