The late president of Philippines Ferdinand Marcos was the dictator of his country for over two decades. About 30 years back supported by the people Beningno Aquino challenged Marcos for the presidency of Philippines. Seeing Aquino gaining too much of public support, Marcos was annoyed and with this annoyance he got Aquino killed at Manila Airport when Aquino was deplaning himself.
After this sudden tragic death of Aquino, there appeared a void to challenge Marcos in the election for the presidency. Due to public sympathy, demand for Corazon Aquino the wife of Mr. Aquino grew to contest the election against Marcos. Though Mrs. Aquino was a Law graduate yet she was only a housewife being an apolitical woman never involved with her husband in his political activities. She was novice to politics and was never tested in this field before. Yet there was heavy pressure on her to contest the election against Marcos. When she was adamant in her refusal to contest the election in place of her late assassinated husband, finally Cardinal Sin of Philippines intervened and requested her thus:
“Mrs. Aquino, please don’t let the people’s wishes go on your deaf ears”. When she said to see someone more appropriate and competent, Cardinal Sin replied thus: “We have people to challenge Marcos but we don’t want any of them other than you because the entire nation is supporting you because you are the HEART of the nation now with the strong public feelings you gained thru public sympathy. Everyone in Philippines backs you up for the good work your late husband did for the nation”. With this plea of Philippine’s Cardinal, Mrs. Corazon Aquino relented, then contested the election and got facile victory to become the president of Philippines and then the history.
The contribution of the late Mathanay Saldanha in the service of Goa is really immense and nobody can deny this fact. His love for Goa and Goans was really tremendous. It was a pity that he died at the wrong time when he was able to do something worthwhile for Goan causes. His death was a mystery which can unravel only by God. In his death the void created in Cortalim constituency has to be filled within 6 months. Who will fill this void? The demand on his wife Alina to fill this void is growing while there seems to be no opposition voice so far visible and audible.
In Philippines, the opponents of Marcos wanted to get rid of him and for this the only alternative was to push Mrs. Aquino to contest the election. Similarly there is a demand to push Mrs. Mathanay Saldanha to contest the by-election in Cortalim and win the Seat for BJP. What is at stake is BJP Seat and nothing else. It does not matter Alina is capable or not but her victory is essential irrespective of her output. She is become the Heart of Cortalim constituency and darling of voters due to sympathy wave flowing everywhere for her because of her husband’s death.
When Lal Bahadur Shastri died, some “Chamcha” Congressmen tried to coax his wife Lalita Shastri to join Congress openly so that Congressmen will use her sympathy to gain support for the party, but she refused. When Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated she advised Sonia Gandhi to keep a distance from active politics but Sonia turned down her request. To gain public sympathy, after Bandodkar’s death, his Chamchas brought in his daughter Shashikala Kakodkar on CM Chair. She failed in her CM chair and she failed Goa too, so also politically untested Sonia Gandhi failed and she failed Congress party and the nation. To gain public support from the sympathy wave in the aftermath of his mother’s assassination, from nowhere Chamcha Congressmen brought in Rajiv Gandhi and implanted him on Indira’s chair. But he failed and he failed the nation as well.
Likewise Mrs. Aquino failed Philippines because she was untested politically earlier. Similarly all the leaders who came to power thru sympathy wave or thru the pushing of their politically tested fathers and husbands failed to deliver the goods. In Pakistan Benazir Bhutto who came to power thru sympathy wave failed and in the same way Khalida Zia in Bangladesh failed while her opponent Hashina partially failed.
It is dangerous to induct into political leadership persons who are virgins politically and in public life. Just because they have backing of their politically powerful fathers and husbands they should not be imposed on the people, neither people should accept such artificial leaders. So also persons riding on the sympathy wave should not be made political leaders lest they make mess of their position.
In view of this, will Alina the wife of late Mathanay Saldanha be a right choice to step into her dead husband’s shoes? Or a real competent substitute will be the right choice? It is not like a charity to dole out Assembly Seats to the immediate relatives of the dead political leaders. Mathanay Saldanha was a seasoned and politically matured leader who underwent during past many decades all the political lessons required for a public figure. Thru this hard process he gained the goodwill of the people. To reach to his peak he suffered defeats also and then came to the level he finally attained. To become what he was he built strong bridges between him and the people at large all over Goa and Cortalim in particular. He had experience in political and public life. He was politically tested. Was Alina?? If yes, then OK. If not, BJP ticket should not be like a “Bakshish” for her.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
After this sudden tragic death of Aquino, there appeared a void to challenge Marcos in the election for the presidency. Due to public sympathy, demand for Corazon Aquino the wife of Mr. Aquino grew to contest the election against Marcos. Though Mrs. Aquino was a Law graduate yet she was only a housewife being an apolitical woman never involved with her husband in his political activities. She was novice to politics and was never tested in this field before. Yet there was heavy pressure on her to contest the election against Marcos. When she was adamant in her refusal to contest the election in place of her late assassinated husband, finally Cardinal Sin of Philippines intervened and requested her thus:
“Mrs. Aquino, please don’t let the people’s wishes go on your deaf ears”. When she said to see someone more appropriate and competent, Cardinal Sin replied thus: “We have people to challenge Marcos but we don’t want any of them other than you because the entire nation is supporting you because you are the HEART of the nation now with the strong public feelings you gained thru public sympathy. Everyone in Philippines backs you up for the good work your late husband did for the nation”. With this plea of Philippine’s Cardinal, Mrs. Corazon Aquino relented, then contested the election and got facile victory to become the president of Philippines and then the history.
The contribution of the late Mathanay Saldanha in the service of Goa is really immense and nobody can deny this fact. His love for Goa and Goans was really tremendous. It was a pity that he died at the wrong time when he was able to do something worthwhile for Goan causes. His death was a mystery which can unravel only by God. In his death the void created in Cortalim constituency has to be filled within 6 months. Who will fill this void? The demand on his wife Alina to fill this void is growing while there seems to be no opposition voice so far visible and audible.
In Philippines, the opponents of Marcos wanted to get rid of him and for this the only alternative was to push Mrs. Aquino to contest the election. Similarly there is a demand to push Mrs. Mathanay Saldanha to contest the by-election in Cortalim and win the Seat for BJP. What is at stake is BJP Seat and nothing else. It does not matter Alina is capable or not but her victory is essential irrespective of her output. She is become the Heart of Cortalim constituency and darling of voters due to sympathy wave flowing everywhere for her because of her husband’s death.
When Lal Bahadur Shastri died, some “Chamcha” Congressmen tried to coax his wife Lalita Shastri to join Congress openly so that Congressmen will use her sympathy to gain support for the party, but she refused. When Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated she advised Sonia Gandhi to keep a distance from active politics but Sonia turned down her request. To gain public sympathy, after Bandodkar’s death, his Chamchas brought in his daughter Shashikala Kakodkar on CM Chair. She failed in her CM chair and she failed Goa too, so also politically untested Sonia Gandhi failed and she failed Congress party and the nation. To gain public support from the sympathy wave in the aftermath of his mother’s assassination, from nowhere Chamcha Congressmen brought in Rajiv Gandhi and implanted him on Indira’s chair. But he failed and he failed the nation as well.
Likewise Mrs. Aquino failed Philippines because she was untested politically earlier. Similarly all the leaders who came to power thru sympathy wave or thru the pushing of their politically tested fathers and husbands failed to deliver the goods. In Pakistan Benazir Bhutto who came to power thru sympathy wave failed and in the same way Khalida Zia in Bangladesh failed while her opponent Hashina partially failed.
It is dangerous to induct into political leadership persons who are virgins politically and in public life. Just because they have backing of their politically powerful fathers and husbands they should not be imposed on the people, neither people should accept such artificial leaders. So also persons riding on the sympathy wave should not be made political leaders lest they make mess of their position.
In view of this, will Alina the wife of late Mathanay Saldanha be a right choice to step into her dead husband’s shoes? Or a real competent substitute will be the right choice? It is not like a charity to dole out Assembly Seats to the immediate relatives of the dead political leaders. Mathanay Saldanha was a seasoned and politically matured leader who underwent during past many decades all the political lessons required for a public figure. Thru this hard process he gained the goodwill of the people. To reach to his peak he suffered defeats also and then came to the level he finally attained. To become what he was he built strong bridges between him and the people at large all over Goa and Cortalim in particular. He had experience in political and public life. He was politically tested. Was Alina?? If yes, then OK. If not, BJP ticket should not be like a “Bakshish” for her.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
