Every August 12th Goa pays homage to our first Chief Minister Dayanand Bandodkar on his death anniversary. Though Dayanand Bandodkar may have initially been for merging Goa with Maharastra, he respected the people’s verdict at the 16th January 1967 Opinion Poll and later with Dr Jack Sequeira as the fiery voice of the Opposition they toiled with a vision and passion towards the development of Goa. Unlike many of today’s politicians who are self-centered, they had relentlessly raised and pursued issues concerning the backward, down-trodden, and neglected communities of Goa. Leaders of their integrity, honesty and commitment, we may now never see in this arena of political pygmies.
Dayanand Bandodkar and Dr Jack Sequeira both dared to speak from their heart and always walk the talk. Only a few of such politicians still remain in our midst and will also be always remembered for the good they have done for Goa. About the rest and in particularly some of the current politicians in power who have been steering and navigating Goa down the tube there will be no obituary to write and no land remaining to even raise a Samadhi, leave alone a statue.
It is imperative that students today in our schools and colleges should be made aware of the very rich and invaluable contribution to Goa by Dayanand Bandodkar and Dr Jack Sequeira. They cannot be consigned as our forgotten heroes. Jack Sequeira and Dayanand Bandodkar must be rolling in their heavenly abode at the way Goa is being uncaringly misgoverned today.
