from special correspondent Ares
Daijiworld Media Network - Goa (mb)
File pics by Rajtilak Naik
Panaji, Jan 3: It was yet another year of political uncertainties and toppling games running through legislative assembly election and a Lok Sabha by-poll. The year 2007 will be remembered more for failed the Goa Democratic Alliance (GDA) experiment and scores of agitations which saw Digamber Kamat government virtually coming down on its knees.
The year started with heightened aspirations of prospective politicians who did their best to get the tickets for June two Goa polls. Goa entered 2007 under the chief ministership of Pratapsingh Rane.
Rane, a seasoned politician, had managed to shoo away regional plan 2011 trouble little after the new year began. As if Sr Rane had taken a new year resolution to scrap RP 2011, within two months of 2007, he declared that the plan will be redone.
This, to a certain extent, made the huge public agitation led by Goa Bachao Abiyaan subside. The GBA, which by that time had managed to be a name of trust for Goans, accepted Rane's decision with open arms but on a vigilant note.
Mid-2007 was marked with elections. Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) which was expecting an absolute majority in the elections, especially because of large-scale anti-Congress sentiments nurtured within the electorate, failed to get the majority. The Congress on the other hand got an opportunity to rule the state, thanks to its alliance with Nationalist Congress party (NCP).
The June Two Goa polls sprang many surprises, including defeat of veterans like Luizinho Faleiro, Francisco Sardinha, Dr Wilfred D'Souza, Rajendra Arlekar, Vishwas Satarkar and others. It also saw emergence of new faces like Shyam Satardekar, Nilkant Halarnkar, Milind Naik, Dilip Parulekar and a few others.
Map of Goa (courtesy: AmcheGoa)
The one name which continued to hit media headlines through 2006 and 2007 was that of Babush Monserratte. Taleigao's uncrowned king was in the news for regional plan 2011 in 2006 and later hogged the headlines for rejecting Congress ticket in the June two polls and fielding his wife Jennifer against Victoria Fernandes in St Cruz constituency.
He was also seen working against Victoria throughout the election. Victoria also had her share of controversies when she launched an unsuccessful hunger strike until death demanding ministerial position. She later withdrew the strike after chief minister requested her.
The political games attained a height in July end when Victoria, Babush, Churchill Alemao, Anil Salgaoncar, Dhavalikar brothers along with BJP launched a massive campaign to dislodge Digamber Kamat government.
The move which was conceived late night in a five-star hotel saw disqualification petitions being filed against Dhavalikar and Victoria.
The political games which had BJP-led GDA parading themselves before the President of India spilled around throughout the year and still the impact of the GDA alliance is felt on Digamber Kamat government.
Babush was the first legislator to split from GDA and rejoin Congress camp, swearing by the leadership of Sonia Gandhi. This gave the much-needed stability to Kamat government. Later Churchill too joined back, thus neutralizing the entire move.
The south Goa Lok Sabha poll that followed was litmus paper test for the Digamber Kamat government. Churchill who till the last minute tried to get a ticket for his daughter Valenca refused to canvass for Congress ticket, BJP got Dr Wilfred Mesquita as its candidate.
It was sheer Congress might in south Goa that helped Congress candidate Francisco Sardinha win the election and Digamber Kamat prove his clout as the ruler of the state.
But for Kamat government troubles were unending. Even before celebrations of winning the south goa by-poll were yet to get over, the chief minister had to sit with two major problems – special economic zones (SEZs) and Rajiv Gandhi IT Habitat.
The BJP was the first one to rake up the SEZ controversy in the state. But the controversy got a huge momentum when Mathany Saldanha-led Goa's Movement Against SEZs and SEZ virodhi Manch which had Catholic Church participation, got into action.
Two SEZs, which were taking shape one each at Keri and Verna, had to stop their work while the state government had to seek white paper from its bureaucracy on SEZs in the state.
The worst trouble over SEZ came in the form of the nuisance created during Christmas celebrations when GMAS requested tourists to leave the state by December 28 as the agitation might take ugly turn in the days to come.
The tourism industry faced huge loses after the 'request'. The Goa government had to initiate troubleshooting and file a criminal case against Saldanha.
Taleigao also had its share of publicity during the fag end of the year with Babush declaring that he was ready even to shed his blood in opposing Rajiv Gandhi IT Habitat. The Taleigao residents were fully convinced that a real estate scam was behind the habitat project.
Anti-IT Habitat agitation was more of a verbal duel between Babush and IT minister Dayanand Narvekar with chief minister Digamber Kamat and Goa Pradesh Youth Congress committee at the receiving end. The GPYCC activists who were supporting the IT Habitat were beaten black and blue by Taleigao people.
To sum up, the year 2007 was a politically and socially charged year. The happenings in 2007 will naturally spill into 2008 with more troubled lined up for chief minister digamber Kamat on his way.
It is still to be seen whether Kamat remains to rule the state throughout 2008 or will have to face another coupe dethroning him from the chair.