Daily Pioneer: Panaji: Sunday, June 10, 2012.
Civil society in Goa hasn’t taken kindly to the Goa Governor’s remark calling them self-styled activists with some taking offence.
Governor Bharat Vir Wanchoo, in his address to newly elected legislators during an orientation programme had cautioned them of the increasing challenge they face from “self-styled civil society activists questioning the role of legislature” and that it is
“your responsibility to ensure that as elected representatives you remain worthy of the trust reposed in you by the people.”
“It is objectionable that the Governor should use a prefix of ‘self-styled’ before civil society members. Would he like to ‘appoint’ CSO (civil society organisation) members and pay them from the State treasury? If his reference was to Anna Hazare, Kiran Bedi and Kejriwal of IAC, he should have had the courage to name them. He has been an IPS officer till recently,” says Miguel Braganza, a member of the Goa Bachao Abhiyaan (GBA) considering the remark as an affront to a “group of highly respected citizens who are taking on the corrupt Government and bureaucracy.”
The GBA has in the past taken on the Government for its land use plans and successfully led a civil society movement to get the Government to scrap it.
Another activist Bevinda Colaço, who on an alternative news website on Goa-related news said the term “self-styled” was disrespectful and had a negative connotation. She, however, said that his comments probably emanate from the proximity Wanchoo shares with Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
“This can be excused given his proximity to Sonia Gandhi and the Prime Minister, he cannot naturally be seen to be ‘respecting shall we say the critics of his mentors,” Colaço said.
Yet another activist Aires Rodrigues, who has used the Right to Information (RTI) Act to unearth mismanagement in the Government, said that the Goa Governor should clean up his own house with respect to transparency and good governance.
Rodrigues, who had taken on the office of the Governor for refusing to divulge information under the RTI, said the Governor should instead lead by example.
“It would have been better if the Goa Governor walked the talk, instead of just lecturing on good governance… I want to remind Wanchoo that every other Governor in the country and even (office of) the President of India was complying with the transparency law,” Rodrigues said.
However, some did not wish to read too much into the comments. Co-ordinator of the India Against Corruption (IAC) chapter in Goa, Valmiki Naik said all activists are ‘self-styled’ simply because there is no selection process or qualification.
“It is also a fact that activists are led only by their conscience and not any party or high command. Ignoring any intended or unintended negative connotation of the Governor’s words, I would focus on his message which is laudable,” Naik said, adding that it was his personal opinion.
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