In the Goan algebra known for its variables,Manohar Parrikar is that rare constant. He has always been a BJP man and into the loyal brand he packs many modes CEO,RSS nationalist,Goa regionalist,coalition-maker and breaker. Actively disliked for his proclivity to saffronise much including school education and equally awed for his drive,Mr Constant seems to be in perpetual motion,accelerated by poll pressure. When you finally catch up with him in his constituency office in Panaji,he gives you a guided package tour of his campaign themes in ten minutes flat. It is like a dash across his home states uneven terrain. Parrikars aspect shifts from ease to impatience and back. I am not a cartoonists delight, he says. You cant get my face easily. On his part he lays claim to a sixth sense to anticipate friend and foe. It is an uncanny mix behind a face that wouldnt give away,the mind is speed-reading your thought balloon. Between intermittent phone calls,through a car hop from his front office to the backroom in Mandovi Hotel,he keeps asking you to fire,fire Halfway through your half-uttered question,the reply darts out. Whats the use of a ministry that lasts forever and does nothing? I surely wont accuse this government of non-governance. It was outright bad governance. The worst in 50 years. In a shorter tenure I launched 180 welfare and developmental schemes. Out of which one involved farmers. With no help from government agencies,on their own they found 140 water sources. No minority issue here. Weve given enough tickets to Christians. Congress can only dole out public money. No productivity. No jobs created. Service sector is in doldrums. Even tourism is at a standstill. No,no. I dont want Goa to be a city state like Singapore. It should remain pristine but with Singapore-grade facilities. This IIT-ian number-cruncher known for measured speech should know what he is talking about. (In a public life long enough for a 56 year-old,he has only one major mis-utterance to his credit describing the venerable LK Advani as an old rancid pickle. The pickle-speak has since been quietly eaten.) To the lesser cartooning mind,however,things dont add up. Parikkars big poll promise is to freeze the petrol price at Rs 55. This will surely bleed the state. If he comes to power,trust him to launch schemes by the dozen,some of which will be no kinder on public money. And he wants the perfect non-threatening development that wont blot the Goan picture postcard! Are we missing something here? Could it be that in this vision of Goa as that quaint,self-sustaining Gaulish village we all know so well,Constantix has the magic potion?
