Because of the most
humiliating defeat inflicted on India by China in early sixties and Dayananda Bandodcar was just
appointed the Chief Minister of Goa, due to the austerity measures enforced by
the Government of India because of the loss in the war with China, Dayananda Bandodcar
has voluntarily agreed to travel to
Delhi by Air at his own cost for any official work. Since during that time the visits of Goa’s CM
were more frequent the amount of CM’s expenses was rather a big amount which
Bandodcar agreed to pay from his own personal account. It was then considered a big help for the
national kitty.
Now, due to the economic crisis because of the
Lockdown, our ministerial segment instead of surrendering some of their
luxuries which are at the cost of taxpayers money, they are least bothered to
surrender some of their unwanted luxuries and the pompous life they are
enjoying now. Why the ministers need to stay in luxurious Bungalows in
Panjim at Altinho? Is it their traditional way of living in their pre-ministerial
time? Why they require posh and expensive cars to travel?
I saw in the past the Saligao resident MLA of MGP,
Punaji Achrekar after the Assembly session traveling from Betim to his Saligao
home in a public bus at 7.30 PM though being a right hand man of Bandodcar he
would get any posh Car for him at least during the official duty. But no, he
volunteered to identify with the common people.
I feel ashamed of our Ministers at all levels to see them
enjoying the fabulous way of life while their fellow citizens are suffering
from the denials of many of the imperatives of their life. The facilities of ministers are easily
surpassed those of the Maharajas. These ministers are least bothered to think
what they are enjoying is ethically wrong.
The genuine leader is the one who identifies himself with the commoners. Can any Minister disclose any difficulty he
encountered in getting food items and other necessities during the last difficult 40 days of Lockdown? Is anyone
among them got courage to surrender the free facilities he is getting from the
government at least during these critical days to help the State?
Michael Lobo once addressing a public meeting in Candolim expressed
his pathetic upbringing. Why he cannot
show the way by living like a commoner
by surrendering his free luxuries from the government financed by
the tax payers? It is not enough to say
at the mass gathering that “I am also like one of you among the masses with
very humble family background”. If you are like one from the masses then why
don’t you live like one from the masses who are not living like Maharajas in
big bungalows in Panjim at Altinho?
Once when Dayananda Bandodcar said he is one among from the
Bahujan Samaj, Purshottam Kakodcar called him a liar and cheat because “you are
not from the Bahujan Samaj, you are living like a Maharaja at Altinho
Panjim with all the facilities of
Maharaja”. Then he told Bandodcar that a Bahujan Samaj man is not moving
in Buick Car like Bandodcar.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
