This reminds us of an old tale from Akbar and Birbal, wherein king Akbar draws one line and asks his team to make the line smaller without touching it.
The shrewd Birbal knew how to tackle this, and without touching that line, he makes it small by drawing a bigger line parallel to it.
The same is the rule followed by all political parties in Goa. The parties want MLAs from other parties to join without even fighting the elections.
On Tuesday, the TMC, which did not even exist in Goa when the current Assembly was elected, has got one in the form of Churchill Alemao.
This means the MLAs in Goa are available for sale just like the fish, tomatoes and potatoes in markets.
The MLA circus of the kind seen these days is by now a familiar feature of Goan politics.
SURAJ NANDREKAR
Editor, Goemkarponn
What a curse democracy has become. Today, instead of democracy becoming of the people, by the people and for the people, it has become Elected by the people and Sold to the political parties.
In the last five years, we have seen the dark side of democracy. Who would think that a party that got just 13 out of 40 seats manages to form the government instead of the one with 17 seats?
Moreover, from 13, it takes its tally 27. Shocking and unrealistic?
This reminds us of an old tale from Akbar and Birbal, wherein king Akbar draws one line and asks his team to make the line smaller without touching it.
The shrewd Birbal knew how to tackle this, and without touching that line, he makes it small by drawing a bigger line parallel to it.
The same is the rule followed by all political parties in Goa. The parties want MLAs from other parties to join without even fighting the elections.
On Tuesday, the TMC, which did not even exist in Goa when the current Assembly was elected, has got one in the form of Churchill Alemao.
This means the MLAs in Goa are available for sale just like the fish, tomatoes and potatoes in markets.
The MLA circus of the kind seen these days is by now a familiar feature of Goan politics.
The Indian Parliament amended the Constitution in 1985 to pass the anti-defection law. The aim was to stop “the evil of political defection”. The evil never stopped. The old motto of Aaya Ram Gaya Ram has given way to the new bazaar practice of Buy Ram Sell Ram.
Churchill is not the lone case; almost 18 MLAs have jumped ship in the last five years. Right from Vishwajit Rane, Dayanand Sopte, Subash Shirodkar, Babu Kavlekar, Babush Monseratte, Jennifer Monseratte, Clafasio Dias, Wilfred D’Sa, Tony Fernandes, Francis Silveira, Isidore Fernandes, Nilkanth Halarnkar, Babu Azgaonkar, Deepak Pauskar, Ravi Naik Jayesh Salgaocar, Luizinho Faleiro.
It is being said that each of these MLAs was paid around Rs 15 cr to switch over.
That pattern has become part of life across the country. Those in power believe they should remain there indefinitely, while those in opposition believe it is their right to topple the government and take over. To achieve their aims, sworn enemies become close friends.
All are like-minded in their shared greed for power. What makes politicians different from ordinary human beings is the certainty with which they can extol their own supposed virtues and ridicule others.
Imagine if TMC had bought Churchill Alemao before the last session of the Assembly was over. TMC would have represented Goans even before fighting elections.
Needless to say, TMC has no base in Goa; they are here for a shopping spree. They want to buy the MLAs – first, they bought Luizinho Faleiro and then his bête noire Churchill Alemao.
For Churchill, this has become a regular affair; he is jumping more parties than monkeys would jump from one tree to another.
Development and fighting for his people is the last thing on his mind. It ion only and only Vitamin M on his mind, which made him take this decision.
However, it is not the politicians to be blamed; it is the people who elect such politicians over and over again who work only for themselves and care a damn about the people who elected them.
Comment