*Questions if a kanndiga eleigble under POGO can be offered a ticket
Team Goemkarponn
VASCO: Kannada Sahitya Parishad president Siddhanna Meti on Tuesday evening criticised the Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) for allegedly adopting double standards on political grounds and attempting to mislead innocent Goans through divisive rhetoric.
Speaking to reporters, Meti questioned the RGP’s stance on the “Person of Goan Origin” (POGO) concept, accusing the party of twisting its narrative to suit political convenience.
“They are running this agenda of ‘Person of Goan Origin (POGO)’ as someone whose parents or grandparents were born in Goa or were residing here prior to December 20, 1961. I am 53 years old, born and brought up in Goa, but I am not interested in politics. However, there are many Kannadigas whose grandparents were born here, and this may be their third generation in Goa — making them eligible under the POGO criteria,” Meti said.
“I want to ask Parab whether he is ready to offer such Kannadigas a Revolutionary Goans Party ticket for elections. If RGP truly stands by its own agenda and gives a Kannadiga candidate a ticket, we will stand 100 percent with him. Together, our votes and his votes can help elect at least 10 to 20 RGP MLAs, and Manoj Parab can finally stake claim as Chief Minister. We are not interested in politics, but this is to show him how hollow his own argument is,” Meti added.
Meti further said that RGP had unfairly portrayed Kannadigas and Lamanis as criminals, which was far from factual.
“There are around three lakh Kannadigas in Goa, and not all of them are criminals. Every state has two to three percent of people who may have a criminal mindset or indulge in rowdyism or hatred, but that cannot define an entire community,” Meti stated.
He elaborated, “If a Goan enters my house at night to burgle, can I say that RGP is a party of criminals? It’s unfair to generalise or defame a whole group for political mileage. If there are criminals, the government has a police station in every part of the country to deal with them. It is not RGP’s job to brand anyone as a criminal or destroy their reputation unnecessarily just to win votes.”
Meti also emphasised that Kannadigas had never targeted Goans or the RGP, reminding that both regions have always shared close ties.
“We have never targeted RGP or Goans because we are neighbouring states. One can start from Goa in the morning and reach Belagavi by evening — there has never been any issue between us. It is the RGP that is trying to create unnecessary tension,” he said.
Reiterating his community’s apolitical stand, Meti made a direct appeal to legislators across parties.
“I want to make it clear to all MLAs and MPs of every party in Goa that we are not against anyone nor do we favour any party. We only say that there should be no politics at the cost of our people. My only concern is the safety and dignity of our community,” Meti asserted.
He continued, “If anyone from our community is involved in crime, I will be the first to demand his arrest and strict punishment. But don’t target the poor — go after the wealthy who are destroying Goa. The government can recover crores from rich offenders and use that money to uplift the poor.”
Meti also appealed for a shift in political focus towards social welfare.
“I visit orphanages and old-age homes to celebrate my children’s birthdays and I see many children abandoned because their parents died of AIDS or other causes. Let us work together to help such people,” he urged.
“I also call upon Manoj Parab to join hands with us in helping the underprivileged, instead of doing divisive politics on migrants. Together, we can work for humanity instead of hatred,” Meti said.
