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 an embittered Babush Monserrate was planning to take over the United Goans Democratic Party. For a Sunday following the week when bitter fights broke out within the Congress on who should be the party candidate for the Poinguinim constituency. For a Sunday following the week when I learned that Anil Laad, the man who video graphed the attack on Mathew Braganza’s hotel is being harassed and persecuted. For a Sunday following the week when the dissensions within the Congress camp became even more evident. For a Sunday following the week when the 48-year-old Rashtramat which has been an institution in Goa downed shutters.

And a few stray thoughts on the plans of Babush Monserrate to take over the UGDP. Babush is reported to be very bitter with both Manohar Parrikar and with Luizinho Faleiro. There has been a growing rift between Babush and the Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar over the former’s loot and plunder of the Panjim Planning and Development Authority (PPDA). Not that Parrikar objects to Babush extorting money from builders. But apparently Babush has been targeting even builders who were close to the BJP. And Manohar Parrikar has been realizing that he has created a Frankenstein. When a builder close to Manohar Parrikar went and complained about Babush’s unlimited greed the Chief Minister is reported to have pleaded helplessness. In fact Parrikar is reported to have gone to the extent of telling the builder that the only favour he can do him is not to inform Babush that he had complained. Babush had gone to Luizinho Faleiro for support fearing that Parrikar may not only drop him from the Cabinet, but may launch cases against him as he had done in the past against several political leaders.

But all that Luizinho apparently did was to caution and alert him and warn him that the Central Enforcement and Investigative Agencies were on his trail. Babush had hoped that Luizinho would be able to persuade Delhi to spare Babush. But this did not happen. Though of course thanks to the timely warning Babush was well prepared for the raid. It is not the raid itself that is agitating Babush. He has been raided by the Income-Tax Department before. It is the wide publicity that the raid received not only in the local media but even national television channels that has made Babush furious. Babush and his wife have been working over time at winning social acceptability and respectability. The stigma of the IT raid and all the surrounding media attention is seen as a major set back by Babush. Babush is also quite upset over the stand taken by Goa 365, the channel that is alleged to be very close to Manohar Parrikar. The channel suggested, presumably to add to the confusion, that Parrikar was quite happy about the raid which had the effect of discrediting Babush Monserrate.

An embittered Babush has apparently decided that he cannot rely either on the Congress or the BJP to protect him. Babush has therefore reportedly decided to take over the UGDP to create a third force. The rationale is that if the UGDP under his stewardship can control between five and seven seats in the Legislative Assembly it can call all the shots irrespective of whether the BJP or the Congress forms the next government. Babush is reported to be in the process of holding talks with Dayanand Mandrekar, the MGP MLA who joined the BJP along with him. The independent MLA from Velim whose constituency is all set to disappear if the new delimitation proposals are approved is also reported to be willing to join Babush. The Viper from Taleigao is also talking about luring at least two BJP MLAs to his fold. Amongst the names being talked about are Dhargalim MLA Babu Azgaonkar and Cumbarjua MLA Pandu-rang Madkaikar. Who are reported to be disillusioned with the BJP. Babush is also banking on the continued support of Mathany Saldana who refused to join the BJP and maintained his UGDP identity even after he joined the Cabinet. I understand that Mathany will be offered the presidentship of the UGDP with the general secretary’s post going to Babush’s wife Jennifer. Understandably Radharao Gracias and AnacletoViegas who revived the UGDP are not very amused. And are determined to resist a takeover bid by Babush or at least extract a sizeable price.

CONGRESS DISSENT
AND A FEW stray observations on the dissensions within the Congress on the choice of the candidate to contest the Poinguinim by-elections. Luizinho Faleiro’s bitter rival Churchill Alemao, the South Goa MP, is reportedly very keen that the Congress should nominate the former Canacona MLA Sanjay Bandekar. Churchill is very obliged to Sanjay Bandekar who worked very hard for his success in the Parliamentary elections. It will be recalled that Churchill secured a lead in the BJP-held Canacona constituency. While losing out to his rival Ramakant Angle in the neighbouring Poinguinim constituency represented by the then Congress MLA Isidore Fern-andes. Luizinho is of course vehemently opposed to the ticket going to Sanjay Bandekar. As in the past Luizinho is playing his own games. It will be recalled that during the run-up to the Parliamentary elections Luiz-inho tried to sabotage the chances of Churchill Alemao and had floated the name of Uday Bhembre for the South Goa Parliamentary seat.

This time around Luiz-inho Faleiro has been advocating the candidature of Lok Shakti convenor Datta Naik. But Datta of course is too worldly wise to fall prey to Luizinho’s manipulations. He knows that only a local candidate preferably from the backward classes can possibly contest the Poingunim bye-elections successfully. The constituency has as many as 6,000 Velip and Gaudi votes. In the meanwhile there are rumours doing the rounds that Parrikar will use the excuse of the raids on Isidore Fernandes to deny him the BJP ticket for the Poingui-nim constituency. Even though Isidore was induced to resign from the Legislature on the assurance that he would be given the BJP ticket and that the saffron brigade would ensure his re-election to the Legislative Assembly.

Apparently the BJP cadres in Poinguinim are very upset about the plan to give Isidore the BJP ticket. The BJP Block President of Poingui-nim Assembly constituency and indeed all the office bearers of the party made their feelings abundantly clear by boycotting the function admitting Isidore into the saffron fold. But if Isidore is denied the BJP ticket he may well turn to the UGDP. And the UGDP which has its own scores to settle with Mano-har Parrikar may well oblige Isidore. Since Isidore is no longer an MLA he is free to wander to any party he wishes to or stand as an independent. And he need not worry about funds to fight the elections as Babush who is keen on expanding his sphere of influence in the Legislative Assembly would be happy enough to back him. Babush, of course, has grandiose plans. The rumour goes that he will shift to the neighbouring Santa Cruz constituency in the next elections whenever they are held and put up his wife Jennifer in Taleigao constituency. Meanwhile groups like Lok Shakti are looking for a consensus candidate determined that the BJP should be inflicted a crushing defeat in the Poinguinim bye-elections scheduled for October 13.

PRESS CONFERENCE DRAMA
AND A FEW stray thoughts on the continued dissensions within the Congress Party. The dissensions within the Congress party were dramatized at the press conference held by the party president Luizinho Faleiro on Wednesday to counter Babush Monserrate’s allegations that Luizinho had instigated the raids. The press conference which was originally scheduled for Tuesday was postponed to Wednesday as Luizinho wanted to see what Babush would say before responding. Unfortunately, for Luizinho, Babush waited till 10 p.m. on Tuesday to hold his press conference in the presence of the Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar after the IT raiding party called it a day. The press conference held on Wednesday at the Congress House got off to a late start because of the delayed arrival of the so called Legislative Party chief Pratapsing Raoji Rane or the LOO. Significantly, the arrival of Rane was a signal for the departure of South Goa MP and senior Vice President of the Congress Party Churchill Alemao. Many senior leaders of the Congress Party including Francisco Sardinha, Ravi Naik and Dayanand Narvekar, were conspicuous by their absence. Only the Luizinho coterie was present in full force at the press conference. Luizinho of course as is his usual habit took to outright denial. Never mind that several other guests at the party confirmed to the Goan Observer that Luizinho Faleiro had obliquely alerted Babush Monserrate of the impending raid. The only admission Luizinho was willing to make was that Babush Monserrate and Pandurang Madkaikar had come to his residence to greet him on his birthday.

And a few stray thoughts on the persecution of Anil Laad who captured on video the BJP attack on the hotel of Mathew Braganza in Mapusa. It will be recalled that a BJP mob led by none other than the Law Minister Francis D’Souza vandalized the Mapusa hotel of Mathew Braganza. The provocation was the offer of Mathew Braganza of a suite in his Calangute hotel following Kedarnath Sahani’s lament that he had no place to go after he was ejected from the Raj Bhavan. Typical of the Parrikar administration and the Goa police instead of pursuing the cases against the Law Minister and the BJP goons who vandalized the hotel they have been harassing the whistle blower Anil Laad. I understand that Laad is being repeatedly summoned to the Mapusa police station and being pressurised to withdraw his statements.

The BJP would have denied the entire incident but for the fact that the attack was not only captured on video but screened by all the local television channels. But the attitude of the police does not come as a surprise. The Parrikar-controlled police have not taken any action of the complaint by Jack Sukhija on the vandalisation of house plaques and street name plates in Fontainhas. The police in fact are pretending that they do not know who the culprits were even though their names were published in all the local newspapers. The Corporation of the City of Panjim did not even lodge a complaint about the destruction of its property. The then Commissioner Sanjit Rodrigues only lodged a complaint about the damage to the Tonca Pillar. Similarly, the Goa police seem to have given a quiet burial to the alleged molestation of a student of the Vidya Prabhodini School. Ironically, the head of the Vidya Prabhodini institution Subhash Velingkar was given the National Outstanding Teachers Award on the recommendation of the State government.

GOODBYE RASHTRAMAT
AND A LAST stray thought for yet another Sunday. One of the most revered media institutions in the State, the Rashtramat, downed shutters on August 31, 2004. The Rashtramat, whichw as started even before liberation, played a major role in defeating the conspiracy to merge Goa with Maharashtra. It was the Rashtramat which took the lead in opposing the merger during the Opinion Poll. The founder-editor of the Rashtramat, Chandrakant Keni, who was summarily shown the door by industrialist Anil Salgaonkar is still running from pillar to post for the settlement of his dues. His place was taken by his deputy Sitaram Tengse who has been with the organization for many years. Rashtramat in spite of being a Marathi newspaper strongly supported the movement for recognition of Konkani as the official language of the state. Though Tengse denies it, the suspicion is that the industrialist Anil Salgaonkar of River Princess fame came under pressure from Manohar Parrikar to shut down the Rashtramat.

We cannot help wondering if it is a coincidence that the closure of the Rashtramat has come closely in the wake of Sitaram Tengtse joining the Lok Shakti. Other Lok Shakti members including the convenorDatta Naik and Dr. Francisco Colaco have been harassed by the Parrikar government. Margao citizens are extremely agitated and bereaved over the demise of the Rashtramat. But apparently the owner Anil Salgaonkar is adamant. What is also of concern is that the fate of the 20 odd employees of the Rashtramat. Going by the case of the former editor Chandrakant Keni they may have to wait for a long time to have their dues settled.

Back