Pull up your socks...... or!

If what’s happening to Panjim is getting the goat of other municipalities around Goa, well, go ahead and eat your heart out guys. And eat your words up too. You deserve a rap for taking your seats of power, the people’s vote, their patience, and the taxpayers money for granted.

And you also deserve a hard rap for being plain lazy.

There is a furor in municipalities all over Goa whether Panjim gets the Queen’s treatment by virtue of being the Chief Minister’s constituency. I'm smirking with amusement. I also read that MLAs have put up bounty prices over who can perform miracles in their respective municipalities – plainly to ensure that the next time round they put their stack up for grabs, they win thumping majorities. Voters, after all, have become money savvy, having learnt time and again that you cannot fool all the people, all the time. It’s performance or bust. No wonder, all the hopefuls are running for cover.

I’m beaming with pride that my Panjim has shown the way to good living. I’m particularly happy that initiatives can amass momentum of spirit, if fuelled by the right people, with the necessary desire and vision for the betterment of the city. Panjim sets an apt example that there is a bite to people’s power. That dreams can come true, if you see beyond yourself, your personal gain and your petty politics. Unfortunately, for the citizens, every other politician and bureaucrat has made sure that all they can think of, is their own personal gain.

But, not any more. And I am so glad with this new breath of fresh air to choked lungs, that I’m actually beginning to enjoy breathing again. Breathing in the fresh lawns that bristle with energy; basking under the shadow of the trees that dot the city skyline and her open spaces; drinking in the visual relief from ugly pealing paints replaced by swanky mosaic seats, pretty benches, revitalised structures that suddenly look important and respectful; nurturing the laughter of children in the city’s parks where once lurked predators looking for an excuse to sin. I’m glad that I belong to Panjim and so does every other `Ponjekar’ now.

Oh, but let’s not take this head rush as common consensus for Panjim’s population. While we may change our clothes to modern styles, some of them have yet to change their mindsets. These are `balcao’ critics waiting for slip-ups, training their hawk’s eye and insipid minds on watching where others go wrong, instead of bowing out gracefully. Hopefully, this change too shall come to pass eventually. But sorry Karl, we are not going to barter a `Ponjekar' to clean up your city. Get your garbage (in and out of your office) together. Pull up your socks, take that spade and get your boys to work. Like we did. Literally. With pride and passion, on the roads, in the dirt. On our own steam. Without political ambitions (the team that toiled and still do, are completely apolitical).

While we’re on Vasco, let’s take stock of the Port city. Sorry, this is going to hurt, but you could borrow a few lessons from us on resilience.

I remember Vasco as a teenager, when we would head for the Sapta fair for a bit of shopping. I clearly remember the stink that greeted my nose (and my olfactory nerves are way too sensitive) every which I turned, repeatedly forcing me to dig into my bag for my pouch of perfume and handkerchief. After a while, I had forgotten what I was choking on. And this is not an exaggeration. Too many open drains, too much rubbish piling out of dumps (not even bins), mismanagement of traffic, too many arid spaces that looked desolate, too many roughnecks. We nicknamed the `enfant terrible’ as Goa’s `ghanti’ town (ouch, that hurts, doesn’t it?). Till a couple of years ago I discovered that Vasco had an emerging motley of think-tank citizens who seriously wanted to change their city for the better. Unfortunately, the only constant changing factor in Vasco has been the municipality chairpersons. Agreed? Good intentions then immediately fly out of the window.

Not that all have proved scum in office. A handful have sincerely tried to make a difference. But their efforts have not been forceful enough. They’ve missed the bus, looked the wrong way in seeking support, stuck to the old rules and broken them all. They have forgotten that the key to a changing city’s landscape are its youth. Are we tapping young blood in decision-making processes? Are we looking at young professionals to contribute time and talent for the growth of their city? Are we involving the city’s movers and shakers to contribute from their rich kitties towards development?

The answer is no. Plain and simple. We still believe the old have all the answers. What they do have is wisdom. The path has to be forged bravely by those who believe they can make a difference.

Ah! Can Margao be left far behind in this scenario? Can we leave Ponda out of this mess? Can we leave behind the smaller municipalities that dot Goa? Are we trying to say that there is a serious dearth of imagination and intelligence here?

What we truly lack, I believe, is commitment. Look how we treat our own jobs, our relationships, our aspirations and hopes. We’ve taken everything and ourselves for granted. Some do not. And that’s why we call them winners. Now how many municipalities can boast of this rare species? We do in Panjim. And that’s why we’re not trading them for the world.

Get your act together. Or be left behind!.





Ethel Da Costa
29 Mar 2003

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