By RAJAN NARAYAN

AND A FEW more stray thoughts and few more observations for yet another Sunday. For a Sunday following the week when the Opposition in the State agreed on the candidature of Jagdish Acharya. For a Sunday following the week when a split in the United Goans Democratic Party (UGDP) seemed imminent. For a Sunday following the week when, as expected, senior Congress leaders pursued their own personal agendas in making representations to the Delimitation Commission. For a Sunday following the week when it was clear that nobody is concerned with the tribal population of Goa. For a Sunday following the week when I discovered how abysmal the tourism infrastructure in the state is.

And a few stray thoughts on the extraordinary display of unity among Opposition parties in taking on the mercenary Isidore Fernandes. Incredibly, senior Congress leaders like Luizinho Faleiro and Churchill Alemao came around to accepting the candidature of Jagdish Acharya. Though their personal preference was Sanjay Bandekar. We are not surprised that the MGP, or at least the organisational wing of the MGP, has decided to back Acharya. This is because Jagdish Acharya is basically an MG man. For a change, even Dr. Wilfred D’ Souza whose natural inclinations are to divide rather than unite, has also backed Jagdish Acharya. In the case of the UGDP, the organisational wing or part of the organisational wing has endorsed the candidature of Acharya. The combined Opposition candidate is no pushover. He has won from the constituency earlier and lost the last elections by a very narrow margin. Acharya has his own vote bank. That is the reason why everyone has been so keen that he should be the joint opposition candidate.

So everyone should be happy. There should be celebration and jubilation over the fact that the Opposition in Goa has, for a change, come together not just to fight the saffron brigade, but the use and abuse of money power in elections. There is however a minor problem. Both the Congress low command and the Congress high command have agreed on the candidature of Jagdish Acharya. But neither the Congress high command or the Congress low command is willing to part with money. Senior Congress leader and Minister for Programme Implementation, Oscar Fernandes, flew into Goa on Wednesday. But Oscar Santa Claus must have had a big hole in his pocket. Because all that he brought was a measly Rs. Two lakhs. Just before the Congress party met to endorse the candidature of Jagdish Acharya, it was suggested that Congressmen should dig into their own pockets to raise some money for Acharya. A senior Congressman pointed out that when Isidore was planning to abdicate to the BJP, several Congressmen had rushed to his St Inez residence and offered to contribute Rs. 50, 000 each. So that Isidore would be free from the clutches of the loan sharks haunting him. But apparently the response was very cold. Several senior Congress leaders argued that since Jagdish Acharya was not a Congressman, they saw no reason to part with a single paisa. The money involved is not very large. Unlike Isidore Fernandes, who reportedly plans to spend Rs. 1.5 – 2 crores, all that the Acharya wants is just Rs. 40 lakhs. But it does not look as though he is going to get the money. Because the Congress, unlike the BJP, does not believe in putting its money where its mouth is.

UGDP SPLIT
And a few stray observations on the imminent split in the UGDP. Yes we are aware that the UGDP is already split. It will be recalled that the UGDP first split into two when Babush Monserrate and Micky Pacheco decided to join the BJP. Micky then developed cold feet and did not join the BJP but declared himself to be a separate splinter group of the party. Babush merged his group with the BJP which is the only way he could escape the disqualification and consolidate his position within the government. Which effectively meant being given an unlimited license to extort. But the latest split is triggered off by acute differences within the Radha-Anacleto’s UGDP about the candidature of Jagdish Acharya. The Anacleto faction, which has the support of a majority of the UGDP organisational wing, including the General Secretary Prashant Naik, has decided to support Jagdish Acharya. Which has put both Mathany Saldanha and Radharao Gracias in a fix. Obviously Mathany Saldanha cannot afford to be a party to any decision which goes against the interests of the BJP. The honourable thing to do of course would have been for Mathany to quit the ministry and endorse the decision of the UGDP to support Jagdish Acharya. But Mathany has waited a long time to become an MLA. And he has waited for an even longer time to become a montri. And just when he is enjoying being a montri, he is not inclined to commit hara-kiri.

Radharao has his own compulsions for angrily storming out of the UGDP meet which decided to back Jagdish Acharya. Like Mathany, Radharao is keen on becoming an MLA. He served one term as an MLA many years ago. Those were the old days when he was a buddy of Churchill Alemao and was curiously enough elected from the Benaulim constituency. The seat was vacant as Churchill had won the parliamentary elections. And Radharao of course would love to be a minister. When I met him last at a social meet, he lamented the fact that, for some reason, good people like him do not seem to get elected. Radharao has set his heart on contesting and winning the Loutolim seat in the next elections whenever it is held. Never mind that Radha has never won from Loutolim. Radha obviously is pinning his hopes on the fact that, if the Delimitation proposals are accepted, Majorda, his stronghold, will be part of the Loutolim constituency. Winning elections requires money. And Radha has not much money. Not enough to win an election in an era where the principal propaganda weapon is money. Radha, understandably, does not want to antagonise his banker Babush Monserrate. Since both Mathany and Radha are unhappy with the UGDP backing Jagdish Acharya, another split is almost certain. This time around it will be a split both in the organisational and legislative wing. Both Radharao and Mathany are either likely to break away or claim that they are the original UGDP and expel Anacleto and gang, including Prashant Naik. And when this happens, Jennifer Monserrate will no doubt get a senior position in the new UGDP. After all, he who pays the piper calls the tune.

CHURCHILL PARIVAR
And a few stray thoughts on the delimitation exercise. Till the GOAN OBSERVER published the details, most of the Congress legislators and the Congress aspirants for Assembly tickets were not even aware of how the Constituencies were going to be realigned. Apparently the meeting called by the GPCC Chief Luizinho Faleiro, to discuss the delimitation proposals was a very stormy one. The foot soldiers as opposed to the so called leaders were bitter about being kept in the dark. The situation was worsened by the fact that, till the last moment, there was suspense on whether Dayanand Narvekar, the only Congress MLA on the advisory panel would attend the meeting or not. Congress foot-soldiers were horrified at the prospect of Churchill Alemao being their only representative at the meeting of the Delimitation Commission. It was not so much a question of trusting Churchill, but doubts on how much he was capable of comprehending. Churchill of course sees himself as an expert on politics In the event it is not very surprising that most of the disputes raised by the Congress were in regard to constituencies in the North. Understandably because Narvekar is primarily concerned with North Goa and is not particularly amused over the proposal to create a special Porvorim constituency for the benefit of Subhash Velingkar. Churchill apparently conveyed the impression that the Congress was quite happy with the delimitation proposals, at least as far as Salcete was concerned. There is a slight difference of opinion even in the respect of Salcete between Churchill and Luizinho. Churchill wants Velim to be reinstated and Davorlim dropped. Luizinho would like it the other way around. Churchill, like Babush Monserrate, has dynastic ambitions. Brother Joaquim is already in Cuncolim, he would like his other brother Kennedy to contest the Velim seat. And as long as he is in Parliament, he would like his lawyer daughter to contest the Benaulim seat. Nothing like keeping it all in the family. And presumably then the Churchill Parivar and the Babush Parivar can get together and run Goa. Sorry not run Goa, ruin Goa.

And a few stray observations on the total indifference bordering on callousness that all political parties have been displaying towards the Gaudas, the Velips and the Kunbis who have now been reclassified as Scheduled Tribes. With the exception of Dr. Wilfred D’ Souza, nobody raised the issue of seats for these communities in the Legislative Assembly. Admittedly, the Gaudis, Kunbis and Velips were reclassified as tribals after the census was over. So in the census, they continue to classified under the category of Other Backward Classes. In fairness, since the Gaudis, Velips and Kunbis represent 20% of the population, the delimitation exercise should have been postponed in the case of Goa. And their legitimate claims for representation in the Assembly should have been considered. In fact, it would have been eminently desirable for the Congress to take up the issue in the context of the Poinguinim election. There is a solid vote bank of 5000 Velips in Poinguinim. The Congress could have gone to town in its campaign in Poinguinim claiming that they were the only ones who were concerned abut the new STs. Not that allotment of more seats for the new STs would have made very much difference to the lot of the Gaudis, Kunbis and Velips. It is not as though they do not have representation in the Legislative Assembly. Indeed in every Assembly these groups have had representation and some of their representatives have been montris. But as it always happens, the leaders who have joined the creamy layer have always ignored the followers. I know this at first hand. The overwhelmingly Gaudi-dominated Aivao village continues to remain backward even though the former Chairman of the Backward Class Commission Guru Shirodkar has a huge mansion in the village .

And a last stray thought for yet another Sunday. There may be some excuse for all the traffic jams and the chaos in the rest of Panjim city. A little inconvenience and a little dislocation is a small price to pay to see the likes of the Catwoman and all the stars of Tinsel town. You got to put up with some hardship because you can’t expect all the Hollywood superstars to actually brave the traffic. They need a red carpet across the road. Never mind that they will be here for barely a week. But nobody bothers about all the domestic tourists who bring in the bread. IFFI will come and go. Panjim may or may not be transformed into a Hong Kong or a Singapore. But the area under the Mandovi bridge from where scores of buses to Mumbai, Poona and Bangalore arrive and leave everyday will continue to be as chaotic as ever, populated by touts and eve teasers. Maybe the high powered panel from Delhi which suggested, during its last visit that Goans all over Goa should be able to see festival films, will walk down to the bus stop and suggest that a Singapore cannot have a bus stand which even Satara would be ashamed of.

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