Goa’s poll bol

When the Goan Outreach Association GOA reached 60 years in December last year Mumbai officebearers of the body which is the voice of Goans living outside Goa had spoken out about the Assembly election in the sunshine state to be held in February 2022They stated that the only prediction they had was that it was going to be a lsquojalebirsquo of an election The jalebis are going to be distributed amongst BJP party workers and supporterslsquoPortuguese left legacyrsquoSebastian Sequeira from Mumbai foundertrustee of the Goan Outreach Association said ldquoWe do not think it is too much to ask the party at the helm forming the government to truly work for the interest of Indiarsquos jewel in the tourist crownrdquoSequeira added ldquoGoarsquos tradition and culture cannot be allowed to fade away Recognise and address that there are some valid fears people are seeking reassurance through action Certain typical Goan festivals should be celebrated like in the past let that continue These may seem intangible but they are hugely importantrdquoSequeira added ldquoThe Portuguese left behind a legacy this is reflected even in the dietary habits of native Goans That should not be disturbed Frowning on drinking or certain types of food is disturbing a part of the Goan ethos For instance prohibition or ban on certain foods should not creep inrdquolsquoCongress vote got dividedrsquoThe foundertrustee claimed that people were concerned about ldquomining deforestation and encroachment on shores all undermining the scenic beauty of Goa The government must ensure that the tourism magnet is not devalued by such activitiesrdquoWhen asked whether people are surprised about BJPrsquos strong show in Goa Sequeira stated ldquoThere is some surprise as there were some voices raised against the party The Congress vote I think got divided while the BJP managed to retain their loyal vote bank Many Goenkars have been traditionally voting Congress Their ancestors voted for the party earlier Somewhere though Congress seems to have lost the plot because of their own doing Take the last timersquos elections The Congress had a majority but somebody else ran away with the chairrdquolsquoCreate enough employmentrsquoWency Perreira Association president also spoke about ecological disturbances in Goa and a rapid decline of a certain Portuguese flavour ldquoThis can be arrested to a small extent if native Goans do not have to migrate and those living outside even see some incentive to returnrdquo said Perreira who visits Goa at least five times a year ldquoThe party in power has to create enough employment opportunities for people within Goa Youth has moved out and when that happens outsiders come in and we see a certain dilution of a typical Goa flavour We do hope this is addressedrdquo said PerreiraManipal Goa Hospitalrsquos Chief of the Department of Oncology Dr Shekhar Salkar is upbeat and said ldquoWith this win the current Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant has truly come out of the shadows of the tall leader the late Manohar Parrikar The win shows his leadership and also coming of age Earlier there was a propensity to keep comparing him to Parrikar now he has proved his mettle without a doubtrdquoThe doctor also brushed away fears about losing a certain Portuguese essence and said ldquoWhat is this Portuguese flavour They left long ago We have to live as pure Goans now Goa will continue to be a tourist attraction Other places in India too have long shorelines and beaches Yet people continue to come here and that is because of a certain freedom and behaviour of the peoplerdquoAsked specifically about fears that Goa may lose its unique identity Salkar said ldquoThere is no need to beat the fear drums Dr Pramod Sawantrsquos favourite line in Konkani is lsquobhivpachi garaz narsquo meaning donrsquot worry I am there and that has caught the imagination of the peoplerdquo