The big question is whether Panchayati Raj has failed or whther Panchayati Raj has been made to fail by the privileged class of Goa?
Panchayati Raj failed in Goa
- by Mario Cabral E Sa
MLAs manipulate the panchayats to suit their own policies
My old friend Mani Shankar Aiyer is a strong supporter of Panchayati Raj. He held that portfolio in the last UPA government. Unfortunately, he lost the latest election mainly because the Congress had severed its ties with Jayalalitha and Karunna who was an ally of the party was rather tepid in his support of Mani. The margin was not significant, but margins matter least in election battles. Dr Wilfred de Sousa, then a UGP candidate, won the Benaulim seat by one tendered vote, after a titanic court battle which was decided by the Supreme Court at the fag end of the life of the legislature.
Mani's passion for Panchayati Raj is because he fully supports the Gandhian concept of village republics. Ironically, our ancestors had village republics, "gaunkons", which were done away with after Goa's merger with India, by its first Chief Minister Dayanand B Bandodkar.
But are panchayats functioning the way they are supposed to?
Regretfully that is not the case. The MLAs of the constituency are the kings and manipulate the panchayats to suit their own policies and whims. The MLA for Combarjua constituency which includes, among other panchayats those of GoltimNavelim and Malar-Naroa, was elected on a MGP ticket. BJP was short of three MLAs to have an absolute majority and form government. It threw its principles out of the windows and its traditional caution to the wind, and succeeded in winning over to its side Madkaikar a (MGP), Babush Monserrate (Ind) and Miccky Pacheco(UDGP). Somewhere a along the sequence of unprincipled d events Madkaikar and Pacheco joined s the BJP.
Then on, Madkaikar got the 11 panchayats of his constituency to follow b the BJP policies, when Panduranga :x Madkaikar deserted the BJP and joined il the Congress, the sarpanchas, too, did an about turn and became Congress supporters, when Digambar Kamat dropped Madkaikar from the cabinet, the same sarpanchas threatened revolt against the Congress if Madkaikar' t\ was not reinducted. He was not. But Madkaikar was promised redemption by Digambar Kamat whether in cash or kind one does not know for sure, but if for cash it was, a substantial amount it certainly must have been. Did Madkaikar share some of it with his loyal sarpanchas? Perhaps not even God knows....
Another curious development took place, Nirmala Sawant, a stoic Congress member, in fact the Pradesh President for over a decade, if I am not mistaken, tookumbrage at the Congress shamelessness in giving a party ticket to a till then sworn party and
personal enemy, resigned from the party and stood for the election for Combarjua.
She generated a wave of support from grassroots Congress supporters who backed her up. In gratitude, Nirmala backed her supporters in the ensuing panchayat election and they very nearly won it Being small 7 member panchayats Madkaikar used his money and muscle power to tilt the equation.
And now what? The sarpanchas now owing allegiance to Madkaikar have declared open war against Nirmala's supporters, the few of them who are principled and refused to change loyalties. Their constituencies are now brazenly told "as long as you support XYZ, there will be no development in your ward, no roads will be built, construction licences you apply for will not be granted". Minutes of panchayat meetings are not shown to those panchas. At Gramsabhas, Nirmala's supporters are shouted down. It is Nazism Madkaikar style!
I am told that mutatis
mutandis the same kind of Nazism prevails. In the Navelim constituency Luizinho Faleiro supporters get equally rough treatment from Churchill Alemao and his stooges. At one time Luizinho and Churchill were like blood brothers. When the first and only son was born to him, it had been till then a string of girls, Luizinho was requested to be the godfather of the boy, who was named Savio. When Luizinho's mother was knocked down by a truck which sped away from the scene, Churchill got his stooges to catch the culprit at which they did not succeed, but he supervised all the funeral arrangements. When he broke off with Luizinho, Parrikar declared his damnest to get Churchill elected. The constituency has a sizeable Hindu component and they were asked to support Churchill. Money flowed like water after a closed door meeting with Rudy, the BJP stalwart.
When Francisco Sardinha was the MLA of Curtorim constituency which
included among other areas the Raia - Rachol panchayat, he prevailed on the panchayat to approve a Marriot-connected catering school to international standards. They would engage the faculty and ensure employment to the students, who would be all Goans. He lost the election to his once election agent Reginaldo Lawrenco who accepted the SGF ticket, formed with his sworn purpose of defeating the congress. After the election results were declared it shamelessly merged in the Congress, lock, stock and barrel. But old rancours last long and the new MLA got the Raia-Rachol panchayat to revoke its in-principle approval of the Marriot project. They imposed new conditions locals had to be guaranteed admission and employment. The entrepreneur assured preference to locals in admissions and subsequently employment. The panchayat which once welcomed the project now dug in its heels. The entrepreneur lost his patience and moved elsewhere. Who was the loser? Goa!
I
could go on and on. Suffice it to say that Panchayati Raj has failed both in North and South Goa.
Believers in Gandhian philosophy like many Shankar Aiyar would do well if they disabuse themselves of the notion that only Panchayati Raj could be the vehicle to good and honest governance at the village level, and then on at the national level.
Gomantak Times, 21/12/2010
