Goa Church is swadeshi : Parrikar

Sandesh Prabhudesai
28 October 2000  

Manohar Parrikar, the 45-year old cadre of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, has become Goa's first chief minister of the Bharatiya Janata Party. After emerging as a major opposition with 10 MLAs in the 40-member House during Assembly polls in June last year, they participated in a coalition government, when former chief minister Francisco Sardinha split from the then ruling Congress in November.

After eight more members split from the Congress and joined the BJP last week, the saffron party withdrew its support to the Sardinha government and came to power with the support of three more legislators from outside. Mr Parrikar spoke to SANDESH PRABHUDESAI at length about his plans and stands vis-à-vis ongoing controversies raised by the RSS and the VHP.

SP : What are your priority areas ?

MP : To make the administration people-friendly, root out corruption and improve financial condition of the state. These things top my agenda to be set up for the first 100 days. I know it is difficult to weed out corruption totally. But you can definitely have a check on it.

Goa's economy is in quite a bad shape. Our payment towards interest on loans itself has gone up to Rs 220 crore this year, leave aside the principal amount of around Rs 2000 crore. But the state revenue is not in a position to take care of salary and interest payment itself. That's why mopping up revenue and curbing wasteful expenditure becomes the prime task.

SP : Which are the areas of wasteful expenditure you have identified ?

MP : Obviously jumbo cabinet is one. I have already withdrawn Baleno cars and plan to reduce expenses by 10 per cent in the next fiscal year. But this is not the major area as it is being projected. Even with Rs one lakh expenditure on one minister every month, it does not reach Rs two crore annually.

Most of our government jobs are literally auctioned, either by ministers or the top bureaucrats. If brought to my notice, I will crack down on it at any cost. Some of these recruits do not even know how to draft a simple letter or behave with the people. I plan to recruit youngsters – at least 1000 in the first 100 days – who will be paid stipend and imparted training. We are getting good response for the VRS scheme, but no vacancy against it would be filled.

Revenue leakages is another areas where the state is literally plundered and looted. If salvaged properly, then the state could easily mobilise at least Rs 50 crore, to begin with. Wastage of funds in developmental field also needs to be controlled effectively.

SP : Besides this, what are the other financial measures you plan to take ?

MP : Rather than hiking taxes, I plan to reduce some of it, especially sales tax on petrol and diesel. From Rs 29.75 per litre, I want to bring down petrol prices to at least Rs 28.50.

SP : The local industry is behind you to abolish the entry tax, especially on the raw materials imported in Goa...

MP : I will not abolish it. But rationalisation is on the cards by reducing rate of tax as well as exempt some more items which may not give us substantial revenue or would cripple some industries.

SP : Are you also going to consider the proposal of the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry to impose entry tax on all the tourist vehicles, not registered in Goa, entering the state ?

MP : That is not entry tax, it could be called tourist tax. The proposal is there, but difficult to implement at this stage

SP : You have been saying consistently that Goa does not have an industrial policy.

MP : The Cooper report is pretty reasonable, except some minor modifications required. We will have all those green channel and red channels etc. It is a part of my 100-day agenda.

SP : But what is the use of any industrial policy, if based on it the education policy and employment policy is not being tuned?

MP : Who says I am not going to do it ? But we are spending too much on education. I thus propose controlled private participation, token fees after std VIII and also close down several primary and middle schools not having more than total 15 students in the school, adjusting them in nearby schools within two kms.

SP : With the BJP having a little different views on our Indian culture and ethos, do you propose a different kind of tourism policy for Goa ?

MP : To be frank, I have not gone into depth of it. But we are not getting right choice of tourists, due to which Goa is being defamed. Secondly, we need amusement like Disney World as well as hinterland green tourism, for tourists to spend more than 3-4 days here. I also want to put a stop to the way they are being cheated and looted. The infrastructure, of course, is the immediate priority.

SP : Do you feel that Goa needs casinos and golf courses ?

MP : I have no problem with casinos as long as they are out of reach of a common man here. Why should I stop a rich person spending lakhs of rupees in a casino ? I want to have high quality entertainment, where things like narcotics will have no place. Why not a golf course, if it can be set up by recycling the saline water ? I have no objection to it.

SP : Are you also going to follow trend of your predecessors to go abroad to attract tourists ?

MP : The first thing we decided in our first informal cabinet meeting is that no minister will go abroad for any such thing at the cost of the exchequer.

SP : One of the prime reasons you cited to withdraw support to the coalition government was the issue of Mayem, the whole village which continues to be the evacuee property of the Portuguese. Since you were siding the locals there, how do you propose to resolve it now ?

MP : Let me take a legal opinion, but I promise to solve it once and for all. Scrapping the Silva Commission (probing into encroachment by the locals) may not be feasible. But it is up to us to accept its recommendations. The legislation which I moved to give ownership rights of the land they are tilling and houses they are living in would be definitely implemented. It is part of my 100-day agenda. Regarding rest of the land, if required, the government will acquire the whole village from the custodian of evacuee property.

SP : What is your stand on the controversial Meta Strips project in South Goa, which is being opposed by the locals as well as the Church ?

MP : Being a metallurgical engineer myself, I am convinced that it is not as polluting as it is being projected. We will strictly follow all the recommendations made by the experts committee. I would also appeal to the locals to form a monitoring committee, along with some experts.

SP : What happens to the official language amendment bill you had proposed to grant official status to Marathi along with Konkani ? Will it be a reality since you are in power now ?

MP : It is a completely different set up now. I do not intend to start the controversy once again. Ultimately Konkani is our language and Marathi has always helped us. The BJP has never considered language as a serious issue. According to me, fighting for Konkani and Marathi is foolishness. We have more serious issues like law and order or administrative reforms to tackle.

SP : Do you think, with eight habitual defectors in your government, you will be able to provide stability ?

MP : You see, there is a misconception that lust for power is the major factor for defections. On the contrary, the most important factor is human relations. Chief minister humiliating MLAs and political leaders sabotaging each other leads to splits. I will take all the 21 into confidence before taking any decision.

SP : But what would be the BJP's strategy in case there is a similar revolt leading to split in your government also ? Will you demand that the House be dissolved ?

MP : If it happens, I would prefer going home.

SP : Along with your party colleagues ?

MP : It is up to the party to decide. But that would be my advise to the party.

SP : How do you look at today's BJP in Goa with its Congressisation, after admitting eight Congressmen into it ?

MP : It is not Congressisation. It is a reality. The society will always reflect in any political party. If society has any wrong tendency, how do you expect a political party to be a saint ? Yes, we are ready to face any consequences if you point fingers at those who are leading the party, stating that they are corrupt.

SP : What is it, if you do not call it Congressisation ?

MP : As the BJP grows with more people coming in, the pure idealism cannot survive. This is tragedy of Communists all over the country. They got frustrated, we are not. I will not impose my principles on my colleagues to any extent.

SP : Should we call it a compromise or politics of convenience ?

MP : It is neither. We represent the society. If the society has no moral values of that high standard, I cannot enforce the values which I personally believe in. The common man cannot sustain to that high standard.

SP : In such a situation, how would your agenda of Hindutva survive ?

MP : What is Hindutva ? There is no contradiction at all. I am a proud Hindu because it is my religion. I do not hate other religions.

SP : But do you subscribe to the views expressed by the RSS or the recently held VHP meeting in Goa ?

MP : I would not go into those details. But let me tell you. Goa is a communal harmony state. If there is any complain by any person belonging to any religion, they can come to me straight. There will be no favour or punishment depending upon his caste or religion.

SP : When RSS has given a call for swadeshi church, how do you look at Goa church today ?

MP : I think the statement made by Sudershanji is being misinterpreted. He feels this is to be done. It is up to the Catholic community to accept it or not. He is not forcing anybody.

SP : Do you agree with that statement ?

MP : No, I will not make a statement because there will be a controversy simply generated out of it. My concept of swadeshi is totally different. Our Goa church is a swadeshi church. They conduct mass in Konkani. According to me, this problem does not arise in Goa. There are few families here, among Catholics as well as Hindus, still having allegiance to Portuguese. But 99 per cent Catholics in Goa are not pro-Portuguese. Are all Hindus patriot ?

That is why we preferred good Catholics to corrupt Hindus, who wanted to join the BJP. Even Dayanand Narvekar wanted to join us along with four others. With this combination, I assure you that more and more Catholics would come to the BJP.

SP : During the Lok Sabha polls, the Church here was very much sympathetic to the BJP. With the Congress in shambles today, will you try and win over the Church during your rule in Goa ?

MP : According to me, Church as a religious institution should not be tackled at political level. For political equations, the Church does not represent more than 50 to 60 per cent in Goa. I will try and win over the Catholics at large. But I will call upon the Archbishop next week and request him to judge us on merits.

SP : But is it not contradictory that you say this and then go and attend the VHP rally in Ponda which spoke vehemently against the Church ?

MP : I do not think anybody can curb my freedom of speech and listening to anybody. I don't subscribe to the views expressed by few extremists, but that does not stop me from listening to some other people. They did not attack Goa Church, but the role of the Church in the north-eastern region.

Secondly, the VHP stand is not the BJP stand. We do not indulge into religious matters.

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