By Marcellus D’Souza

Mar 24: The Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) is the newest political outfit on the horizon of the balmy state on the West coast of India - Goa.
A movement started by angry Goan youth out to “save” Goa. “Twenty years ago, Goa was very different. Now it has changed drastically. Goans have to go abroad and migrants are coming in Goa and doing illegal businesses, they are encroaching on our land, taking up our jobs. Goans were going in the wrong direction. That’s why we came into the picture and we fought for Goa and Goans have believed in us,” said Viresh Borkar, President of RGP.

Militant in it approach, it has taken the law in its hand and roughed up many a hawker from other states especially Karnataka. They often turn over the wares of poor hawkers who try to eek out a living in the various markets of Goa. They target the Mapusa market as well as ruff up vendors on the streets. They care little for the rule of law and use long arm tactics to settle scores. They use a mixture of unparliamentarily language, abusive language and physical violence to settle scores. There approach and treatment can be described as rough. It has a singular objective – to drive away the ‘outsider’ from Goa. Very often they videograph these ‘attacks’ and upload them on social media platforms like ‘You Tube’ to scare the migrant worker.

Before taking the electoral plunge, the RGP faced a barrage of allegations - internally from General Secretary, Suraj Naik who had lashed out against RGP supremo Manoj Parab for various irregularities including alleged misuse of its finances and externally from the Goa Su-Raj Party (GSRP).

Suraj Naik had alleged that RGP “had not kept proper accounts of the funding it has received, be it cash donations received at its corner and public meetings or large financial donations from RGP supporters from Goa or cities outside India like London”.

He had said Goans should think twice of supporting such leaders who are promoting ‘fotingponn’. He also questioned if they truly cared for the cause of genuine ‘Goemkars’ as opposed to pursuing their own vested interests.

The GSRP decided to snap ties with the nascent home grown party. GSRP President Inacio Vaz stated that “not a single rupee has been deposited in the bank account opened at HDFC bank for the purpose of election expenditure”. Although GSRP had provided RGP a political platform the son-of-the-soil party was unable to get registration from the Election Commission of India (ECI), but claimed that Manoj Parab and his team had played a game of betrayal and backstab”.

Finally, after waiting for a nearly a year, the ECI recognised the RGP, on the eve of the elections, as a political party with the name 'Revolutionary Goans Party’ (RGP) and awarded the ‘football’ as its election symbol.

The GRP contested 38 from the possible 40 seats but won only one seat - St. Andre by the slimiest of margins – 76 votes. RGPs President Viresh Borkar was declared winner. Tall, bearded, single, 12th Passal and a student of Agnel Polytechnic, Viresh lives in Panjim and hails from the village of Neura in Tiswadi, that lies between two older capitals, Gopakapattana and Velha Goa (Old Goa). The village is home to big khazan lands. Pitted against six contenders Viresh won the seat against heavyweights like Francisco Silveira of the BJP. Victorious at the hasting, he was able to eat into the vote share of the grand old party of India, the Congress.
On winning the seat, Viresh Borkar reiterated that he would introduce the Person of Goan Origin (POGO) Bill in the First session of the assembly. He was ridden on a bullet to the Assembly to be sworn in as MLA by Manoj Parab.

On Wednesday, Viresh Borkar visited the Old Goa protest site and extended his support to the ‘dharna’ which has been held for over 100-days against the illegal construction of a bungalow by BJP MP N.C. Shania adjacent to the Basilica of Bom Jesus where the sacred relics of St. Francis Xavier, Patron Saint of Goa are displayed in a silver casket.

What are the future plans for RGP?
Winning the St. Andre seat has given the RGP is renewed impetus. According to political observers, "Attacks against ‘outsiders’ will be intensified to keep RGP relevant in the minds of the people”.

Speaking at a rally to thank the people of his constituency Viresh Borkar said: “The panchayat should be ruled by the RGP. All the controversial projects come first before the panchayats. We have to take the panchayat polls seriously so that we rule the village panchayats and mete out justice to the people. RGP will have to connect with the people to take out movement forward so that we face bigger challenges and elections in the future, including the Zilla Panchayat and Lok Sabha polls”.