In fighting against injustice, nobody and nothing should intimidate you. One should never be cowed down by any threats of consequences that may have to be faced for speaking out fearlessly. And never be distracted by desperate attempts to malign or defame you.
Over the last 40 years raising issues against the illegalities of successive governments has not been an easy task. But without holding any position I have been able to visit almost every village in Goa and make friends there. My life has been an open book.
Truth hurts but it is only truth that will always ultimately prevail. In issues I have raised over the years it has never been personally against individuals but the wrong doings of those in power regardless of which party has been ruling. During the Congress regime I was branded as a BJP man, now the BJP may feel the reverse. But I am what I am, having from the Lower Courts to the High Court and the Supreme Court done my duty in raising a whole range of issues concerning the public at large. We should never compromise and surrender our right to speak out openly and candidly against anything that is wrong. Let us never hesitate in taking the bull by the horn.
I have had nothing personal against anyone about whom I have raised issues over the years. When highlighting an issue, it is bound to hurt some. Have I hurt one too many? One has to have the spine to speak out against things that are wrong. I will continue to highlight any injustice that I see. Nothing shall deter me and my commitment in this regard. The risk of losing your life is a small price one may have to pay in the bigger battle against corruption and injustice.
Politicians and people in authority, by virtue of their positions, should be ready for both bouquets and brickbats. Freedom to fearlessly fight against social ills is the very hallmark of a true democracy, but unfortunately some of those in power who ride to power on a contrived electorate are unable to withstand such a scrutiny. The voices of critics are not necessarily of those against a dispensation but should be heard as a voice of inner consciousness: a call to rectify or to perish.
In a democracy the power vests with the people and they are supreme. They can sweep in or sweep out a government. In 2012 the BJP rode to Power in Goa on a promise of Good Governance and Zero Tolerance to Corruption. But the rampant Corruption is there for all to see. It is Acche din for the corrupt.
Truth is always bitter. Buddha had said that three things cannot be long hidden: the Sun, the Moon and the Truth. At times one pays a heavy price in fighting public causes but one has to maintain the spirit and keep on fighting. Life is a short voyage; a journey - the end of which we know not. So let’s keep up the fight.
We should never lose sight of what Martin Luther King, Jr. had said ‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere’.