There was a lot of good news and bad news last week as at any
other time of the year. The good news was in the areas I’ve been touching on
for last two months in this column. So I’m sharing happy thoughts with you this
Sunday. It happened at the national and state levels, intra-party and
government-people level, and involving key leaders in Congress as well as
Bharatiya Janata Party.
First the national level. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited Uttar
Pradesh first time after the defeat in the last assembly elections. He
discussed the results with his workers in an open way, and the latter responded
frankly and boldly with complaints. They pointed out to him the selection of
wrong candidates, neglect of grass root workers, groupings, and dominance
of a few “yes men”. I think these are factors that contribute to
defeat in most elections. But they also reportedly pointed out, that Priyanka
Gandhi Vadra visits the constituencies of her mother and brother only at
election time. It was a moment of facing the truth after a very poor show at
the assembly polls. The workers capped their complaints by telling bluntly that
the leadership was neither listening nor accessible. Gandhi was thus able to
receive first hand information, explain his difficulties since many of their
grievances are state subjects, and respond with a promise to respect them and
resolve their problems. The people will now watch the long road from dialogue
to delivery.
Coming to Goa, I must commend our Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar
for showing his willingness to meet the stakeholders and people in general to
find reasonable solutions to divisive problems. And I hope the trend will
continue beyond the impending Cortalim by-election.
The CM has promised to interact with all concerned about the
medium of instruction imbroglio. It is a difficult situation for him as he has
received support from people on both sides of the MoI divide, and has to arrive
at a consensus after studying the viewpoints of all stakeholders. The solution
has to be such that regional and global, short term and long term, social and
technical, traditional and modern dimensions of education have to be given due
consideration. Emotionalism, divisiveness and bigotry are the last things in
education. Any person who wants to dabble in educational matters must have an
open mind. A closed mind is the antithesis of education. I have my own views on
this subject, but shall refrain from expressing them at this point of time as I
am not an immediate stakeholder. However, I welcome the statement of the CM
that status quo will be maintained till a decision is taken, and that he does
not want to see children coming out on the streets. It is a pity that children
and parents had to come on the streets several times in the past. This should
be the last thing to happen in a dialogue driven democracy.
The CM also responded with a mellow tone on the Mopa airport
apprehensions. It is an issue which has been debated for a very long time. It
is certainly divisive, not on emotional grounds but because of economic
considerations and fears. Parrikar need not have taken a decision on this
matter so soon in his tenure. There are other more pressing and less
controversial matters to be settled. Divisive issues can wait. There is
opposition to the proposed airport from some local people at Mopa and
surrounding areas on the basis of land, traditional occupations and
environment. And from the people in the south of Goa on grounds of tourism and
tourism related occupations as well as distance, Mopa being on the extreme side
of north Goa. Guarantees on the future of Dabolim airport can never be given
for all times. Hence the anxiety of the people in the south. It is good that
the CM has shown willingness to listen, and give up on Mopa if it is proved to
be infeasible. But it is the physical, practical and economic
considerations that determine feasibility. Social costs and people’s
convenience should also be the determining factors. The government has done
well by discarding the Panaji-Vasco sea link with sound reasoning.
We expect the Chief Minister to carry the people of Goa with him
on important matters like the second airport, medium of instruction at the
primary level, and regional plan. His decision to go back to RP-2001 in the
interim period before declaring the final RP-2021, without assurances on
safeguarding the good and accepted features of the draft plan, is a setback to
the aspirations of all those who have participated in the RP-2021 process. He
is not expected to be in a hurry, but certainly required to remain tuned in to
the people's voice.
Published in The Navhind Times, Panorama 06.05.2012
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