The law is that all the footpaths have to be left unobstructed at all times for the pedestrians to use. Infact the thrust today is to even make the footpaths accessible by wheel chair for the disabled.
Contrary to the law and common sense, the BJP by a sheer act of arrogance and abuse of power erected over a fortnight ago a huge welcome arch at the entrance of Mapusa just near the Gandhi Chowk obstructing the footpaths on both sides of the road.
When the matter was brought to the attention of the Mapusa Deputy Collector Pundalik Khorjuvekar he promptly directed the Mamlatdar Madhu Narvekar to act immediately. The Mamlatdar has however refused to remove the illegal welcome arch just because it has a large full size portrait of his political masters Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar on either side. Infact Manohar Parrikar has reportedly phoned the Mamlatdar and warned him of dire consequences if the arch is removed. So acting as a caged parrot Mamlatdar Madhu Narvekar has kept his mobile phone shut for the last two days.
Having promised good, clean and a transparent administration, the BJP now is violating every law possible with impunity. Democracy and the Rule of law cannot be subverted and throttled in such a high-handed manner. Power having gone to their head, the BJP leaders need to be brought to their senses.
As Goa goes to the municipal polls on 25th of October it would be an opportunity to thrash the BJP candidates at the ballot box. Let us hope some new faces are elected along with some good experienced hands.
At Mapusa, the BJP has been ruling the Municipality for the last five years and the condition of the city is a crying shame. It is atrocious that the ruling councilors are having the audacity to seek re-election after having miserably failed on all counts in taking care of the city that they were entrusted with. May the will and power of the people prevail.
We need to be ever so vigilant and raise our voices against every illegality that we see and regardless who the perpetrator of that crime is.
Whilst Adv.Aires Rodrigues has been the “Lone Ranger” exposing the atrocities, injustices and corruption in Goa, it appears that most Goans are very complacent and go about their daily chores not realizing that IF THEY DO NOT AWAKE FROM THEIR SLUMBER, Goa will no longer be for Goans, but, for all outsiders who are willing and able to buy their way through the political system in Goa.
Besides with the BJP government openly and blatantly promoting communalism and our Catholic Bishop being silent and not taking any active role to stop this communalism, the following quotes come to my mind:
• In the words of Desmond Tutu (South African social rights activist and retired Anglican bishop who rose to worldwide fame during the 1980s as an opponent of apartheid and injustice) wrote “”If you are neutral in times of injustice, you are on the side of the oppressors”.
• Similarly Martin Luther King Jr. ((American Baptist minister, activist, humanitarian, and leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for his role in the advancement of civil rights …) said “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
• Finally in the words of Albert Einstein. These are his quotes on injustice: “In matters of truth and justice, there is no difference between large and small problems, for issues concerning the treatment of people are all the same”.
And here are some of his other relevant quotes:
“The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything.”
“If I were to remain silent, I’d be guilty of complicity.”
Keep up the good work you are doing Adv;Aires Rodrigues. God save Goa!!
tino-everybody has google