Hunt or get hunted…

Time for Citizen Candidates to administer political euthanasia to terminally opportunistic Goan politicians

POLI-GRAPH: Goa Assembly Complex, Porvorim

By Sumeet Naik

Loyalty in Goan politics is a kid’s diaper – perennially wet, perennially needing a change. One of the popular Goan English daily had made this apt observation in its Sunday Edit. And if that holds true, it’s time to consult a child specialist to fix this problem once and for all. For a sick polity nothing can be a better treatment than a right dosage of ballot administered by masses. In a democracy, they are the specialists, who have the power to administer political euthanasia for terminally opportunistic candidate. Time has come to cure the epidemic of political uncertainty, State been gripped with.

With Goa’s largest non-partisan citizens’ movement Goencho Avaaz considering to jump into political arena by fielding candidates for coming Lok Sabha elections, the importance of otherwise ignored peoples voice seem to have suddenly come to the fore. If fought with right intentions and people centric concerns, Goencho Avaaz can influence poll results in a large way. After all, for two Lok Sabha seats, smallest margin of vote swing is more than enough to turn tables. As far as Assembly battle is concerned, we have been witness to candidates losing over a wafer-thin margin.

In 2007, Mumbai’s posh suburb area of Juhu became the first ward to send a citizen-backed candidate Adolf D'Souza as its representative in BMC. No political party, no big banners or posters and not even frivolous campaign funds. In fact, Adolf was known as ‘1 Rupee’ candidate, as during his door-to-door campaign he went asking for a Rupee to fund his candidature. It’s time Goa takes a clue from neighboring State’s exercise and lays emphasis on putting up Citizen Candidate in coming elections.

Let us for once think beyond party lines and look around our backyard for an individual who has been striving hard to serve the constituency tirelessly without any expectations in return. I’m sure it is no big ask, if done keeping all the bias and past conflicts aside. We can get 40 out of 40 to provide the electoral process a fresh breather and the electorate a new hope. Right now, let’s not think even think of how many will be elected. But let us focus on how many we can back to send a strong message across, that enough is enough, we the citiziens are pulling off the plug. Chance of revival and days of keeping your political aspirations on ventilator at tax-payers expense is over. We are done with you all and we are opting for a political transfusion.

In the past we might have campaigned for one party or the other. We might have had individual choices based on who knows whom and who is related to the other. Let us break free from these self-imposed chains and for once think of collective good. A Citizen Candidate is your own voice against all those whom who have voted to power in the past and have let you down. Any party nominating its candidate for polls will have to think twice as it is not going to be a battle between the candidates. With Citizen Candidate in fray, it is going to be a battle between power-hungry politician and masses. Undoubtedly, peoples’ power has and shall always be supreme.

Once we have zeroed down collectively upon a Citizen Candidate irrespective of ones caste, creed, colour, religion or economic status for our constituency. He or she becomes our primary responsibility right from campaign to polling results and thereafter. You can’t just push someone into deep political waters and watch the person swim against new tides or existing political sharks. Collectively help and guard your candidate against all such possibilities. And make him or her accountable for actions and decisions that one shall take after being elected.

It may seem a daunting task, but it is not impossible either. We have been complaining about the lack of political will to do something positive, today time has come to display our public will towards universal welfare. The time has come to ‘HUNT’ for a Citizen Candidate before getting ‘HUNTED’ once again!

(Writer was former News Editor with The Free Press Journal (Mumbai) and currently a columnist)