from daijiworld’s special correspondent
Panaji, May 9: Why did senior Congressman and south Goa member of parliament Churchill Alemao quit the congress party?
Daijiworld.com laid its hands on a copy of the hard-hitting letter written by Alemao to Goa Pradesh Congress committee president Ravi Naik.
We give exclusive access to this letter for daijiworld readers.
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I Shri Churchill Alemao, major, son of late Braz Alemao, do wish to submit my resignation from the membership of Indian National Congress for reasons detailed below.
I have been an active member of the Congress party for many years and during this period, I have always placed the welfare and interest of the people of the state above all. However, I have found that the Congress party has increasingly tended to be anti-people and the organization is functioning as a private limited company with few shareholders controlling them.
I have tried my level best to highlight the malfunctioning of the party with the sole aim that the oldest political party in the country may change its mode of functioning and re-direct itself to achieve the purpose for which the party was created. It may also not be out of place to point out that the most of the country’s foremost leaders have been members of the Congress party and many of them have set high standards in public life which unfortunately is no longer the case with those controlling the party now.
In particular, I have at various times pointed out the several anti-people measures which the party has taken in Goa and which, if implemented fully, will destroy Goa forever. However, the party refuses to see reason and has on account of the ensuing elections merely withheld some of the more malicious programmes planned for Goa instead of scrapping the same outright. As a consequence, the very people who have elected the party have been over the last two years forced to come on the streets and agitate against the Congress on every issue which have completely antagonize the public which are:
a. The decision of Goa government to close Dabolim airport and to build a new airport at Mopa is detrimental to Goa and benefit of Maharashtra. Despite vehemently opposition to project, it has not been dropped but only withheld only to be reimplemented after the elections.
b. The creation of SEZs in Goa in arbitrary and capricious manner with no tangible benefit for the people of the state but only designed to help big multi-national companies.
c. The proposal to erect six-lane highway through the coastal villages of Goa which are already overcrowded and designed to split villages into unworkable units only to help the five-star hotel lobby in the coastal belt by providing them easy means of transport to the proposed new airport at Mopa.
d. The steadfast refusal of the government to grant recognition to Roman script as official script for the Konkani language.
e. The regional plan which sought to sell Goa to real estate interests and which had to be recalled following a massive public agitation. The same plan with slight modification may be reintroduced after the Congress comes to power since the Congress tickets are being issued to the very same forces responsible for the plan.
f. The admission of communal elements like Mohan Amshekar, hardcore and staunch RSS who was part of Babri masjid demolition squad has further damaged the secular credentials of Congress party.
I have over the last few years used the party fora to highlight the shortcomings of the party. I have written to the highest authorities in the party pointing out the irregularities in the functioning of the party and seeking remedial action. No action has been taken on any of the issues highlighted by me and the people of Goa are today completely fed up and frustrated with the Congress party.
It is now increasingly clear that public interet is no longer of paramount importance in framing policies of the Congress party. It is a few individuals who have hijacked party to serve their private interests.
I, therefore, do hereby submit my resignation from the primary membership of the Indian National Congress which may be kindly accepted forthwith. I have earlier tendered my resignation as a member of Lok sabha to the honorable speaker.
Churchill Alemao
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