By RAJAN NARAYAN

 AND A FEW MORE stray thoughts and a few more observations for yet another Sunday. For a Sunday following the week when keeping with tradition Manohar Parrikar donated money to his favourite Narkasur. For a Sunday following the week when there continued to be allegations about match-fixing by the BJP. For a Sunday following the week when an Uma Bharati type revolt was brewing within the BJP in Goa. For a Sunday following the week when a new ball game was witnessed in the erstwhile Dayanand Bandodkar Football Stadium. For a Sunday following the week when the Chief Minister, Manohar Parrikar, stepped up the pressure not only on local papers but even on national dailies to behave. For a Sunday following the week when it became clear that Goa will have to settle for a C-grade International Film Festival of India (IFFI).

 And a few stray thoughts on the Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar’s favourite Narkasura. The Chief Minister tends to boast that on principle he never donates money to sports or cultural organisations. In Goa every Minister and every MLA has to routinely donate money for every church fest, every temple zatra and of course every Narkasura. The CM has however always made an exception in the case of the giant effigy of Narkasur erected every year close to the Mahalakshmi Temple. Apparently, the Mala boys had approached the CM for a donation just before he contested the Assembly elections from Panjim the first time over a decade ago. The Chief Minister went on to win the election and ascend very quickly to the topmost job in the State. Manohar Parrikar considers the Mahalakshmi Narsakura as his lucky mascot. So every year he continues the tradition of making a generous donation to the Narkasura set up near the Mahalakshmi Temple. He also makes it a point of paying his favourite Narkasura a visit. I do not know if it is just a coincidence. But the number of Narkasura effigies which spring up on the eve of every Diwali have gone up steadily every since the BJP came into power.

 In the last two years there have been Narkasuras every few metres all over Panjim, the capital city. And presumably all the rules regarding noise pollution do not apply to the Narkasura processions. Some believe that the number of human Narkasuras have also increased exponentially since the BJP came to power. The most powerful and flamboyant of the real life Narkasuras of course is Babush Monserratte. And in an awesome display of his money power and his fire power Babush held a two-hour long display of fireworksin the ground adjoining his mansion in Taleigao on Thursday. Presumably Babush Monserrate did not consider it even necessary to inform the fire brigade let alone seek its permission before he let off the fireworks. Which might be a rehearsal for the political fireworks he is all set to unleash. Babush Monserrate is not amused over Manohar Parrikar’s repeated attempts at denying credit for the Poinguinim victory to the Taleigao MLA. He is also reported to be angry that Manohar Parrikar is reluctant to hand over the Margao Planning & Development Authority to his  nominee and debtor Isidore Fernandes.

 BJP MATCH-FIXING

 AND A FEW stray observations on allegations of match-fixing against the BJP regarding the delimitation of constituencies. Match-fixing undertaken in collusion with some senior leaders of the Congress Party.  Though the political parties in the state have to get proportionate representation in the advisory committee, the BJP speaker had packed it with only saffronites. The lone Congress representative was Dayanand Narvekar who is a veteran match-fixer himself. Narvekar has always fixed matches for his personal benefit and is a pure mercenary in the tradition of Babush Monserrate. In fact, the “Viper of Taleigao” privately acknowledges that Dayanand Narvekar is his guru whether it comes to extorting money or womanizing. It is probably not widely known that when he was the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Dayanand Narvekar owned and ran a restaurant appropriately called “Hot Lips” at the Junta House.

 When the Congress Party or at least sections of it including the Pradesh Congress Party President Luizinho Faleiro demanded greater representation in the advisory committee, there was some more match-fixing. And this time the match-fixing was done by close confidant and collaborator of Manohar Parrikar, the LOO, Pratapsing Rane. Who promptly nominated himself to be the second Congress representative on the Delimitation Commission. In violation of the principle that both the districts should have one representative each. The Congress has succeeded in partially reversing some of the BJP’s match-fixing in South Goa. There are indications however that the Velim constituency which was all set to disappear and merge with Cuncolim will stay. This is because it does not suit Pratapsing Rane and some other senior Congress leaders to have Joaquim Alemao in particular and the Churchill Brothers in general increasing their sphere of influence in South Goa. Joaquim is reported to be lobbying very hard with Manohar Parrikar  to make Velim disappear instead of the other way round. Which is the merger of Joaquim’s constituency Cuncolim with Velim.

 BIG LOSER

 The biggest loser in the delimitation match fixing in Goa is the Fatorda MLA Damu Naik. With the Housing Board Colony, his stronghold, being merged with the Curtorim constituency, the chances of Damu Naik’s re-election are considered bleak. In North Goa the BJP has had its way and the new constituency of Porvorim which was created specially for the benefit for the Vishwa Hindu Parishad chief Subhash Velingkar is likely to get the nod. What most Panjimites do not seem to have realised is that Parrikar has been doing some match-fixing in his own constituency. In the draft delimitation proposal Miramar along with La Campala and St. Mary’s Colony have been shifted to the Taleigao constituency. Which means Surendra Furtado who considers Miramar his stronghold will have to take on Babush Monseratte.  Surendra is however determined to stand against Manohar Parrikar in Panjim.

 And a few stray thoughts on the mini Uma Bharati like situation brewing in the BJP. Uma Bharati was expelled from the BJP after she publicly protested against the lifestyle of some of her colleagues like Pramod Mahajan. In fact, it will be recalled that Uma Bharati called Pramod Mahajan a cheap wheeler dealer and fixer. In the Goan situation Digambar Kamat is on the verge of doing an Uma Bharati. Relationships between Digambar Kamat and Manohar Parrikar began to deteriorate when the BJP lost the South Goa Parliamentary seat. They soured even more when Digambar refused to accept the suggestion that Isidore Fernandes should be appointed Chairman of the Margao Planning & Development Authority (MPDA). Digambar is also known to be bitterly opposed to the setting up of new Housing Board projects in South Goa. As we had pointed out on an earlier occasion the powerful builders lobby supports Digambar. Manohar Parrikar who is a master at the game of divide and rule has been building up the cloth merchants chief and backward class leader Babu Azgaonkar as a counter to Digambar Kamat. Though Babu Azgaonkar represents the Dhargalim constituency in the Legislative Assembly he lives in Margao.

 In fact, Margao has always been Azgaonkar’s base. With Dhargalim being merged with Pernem and becoming an unreserved constituency Azgaonkar is hoping to contest from Margao in the next election.  And Manohar Parrikar is playing his usual game and is using Babu Azgaonkar to keep Digambar in check. At his birthday felicitation function Babu Azgaonkar served public notice that he intended to shift to Margao in the next Assembly Elections. Babu Azgaonkar declared in his reply to the felicitation that though he was the MLA from Dhargalim his first loyalty has always been to Margao and its residents. Understandably, Digambar Kamat who was sitting alongside was not amused. But Digambar Kamat is not too worried either. Because he is confident that if the BJP denies him a ticket the Congress would only be too happy to oblige. Even while he pretends to be a staunch BJP man Digambar has kept his lines of communication with the Congress open. Digambar has also distanced himself from the hardliners in the BJP. Digambar’s greatest strength is of course that he has excellent vibes with the business community in Goa. And he who pays the piper calls the tune.

 AND A FEW stray observations on the new ball game in the Dayanand Bandodkar Football Stadium in Panjim. It will be recalled that the stands in the stadium were demolished by the GSIDC at the instance of Manohar Parrikar for accommodating the main IFFI complex. The plan was subsequently dropped when it became clear that the government may not get permission from the CRZ Authority. The stadium which was wilfully demolished is now witnessing a rather sordid ball game.

 A huge shanty town has come up within the walls enclosing the former stadium. The grounds are now occupied by the hundreds of construction labour toiling away to complete the IFFI infrastructure. Though the Kala Academy Complex and the multiplex are being fitted with imported Jaguar sanitary fittings the construction labour who have put up these magnificent edifices have to make do with the public tap put up at the stadium. And they continue to perform their ablutions on the Mandovi River front. Yes, the very same river front where a brand new jetty is coming up to receive all the celebrities expected to participate in the film festival.  No doubt Manohar Parrikar and the GSIDC will have the entire area sprayed with French perfumes so as to not offend the nostrils of the VVIPs. One cannot help wondering what will happen to all the constructions workers and their families once the IFFI infrastructural work is completed. But that is life for you. Those who build all the magnificent buildings can never hope to even have a thatched roof over their heads. Or may be as a gesture of gratitude all the migrant workers who helped IFFI to be held in a jiffy will be given plots under the Ambedkar Awaz Yojana. But knowing Parrikar he is more likely to have them banished from Goa as he did in the case of the sex workers from Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

 CM’S DOUBLETALK

 AND A FEW stray thoughts on the Chief Minister’s claims that he never attempts to influence the management of newspapers. In the case of Goan newspapers this is probably true. He does not have to approach the management of newspapers. Because they are always angling for favours and ever ready to crawl when merely asked to bend. At a press conference some time ago Manohar Parrikar revealed that the owner of the Herald had asked him for a casino licence and he told the reporters that he did not intend to give it to him. Which was his way of sending off a signal to Raul Fernandes that he would get the licence only if the Herald continues to crawl and genuflect. Though I cannot imagine how it can crawl and genuflect more than it is doing now. But the Chief Minister’s terror campaign is not limited to local newspapers. He is alleged to have called up Vivek Goenka and asked for the sacking of the Loksatta’s Goa correspondent Raju Naik. It will be recalled that it was Raju Naik who broke the story over the Governor’s displeasure with the Parrikar government and the BJP over inducing the defection of Isidore Fernandes. Parrikar is also reported to be threatening to cut off advertising to sections of the national media whom he perceives as hostile. The proprietor of Navhind Times once told a fellow industrialist that he had given standing instructions to his editor not to say anything critical about the government. And not surprisingly the Dempo Group has been favoured when it comes to buying space for accommodating the government departments displaced from the old GMC complex.   The silence of the Times of India Group has been ensured by the contract given to Times Infotainment for events management during IFFI.

 AND A LAST stray thought for yet another Sunday. Going by the list of the films which are going to be screened and the names of members of the jury and other celebrities scheduled to attend the film festival it is clear that it will be a C grade festival. Not a single director of repute is attending the festival. There is no Kurosawa even though the competitive section of the festival is devoted to Asian cinema. There are no Hollywood biggies. The Hollywood contingent comprises of Anand Amritraj who has made several forgettable popular potboilers. The film festival also seems to be tailored for the benefit of members of the steering committee like Bobby Bedi who has a stake in INOX and whose film American Daylight will be one of the highlights or lowlights of the film festival. One of the main legacies of the film festival will be the multiplex gifted to INOX by Manohar Parrikar. The popcorn costs Rs. 30. One shudders to think what the tickets will be priced at.

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