The “CONSTITUTION IMPOSED ON OUR HEADS” controversy does not seem to die down as now it has reached the pinnacle of democracy – The Indian Constitution. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has targeted the Congress with “Trying to break Nation” comments.
Well, we have nothing to do with the political mudslinging between the Congress and the BJP, but what is surprising is ever since my editorial and the front page news on Capt Viriato’s comments, I have been facing a backlash on social media (even from some journalist colleagues – who just stopped short of calling me Godi Media).
Well, I have no issues with criticism, everyone has the right to express their view on an article or editorial.
But they need to understand something. I am not here supporting the BJP or against Congress. The issue is I am an Indian citizen anyone who insults my nation’s foundation which is the Constitution will not be spared and I have every right to do that as a journalist, just like you have the right to criticise me.
Secondly, consider this, If I am Godi Media what are you – should I call you Gandhi Media? The media today is divided between Modi and Gandhi, do you think?
I am not at all getting into the religion and caste. We have faced enough of this since Independence and Liberation – let us grow up and think beyond that.
The amount of exposes I have done against the successive BJP governments is beyond the thinking of these so-called table-top and social media journalists.
If they have forgotten let me remind them India’s biggest scam since 2020 was exposed to me in 2020 – the COVID pandemic PURCHASE SCAM, the OXYGEN SCAM, THE BEACH CLEANING SCAM, THE SERULA COMMUNIDADE SCAM, THE POWER SCAM, THE HYDERABAD DRUGS SCAM, THE KALA ACADEMY SCAM and so on. All these were during the BJP government’s term.
“Don’t you dare call me Godi media… you may be Gandhi media and I am not. For me Modi and Gandhi are same – they are politicians and I am a journalist and it is my right to unearth the truth. I don’t fear calling spade a spade” and my comments are not based on any religion. I have more friends from minority communities than from my community.
As far as Capt Viriato is concerned, he may have been the defence personnel and we respect him for that but he has no right to insult the My Constitution. Despite such a big controversy, he does not apologise to calm the nerves.
This is not the first time he has hurt the sentiments of the people. Why does he have to make such “reckless” comments every time? What is his motive? Does he not want the votes of other communities? Or is he going to MP with just one community vote?
On August 14, 2021, because of his huge protest, the Navy cancelled the unfurling of the national flag at Sao Jacinto Island in South Goa after residents said they did not want the Central or state government to carry out any activities on the island due to their distrust of the authorities.
Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant took to Twitter to call this an anti-India activity and said, “These attempts of anti-India activities shall be dealt with an iron fist. It will always be Nation First.”
Being a Navy veteran, I was shocked to hear that Captain Viriato Fernandes, then with the Goencho Avaaz, an NGO-turned-political party, was leading an agitation against the Navy. What kind of ex-defence personnel he is who stops the Navy, which he claims to have served, from unfurling the National Flag?
Instead of calming the nerves, he went on to say the islanders’ distrust is because the draft CZMP and the Major Port Authority Bill, 2020 show Sao Jacinto falling under the jurisdiction of the Mormugao Port Trust (MPT).
In a statement, the Navy said, “As part of ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ to commemorate 75 years of Independence, the Ministry of Defence had planned the unfurling of the National Flag in Islands across the nation between 13 and 15 August 2021. A team from Goa Naval Area visited the islands of Goa including Sao Jacinto Island as part of this pan-India initiative. However, the plan at Jacinto Island had to be cancelled as the same was objected to by the residents. This initiative was taken nationwide to instil a sense of patriotism and celebrate the run-up to the 75th year of independence.”
The Shivaji Controversy…
The St Jacinto Island controversy was not the end, he tried to justify the comments made by priest Fr Bolmax Pereira against Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
The priest, attached to a church at Chicalim near Vasco town, went viral recently in which he said that “Chhatrapati Shivaji cannot be considered as a God.
We are not judging the priest’s comments but being an ex-defence personnel, it was the duty of Capt Viriato to control the tempers and not ignite them by backing the priest saying he was right in his comments.
The bottom line…
Why does he need to hurt the sentiments of other communities every time? Why can’t he be neutral as he is contesting elections?
Pleasing a few will get you nowhere and if Congress, the grand old party, claims to be secular they need to understand the people’s sentiments before one by one people start exiting the party.
Goa is part of India that is Bharat and it has just one Constitution. There cannot be another Constitution for Goa as Jammu and Kashmir had before 2019.
We do and will respect every defence personnel who has served the country but only till he respects the Constitution and Tricolor.
We take pride in Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Constitution and respect our national flag but maybe a few feel ashamed of it.
