By Rajan Narayan
AND A few stray thoughts and a few stray observations for yet another Sunday. For a Sunday following the week when Goans had to confront the Kolaveri moment and decide whether there was anyone worth voting for in the forthcoming elections. For a Sunday following the week when our suggestion to you would […]

AND A few stray thoughts and a few stray observations for yet another Sunday. For a Sunday following the week when there was a conspiracy of silence over the hundreds of crores of rupees that was seized from containers aboard a cargo ship at the Panaji port. For a Sunday following the week when the manifestos of both the Congress party and the BJP sounded like those released by Jayalalita and Karunanidhi before the elections in Tamil Nadu, where there was competition to bankrupt the public exchequer. For a Sunday following the week when the continuous reshuffle of Congress observers created not only confusion, but considerable speculation over bribes having been paid for tickets.

AND A few stray thoughts and a few stray observations for yet another Sunday. For a Sunday following the week when politicians contesting the elections were either getting friendly cops posted in their constituencies or unfriendly cops transferred out. For a Sunday following the week when the flying squads did not seem to be having any impact on the misuse of money and muscle power in the elections. For a Sunday following the week when the assets declared by candidates turned out to be a big joke. For a Sunday following the week when it was clear that in the selection of candidates to contest the elections, the Congress High Command had favoured the Rane family. For a Sunday following the week when only three independents seemed to be worthy of support in the forthcoming elections.

AND A few stray thoughts and a few stray observations for yet another Sunday. For a Sunday following the week when both the Congress and the BJP were scoring self goals. For a Sunday following the week when Digamber Kamat was facing a major revolt in his own constituency. For a Sunday following the week when the NCP was struggling to find candidates and was becoming a sanctuary for candidates from other parties who were denied a ticket. For a Sunday following the week when, for the first time, two other major regional parties - the Trinamool Congress led by Mamata Banerjee and the Janata Dal (United) led by Nitesh Kumar - entered the political fray in Goa. For a Sunday following the week when the Bharatiya Basha Suraksha Manch (BBSM) promoted by those who are opposing grants to English medium primary schools have become a embarrassment to the BJP.

AND A few stray thoughts and a few stray observations for yet another Sunday. For a Sunday following the week when the irresponsibility of Fr Avinash Rebello, who heads the committee which manages the Museum of Sacred Christian Art attached to the Santa Monica Convent was exposed. For a Sunday following the week, when despite the directives of the Archbishop against parish priests endorsing candidates, many politicised priests continued to flout the directive. For a Sunday following the week when the Congress gave in to most of Babush Monserrate’s demands, but refused a ticket for his wife Jennifer to contest the St Cruz seat.

AND a few more stray thoughts and a few more observations for yet another Sunday. For a Sunday following the week when I realised that getting out of Goa by air is far more easier than getting into Goa because all of Mumbai wants to go to Goa every time there is a long weekend. For a Sunday following the week when the Election Commission’s decision to appoint an all-women team of observers drew flak from male bureaucrats. For a Sunday following the week when Manohar Parrikar, emulating the example of Digamber Kamat, is involved in appeasing slum colonies. For a Sunday following the week when Goa’s politicians were lobbying for tickets not only for themselves, but their relatives and friends.

AND A few more stray thoughts and few more observations for yet another Sunday. For a Sunday following the week when I was recovering from major surgery to attempt to deal with a malfunctioning waste management system. For a Sunday following the week when I discovered that the perspective on Goan politics from the 14th floor of the Hinduja Hospital is much clearer, notwithstanding the smog that covers the city and suburbs of Mumbai.

AND A few stray thoughts and a few observations for yet another Sunday. For a Sunday following the week when we discovered why the Reddys and the Yeddys of Goa have so far got away scot-free. For a Sunday following the week when we found that it was not just Congress MLAs who were involved in illegal mining, but also many BJP MLAs including the BJP MLA from Shiroda, Mahadev Naik. For a Sunday following the week when there appeared to be two power centres working in Delhi trying to decide who should get the Congress tickets. For a Sunday following the week when Radharao Gracias and Anacleto Viegas were playing their usual game of Jekyll and Hyde. For a Sunday following the week when I decided to go to Mumbai to attend to my waste management system, which seems to be in worse shape than Sonsoddo.

AND A few stray thoughts and a few stray observations for yet another Sunday. For a Sunday following the week when, with the aim of choosing winnable candidates, the Congress Party has shortlisted all four members of the Alemao family, and three members of the Ravi Naik family for granting tickets for the forthcoming elections to the Legislative Assembly of Goa. For a Sunday following the week when we learnt that Churchill Alemao, who considers himself a very generous person and keeps doling out money to the members of his constituency, is in the habit of refusing to settle his bills and repaying the loans that he has taken from others. For a Sunday following the week when the Congress was quite agitated about Mickky Pacheco threatening to field the candidates for all the 40 constituencies under the label of the Goa Vikas Party. For a Sunday following the week when, in his usual unpredictable fashion, Dr Wilfred de Souza threw a googly by announcing that he had been appointed goa state president of the Trinamool Congress.

AND A few stray thoughts and a few stray observations for yet another Sunday. For a Sunday following the week when it appeared that dynasties are the rule rather than the exception in Goan politics. For a Sunday following the week when the minority Muslim community asserted itself by applying for 30 tickets for ten constituencies from the Congress party alone. For a Sunday following the week when the Election Commission cracked down on continued recruitments by various government departments.