Last week two of Panaji’s former Municipal Councillors moved on to a better world. They should be looked upon as ideal role models by those serving the community.
The veteran Ramesh Silimkhan, a teacher by profession was a person of great integrity, honesty and commitment. He was elected four times as Councillor of Panaji Municipal Council and also the Mayor of Panaji for a full five-year term. He was very soft spoken and always remained accessible to the people at large.
Melita Fernandes who was elected as Councillor more recently for a term was also a very lovely humble person and will be remembered for all her good work. Her untimely demise is so very unfortunate. She was the wife of Manuel Afonso, retired Deputy Director of Transport.
The two now departed Councillors must have been anguished over the current despicable state of Panaji and with the reckless digging of roads that has been going on blatantly over the last few years.
Those belonging to a genre with qualities of head and heart cannot survive in today’s political turf as one has to now be thick skinned and a hypocrite to the core. Having to be always ready to breach and bend all the rules to survive. So very sad but truly the ground reality.
