GOA SWAYS … TO A PRINCE.
By Valmiki Faleiro.
Four state governments led by India’s major political parties: BJP and Congress. ThreeTourism Ministers, from a tailor-turned-politician, to a teacher-turned-politician, to even a surgeon-turned-politician: Mickky Pacheco, Mathany Saldanha, Dr. Wilfred de Souza. The combined strength of national parties, state governments and tourism ministers proved impotent before a Goan puppeteer twiddling the strings, for almost a decade. The puppeteer purchased a discarded freighter in London. For converting it into a trans-shipper, a ‘dumb’ (engineless) vessel tugged alongside ocean-going carriers anchored mid-sea. Trans-shippers mechanically reload mineral ore from river barges into carrier. His own experts were against the deal. The puppeteer must have liked the scrap ship’s rather bewitching name, ‘River Princess.’
A vessel that had outlived her utility. He had it docked in the Mormugao harbour area, violating every rule in the book. On a gusty June 6 in the last year of the last millennium – year 2000 – the ‘Princess’ tore off her anchors and rooted tantalizingly bang on Goa’s prime touristy beach district, at Candolim. BJP’s Manohar Parrikar was the Chief Minister. Parrikar is a politician, and an intelligent one at that, unlike the nincompoops in theCongress. He enacted smokescreens. Like a new law to handle such contingencies, as if the maritime laws of the world’s largest democracy were inadequate. His advocate publicly defended the State in legal battles initiated by the transgressor by day, and privately dictated court responses for the opponent by night.
Worse, the dreary ‘Princess’ was allowed to be shorn off her vitals of any immediate value, as Parrikar & party watched. Not even a namesake police enquiry to identify the criminals who also cut huge holes in her sides. The intent was clear: make re-floating and towing away the vessel prohibitively expensive, and let the South-West monsoons break the vessel at site, so that the scrap can be salvaged inexpensively. Scattered underwater shrapnel be damned – let the foolish tourists who venture near where the ‘Princess’ once was, be quartered. And Goa be damned!
Those who sustain themselves on the Bardez beach belt must bless the builders of the ship that that didn’thappen – yet. Who would give a damn if the dowdy distress drowned or disintegrated? Those in power might have only uttered those colourful but unprintable Konknni phrases, with acronyms like ST, SMP (in English, trichotillomania, here, about blowing whistles on pubic hair.) Pretty close to SMIPL, acronym of the Princess’ owner. The ‘Princess’ was the middle of three of his renegade vessels in love with Goan coasts.
When the Captain of the first vessel radioed a Ready-to-Load note, our hero was worried– he had no ready ore shipment. Demurrages were steep. That June 5, a cyclone hit the Goa coast and beached the vessel off Sinquerim. The ‘Prince’ sued the importer instead– his export consignment was ‘ready’ but no vessel was in sight! The mighty insurer, Lloyds of London, ought to know him well. What’s Goa’s feckless government to him?
The tailor-turned-Tourism Minister, at a media meet the day he first took office, vowed to have the ship “towed away” within seven days. His ready-witted mentor and my friend, Radharao Gracias, quickly prompted him to amend the bloomer to mean that he would “initiate action” within seven days (to tow the ship.)
Deadlines came and went. The teacher-turned-Tourism Minister set a new deadline and vowed he would go if the ship didn’t. He went anyway, the ‘Princess’ did not. The surgeon-turned-Tourism Minister bellowed as many deadlines as he should bellow hot air. The ‘Princess’ was not charmed. She stayed put, even if reduced to a mere metal carcass. Good heavens have waited nine monsoons for Goa’s morons to move the marooned disaster away. What does failure to remove a dangerously grounded vessel, in this age of modern technology, signify? Smartness of the prince, incompetence of officialdom, or corruption among ministers?
PS: A Goa PWD engineer friend, after discussing last week's column, suggested, "Instead of raking up scandals in specific Govt Depts, search for a Dept where such daylight dacoities do not occur. The conclusion would be quicker – such a Dept does note xist in Goa!" (ENDS.)
The Valmiki Faleiro weekly column.
