Thousands got together to raise their voices in protest against a statement made by former RSS leader, Subhash Velingkar, recently. The same man, who many thought was intelligent, shocked everyone by making such a statement.
Intelligent men slip – maybe once or twice – but they rarely make the same mistake twice. Velingkar has been trying to lead common men astray on matters of divinity, but fortunately, for us, whenever he has tried, he has failed.
Bringing divinity into play to divide society is stooping to the lowest levels. When trouble started in Manipur, it was obvious the intended target was communal polarisation.
Manipur retorted through the recently completed Lok Sabha elections that communal polarisation has no shelf life, and if it does, it is limited to a short time.
The sad truth is that its people are still yearning to get back together. For a few , it could be victory.
Bringing divinity into play to divide society is stooping to the lowest levels. When trouble started in Manipur, it was obvious the intended target was communal polarisation.
The uproar in Goa was minor in comparison to what Manipur underwent, though the intent is the same – divide Goa on religious lines as a springboard to power.
The protest wasn't merely a reaction, but a message to the political class that enough is enough, stop fooling people in the name of God. They have done it before, but should not think public memory is short.
St Francis Xavier is what he is to you and what he is to me, and it should remain that way. But, just between the two, do you think he would care what anyone says about him?
The aim of this distortion is obviously to try and deflect attention from the good cause that society was getting together to fight for – preserving its environment and demography.
From the material available in public domain, it is now clear that private forests in Goa were in danger. It started with River Mhadei, and then moved to the Western Ghats, cutting trees for projects said to be beneficial for the State.
One needs a strategy to stay in power, and the present dispensation seems to be fuelling its agenda with resources from two different sources – both surviving on the forests that have been destroyed and the ones on verge of destruction.
It started with River Mhadei, and then moved to the Western Ghats, cutting trees for projects said to be beneficial for the State.
Trouble in Goa will mean an end to tourism. It is as simple as that. And, to recover and later manage to convince travellers that things have gotten back to normal will be a long lesson of tango.
Everyone knows that tourists come to Goa to enjoy its natural beauty. Yes, they come because the booze is cheap, but it is the same booze that makes everything around look greener.
Cut the hills, submerge the rivers, pollute the place, and Goa will be gone to satisfy the greed of a few who must be of the opinion that their ill-gotten wealth will keep a string of their generation, happy.
The tourism season is set to start beautifully and mindful of that start, Goa could have done better without a foolish statement by one man. Many joined the clutter against the statement and the most chilling remark of the clutter was: “He will receive the same treatment as Fr Bolmax.”
The lessons of the past have instilled a deep sense of awareness among Goans, and the misguided words of Velingkar are too fickle to divide them.
