The Goan Media
There is absolutely no doubt that, today media sells on tragedies and scams, be it the idiot box or be it the print media, the escalation of prime time coverage on TV is always directly proportional to the intensity and the enormity of the tragedy or scam and the same applies to the explosive headlines on the front pages of print media, so while the media thrives and resonates on scams and tragedies and we are fed with an overdose of overt action and synthetic empathy, the media houses laugh their way to the banks. Scams and tragedies do indeed provide a revenue torrent to media biz.
We witnessed the 26/11 tragedy as it unfolded, live and on print, which went on well beyond and after the embers had died down in the chill of the Indian winter. Of late media biz has been overwhelmed and overworked, feasting over scams that have been erupting like poppers at a parties and the Congress has been the most generous contributor to the overdose and to the coffers of the media houses. The BJP too has not lagged behind in their generosity, with the carnival in the Karnataka legislative assembly and the crowning “gory” of the Reddy brothers in acquiring their colossal wealth and ofcourse how can we forget the Ramlila and Anna’s fasting jaunts along with the ostensible change in “Moditva” ideologies.
On one side the media houses are happy with the overstretched limits of coverage and on the other side, the people who are just waiting to read about and watch, the next disaster or scam unfold and explode, get their daily dose of fix. Except, who is complaining, even as the next scam erupts or the next tragedy occurs on the tail of the previous, both, the people and the media tend to forget the harsh realities of the past incidents and begin feasting on the new. We all do tend to have very short memories, even though we ominously display even short fuses at anything and everything. This embedded culture compels deep introspection about the activities, responsibilities and the responses of both the media as well as the people.
Media can be informative as well as educative, media can change situations, emotions and opinions in a its wake, media can make or break movements and persons, media can also expose treachery and hypocrisy and so basically media is an essential tool of our daily lives and it certainly has greater responsibilities towards the masses on what and how, they present the issues and facts with malice or bias towards none and should not resort to irresponsible and morbid presentations. Our media should be worthy of the principles of democracy that we all seek.
In Goa’s post liberation history too, media has always been a major player, be it the Opinion poll, Konkanni movement or the epileptic RP’s and SEZ issues, which it helped to gain momentum and turn them into human tsunamis, bringing our politicians to their knees. Peoples power to the fore thanks to the media.
Today as we contemplate on the issues plaguing our once beautiful serene land, a lot has been said and written about the mining scam in Goa, which has not just become a national issue but an international one and due credit must be given to the Goan, as well as the national media in helping to expose the conspiracy of illegal mining in Goa, hatched by our very own elected members, the very people who were given a mandate to work for the welfare of our land and our people but failed miserably in the wake of their own primitive and skewed agendas.
Even though the media has been overworking in exposing illegal mining in Goa in the past few weeks, I am still skeptical of the media and the part it has played so far, as some major media players in Goa are somehow connected to the mining industry, if not on their payrolls and it is this liaison that could be detrimental to our Goan psyche and our holistic efforts to curb, if not stop illegal mining and that makes me weary of the Goan media.
It is said that the elephant has two sets of teeth, one set is for display, while the other is for crunching, I wonder which are the teeth that our Goan media is now showing ?
Freddy Agnelo Fernandes.
October 10, 2011
CONGRESS PARTY SHOULD DUMP ALL INVOLVED IN ILEGAL MINING IN GOA.
By Nisser Dias 6th Oct 2011.
What is the Congress party waiting for? Dump all those involved in illegal mining in Goa.
For more than a month now, not a single day has passed without newspapers carrying reports on illegal mining in the state and exposing all those involved in the same. Be it the chief minister, his cabinet colleagues, Congress party president of Goa unit, MLAs and government servants who did the bidding of politicians and allowed Goa to be raped and destroyed of its natural beauty. At the same time causing a loss of more than Rs. 10,000 crores to the exchequer. But the irony of the episode that is unfolding before our eyes involves chief minister, ministers and MLAs but they continue in their positions.
Compare this with an aam admi who has committed a crime, police immediately arrest him so that the criminal does not hamper investigation and destroy evidence. Moreover the entire scene of crime is made inaccessible to those involved in the crime. If at all the criminal is granted bail, the court imposes conditions that the accused will not influence or threaten witnesses, will co-operate with investigation, will not leave the country. But in the case of illegal mining the persons who are allegedly involved are high profile and they continue in their position where they can really influence and destroy evidence. Notwithstanding all this, we continue to believe in the myth that nobody is above law how where high and mighty he maybe.
Chief minister has been ruling over the portfolio for the last more than a decade, he says that he has been aware of the illegality but chose to stay mum thereby abetting it. Urban Development minister Joaquim Alemao says he is only a machinery contractor for mining companies and is not involved in illegal mining but the board outside his business office shouts that he is into mining services including trading and he continues in the public office. Health minister says he will not allow closed mines to be opened but his involvement in alleged illegal mining is also unfolding.
Worse still he continues to dictate terms to the Congress by weaning away BJP MLAs and forcing Congress party bigwigs to accept them. Such is his stranglehold over the party. Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Subhash Shirodkar role is also being unearthed. He is undeterred and continues in a responsible position despite of his alleged irresponsible act.
Joaquim Alemao made a grand statement that he would resign as minister if it is proved that he is involved in illegal mining. His statement seems to be on the assumption, ‘innocent until proven guilty’. But for common man it seems to be just opposite. Then Health minister Vishwajit Rane threatened to sue Leader of Opposition Manohar Parrikar for alleging that he is deeply involved illegal mining. The question is why does junior Rane issue threats. Why can he just go ahead and file a defamation suit against his tormentor. It is because the Health minister knows very well that his darks deeds will be further exposed.
Now these same politicians are trying to form their own coterie by either making other MLAs to resign and contest on Congress or trying to bring their families in politics so that they will have a greater leverage in the formation of the government and that they will also enjoy immunity. Lest they should forget top Union ministers are today languishing in jails.
That our elected representatives have made politics their business cannot be denied. At the same to counter the illegalities committed by our elected representatives we need to have in place strong laws to maintain the equilibrium of checks and balances on corruption and Anna has shown the way.
In Goa too the Law Commission has presented the government with an effective Goa Lokayukta Bill 2011 which brings all and sundry under its ambit. The Bill also envisages its own Investigation and Prosecution Wings, however it was amply clear from the beginning that the government and the Opposition included would not allow such a Bill as it empowers the Lokayukta to investigate and prosecute anybody for their deeds of Omission and Commission. And illegal mining under chief minister Digambar Kamat for the past 13 years is an apt example of sins of Omission and Commission.
Digambar Kamat saw through the Goa Lokayukta Bill 2011and the havoc it could play with his political fraternity and decided to place the toothless 2003 Bill which was passed in 2007 before the House again during the on-going Assembly Session. That apart the Congress legislators seem to have come together which is very rare, to shield and save their own from the M B Shah probe and from the Public Accounts Committee report prepared by its chairman Manohar Parrikar.
Infact the Congress and MGP legislators on the panel reversed the table on Parrikar by using his own trick. It does not require a political analyst to realize that Parrikar submitted the PAC draft at the eleventh hour to trick other members of the committee for their consent. However when they refused to sign on the dotted lines as they required time to study it, his ploy fell flat. This has been the hallmark of Parrikar’s functioning and we saw it during his reign as chief minister.
The ruling MLAs refusing to sign the PAC draft is also another indication that they have come together. AICC observer Jagmeet Singh Brar must have really done some trouble shooting during his visit to Goa last week to forge unity. Or it could also be that the Congressmen have come together to save their own skin, United we stand, divided we fall sought of a way.
But one thing I can say is that this would bring temporary relief to the chief minister and all those involved in illegal mining and causing irreversible damage to natural beauty of Goa and causing loss to the exchequer. But how long will Digambar Kamat government last after the Justice Shah submits his report is a question mark. The chief minister has only one option, suggest dissolution of the assembly immediately after the 2-day assembly session is over and go to polls. Congress party too has its options drop Digambar Kamat and the ministers to be indicted in the report to save face and go polls telling the world the party is fighting corruption even though its own partymen are involved in it.
Lastly the political parties will decide what is best for them as they want to rule, where the country is headed to or the destruction of the nature is their least priority. It is us – the people of this country or the state to decide how to shape our country and state and we have the right to do it through our ballot by choosing and electing the right candidates who has our aspiration at heart and not to promote his business or rather to indulge in illegal businesses. If the Congress party is serious about fighting corruption, it has to immediately sack all its partymen including chief minister and his cabinet colleagues involved in illegalities and also those involved in other form of corruption or those who have accumulated huge illegal wealth during their rule in Goa.
Send your comments/reactions to nisserdias@gmail.com Or SMS 9422437029)
What is the Congress party waiting for? Dump all those involved in illegal mining in Goa.
For more than a month now, not a single day has passed without newspapers carrying reports on illegal mining in the state and exposing all those involved in the same. Be it the chief minister, his cabinet colleagues, Congress party president of Goa unit, MLAs and government servants who did the bidding of politicians and allowed Goa to be raped and destroyed of its natural beauty. At the same time causing a loss of more than Rs. 10,000 crores to the exchequer. But the irony of the episode that is unfolding before our eyes involves chief minister, ministers and MLAs but they continue in their positions.
Compare this with an aam admi who has committed a crime, police immediately arrest him so that the criminal does not hamper investigation and destroy evidence. Moreover the entire scene of crime is made inaccessible to those involved in the crime. If at all the criminal is granted bail, the court imposes conditions that the accused will not influence or threaten witnesses, will co-operate with investigation, will not leave the country. But in the case of illegal mining the persons who are allegedly involved are high profile and they continue in their position where they can really influence and destroy evidence. Notwithstanding all this, we continue to believe in the myth that nobody is above law how where high and mighty he maybe.
Chief minister has been ruling over the portfolio for the last more than a decade, he says that he has been aware of the illegality but chose to stay mum thereby abetting it. Urban Development minister Joaquim Alemao says he is only a machinery contractor for mining companies and is not involved in illegal mining but the board outside his business office shouts that he is into mining services including trading and he continues in the public office. Health minister says he will not allow closed mines to be opened but his involvement in alleged illegal mining is also unfolding.
Worse still he continues to dictate terms to the Congress by weaning away BJP MLAs and forcing Congress party bigwigs to accept them. Such is his stranglehold over the party. Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Subhash Shirodkar role is also being unearthed. He is undeterred and continues in a responsible position despite of his alleged irresponsible act.
Joaquim Alemao made a grand statement that he would resign as minister if it is proved that he is involved in illegal mining. His statement seems to be on the assumption, ‘innocent until proven guilty’. But for common man it seems to be just opposite. Then Health minister Vishwajit Rane threatened to sue Leader of Opposition Manohar Parrikar for alleging that he is deeply involved illegal mining. The question is why does junior Rane issue threats. Why can he just go ahead and file a defamation suit against his tormentor. It is because the Health minister knows very well that his darks deeds will be further exposed.
Now these same politicians are trying to form their own coterie by either making other MLAs to resign and contest on Congress or trying to bring their families in politics so that they will have a greater leverage in the formation of the government and that they will also enjoy immunity. Lest they should forget top Union ministers are today languishing in jails.
That our elected representatives have made politics their business cannot be denied. At the same to counter the illegalities committed by our elected representatives we need to have in place strong laws to maintain the equilibrium of checks and balances on corruption and Anna has shown the way.
In Goa too the Law Commission has presented the government with an effective Goa Lokayukta Bill 2011 which brings all and sundry under its ambit. The Bill also envisages its own Investigation and Prosecution Wings, however it was amply clear from the beginning that the government and the Opposition included would not allow such a Bill as it empowers the Lokayukta to investigate and prosecute anybody for their deeds of Omission and Commission. And illegal mining under chief minister Digambar Kamat for the past 13 years is an apt example of sins of Omission and Commission.
Digambar Kamat saw through the Goa Lokayukta Bill 2011and the havoc it could play with his political fraternity and decided to place the toothless 2003 Bill which was passed in 2007 before the House again during the on-going Assembly Session. That apart the Congress legislators seem to have come together which is very rare, to shield and save their own from the M B Shah probe and from the Public Accounts Committee report prepared by its chairman Manohar Parrikar.
Infact the Congress and MGP legislators on the panel reversed the table on Parrikar by using his own trick. It does not require a political analyst to realize that Parrikar submitted the PAC draft at the eleventh hour to trick other members of the committee for their consent. However when they refused to sign on the dotted lines as they required time to study it, his ploy fell flat. This has been the hallmark of Parrikar’s functioning and we saw it during his reign as chief minister.
The ruling MLAs refusing to sign the PAC draft is also another indication that they have come together. AICC observer Jagmeet Singh Brar must have really done some trouble shooting during his visit to Goa last week to forge unity. Or it could also be that the Congressmen have come together to save their own skin, United we stand, divided we fall sought of a way.
But one thing I can say is that this would bring temporary relief to the chief minister and all those involved in illegal mining and causing irreversible damage to natural beauty of Goa and causing loss to the exchequer. But how long will Digambar Kamat government last after the Justice Shah submits his report is a question mark. The chief minister has only one option, suggest dissolution of the assembly immediately after the 2-day assembly session is over and go to polls. Congress party too has its options drop Digambar Kamat and the ministers to be indicted in the report to save face and go polls telling the world the party is fighting corruption even though its own partymen are involved in it.
Lastly the political parties will decide what is best for them as they want to rule, where the country is headed to or the destruction of the nature is their least priority. It is us – the people of this country or the state to decide how to shape our country and state and we have the right to do it through our ballot by choosing and electing the right candidates who has our aspiration at heart and not to promote his business or rather to indulge in illegal businesses. If the Congress party is serious about fighting corruption, it has to immediately sack all its partymen including chief minister and his cabinet colleagues involved in illegalities and also those involved in other form of corruption or those who have accumulated huge illegal wealth during their rule in Goa.
Send your comments/reactions to nisserdias@gmail.com Or SMS 9422437029)
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