Goa Assembly lacks educated8217; member

PANAJI, JULY 9: Though they were reviled for switching political parties and toppling governments for a share of ministerial power, membe...

PANAJI, JULY 9: Though they were reviled for switching political parties and toppling governments for a share of ministerial power, members of the last Goa assembly had one redeeming feature. Most of the MLAs were qualified professionals like doctors, lawyers, engineers and teachers who enlivened the house with their technical and intellectual expertise. All this is to set to change in the new house which will had its first session on Wednesday. The recently concluded elections has seen several stalwarts bite the dust and a new breed of grassroot-level politicians grab the limelight.

Among the losers include three doctors Kashinath Jhalmi and leader of the opposition and a minister in the Wilfred D8217;Souza government, Carmo Pegado and Wilfred Misquitta; teachers: Surendra Sirsat, Tomazinho Cardozo who was the speaker in the outgoing house, Fatima D8217;Sa, and Sadnanand Malik and lawyer Chandrakant Chodankar. Former chief minister and prominent mine-owner in the state Shashikla Kakodkar was also unable to getre-elected to the state legislative assembly. Many of the losers have now returned to their former professions. Other educated8217; politicians like Wilfred D8217;Souza- an FRCS surgeon, former teachers- a new face Nirmala Sawant and Prakash Velip won by narrow margins.

On the other hand many among the new crop of legislators have risen from grass-root level political activism and have little academic achievement to boast about. About fifteen of the 40 legislators in the newly-elected Goa assembly are school drop-outs or barely matriculates while most of the rest are graduates. Only a handful of professionally qualified MLAs remain in the house. These include chief minister Luizinho Faleiro, leader of the Opposition Manohar Parrikar, an engineer, former union law minister Ramakant Kholap, speaker Pratapsinh Rane, a former professional manager, former teachers Fransisco Sardinha and Arecio D8217;Souza.

The bio-datas submitted by the members of the new house to the legislature secretariat obtained by The IndianExpress give an indication as to what is in store for the people of Goa. Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Raju Mandrekar insists that his accomplishments in literature, art and science consist of farming. Another first-time MLA Gopal Asnodkar of the BJP however managed to become chairman of the Porvorim Urban Co-operative Credit Society despite being only a matriculate. The BJP has ten members in the house, eight of whom are new faces. Independent MLA Isidore Fernandes informs that his cultural attainment is Elocution Competition.8217; According to former minister Subash Shirodkar his special interests lie in dogs8217;. Former power minister Mauvin Godinho of the ruling party list his special activities as meeting new people at social gatherings.8217;

Interestingly most of the newly elected MLAs are yet to travel abroad barring a few whose job-hunting trips took them to the Persian Gulf countries. However MLAs with several terms in the house under their belt are inveterate globe-trotters. Their favourite destinationsinclude Dubai, Switzerland, London, Germany, Far East China, Central Asia, and Australia. Some however insist that they have travelled 8220;all over the world.8221;