Going by the reports, the Goa
government junket (of ministers and MLAs) to the FIFA World Cup is no more the
Goa government ‘junket’. It stands cancelled / modified now.
Cancelled, as the trip will be funded
by the ministers and the members of the Goa legislative assembly (MLAs) now in
their personal capacity! Modified, as the trip is still on. But, anyway, that
is just playing around the words.
The baseline is, the taxpayers’
money is not going to be wasted on this ‘pathetically’ conceived ‘exploratory
study’ sort of tour.
Obviously, it came after its due
share of humiliation and political manifestation that could have been easily
avoided.
But given the past track record,
and his good name (with the legend of being a chief minister who still drives
his scooter), Mr. Manohar Parrikar should be given the benefit of doubt and should
be duly thanked for listening to the voices and taking this ‘in time’ decision.
Yes, the trip is still on, but
the Goa sports minister has withdrawn his name and four other BJP members and
one independent MLA will pay from their pocket to enjoy the Brazilian
hospitality.
So, we can say the junket has been
junked, rightly and in time.
Whatever went into – the delayed
conscience of a good human being-cum-politician-turned-chief minister Manohar
Parrikar – or the BJP central leadership pressure with Narendra Modi on a ‘cleanliness’
drive – or the pressure of mounting criticism by media, social media, civil
society and political opposition – the decision or the ‘U-turn’ by the Goa
government after the strong defense by Mr. Parrikar came just a day later – and
therefore, Mr. Parrikar deserves to be thanked, even if he doesn’t come forward
to clear his position.
I have been an admirer of him and
was feeling bad while writing the satirical piece* on the junket yesterday. And
therefore this decision just in a day has come as a personal relief.
Every prime minister is not as
strong by his position as Narendra Modi is. Same can be said about chief
ministers.
Manohar Parrikar is not as strong
a chief minister by his position as J Jayalalitha or Mamata Banarjee or Naveen
Patnaik is. And we should not be surprised if this whole ‘FIFA junket’ exercise
was an imposed idea sort of thing that Mr. Parrikar could not ‘junk initially’.
But, ‘all’s that ends well’! It’s
clear now.
And thanks for that Mr. Parrikar!
*GOA MLAS JUNKET TO FIFA WORLD
CUP: FRUGAL! SINCERE!
©/IPR: Santosh Chaubey - http://severallyalone.blogspot.com
