Accidental Activist
The Mysterious Regional Plan
By Venita Coelho
I met my friend Sabina Martins of the GBA the other day. She
looked grim. When I asked her why she said that it was very
worrying – the Regional Plan 2021 seemed to have gone missing.
‘It was on its way to being passed by the Government and made
law – but someone seems to have kidnapped it.’ The GBA had
done it’s best to trace the plan. The aam aadmi got brief glimpses
of it – then it vanished again. The GBA had put out an all points
alert. But they thought the best place to search was the Chief Minister’s
residence. After all he seemed to be the only one with the
answers to where it was. But the RP2021 was such a tricky fellow,
he had even given the CM the slip a couple of times. After a huge
hue and cry across Goa, several postponements of deadline, and
general frenzy, the RP2021 had been declared finished. We sat
back satisfied – only to have it vanish on us for the first time.
Nobody in power seemed to know where it was, or what was happening
to it.
‘We were so worried’ said Sabina ‘Until we took a dharna to Altinho’.
There the CM mysteriously disappeared, but reappeared
when the protestors refused to go away. He assured them that the
RP2021 would be finalized in six months. ‘And there the mystery
begins’ said a puzzled Sabina ‘a few days later in the State Assembly
he said it could not be done in six months’. The RP2021 had somehow
gone missing in action again. The GBA went hunting for it
and landed at the CM’s residence in Goa early in the morning and
caught him in his short pants. He promptly assured them that it
would be found and finalized at the earliest - in six months.
Sabina said ‘We were relieved. Especially when the CM also assured us
that a flying squad would be formed to stop violations in the mean
time. But now both the flying squad and the RP2021 have gone
missing!’ She confided that the GBA was a little tired of hunting
down the truant Regional Plan. ‘And I can’t bear to see the CM in
his shorts one more time!’ she confessed.
At this point Miguel appeared. He told us that he had been off
to consult a Doctor, Dr. Rebello no less. Perhaps the RP2021 suffered
from some little known or mysterious disease that caused it to behave
in this truant manner. Dr. Rebello’s diagnosis was that the
RP2021 in fact was the carrier of a grave and virulent virus. When
in close contact it passed on a form of amnesia that caused
politicians to forget all promises that they made to the people.
Further, the RP2021 was a grave danger to the larger public. If it
was passed and became a permanent part of the laws in Goa, a
large part of the Goan populace would suffer terrible agonies. All
the mining lobbies, the builders, and promoters of grandiose plans
would suffer from ‘haltitis’. After all the RP2021 had marked large
swathes of Goan land to be preserved. Further it had been scathing
about mining and its effects on the environment. It had given ugly
and non responsible tourism a reality check as well.
Everyone was worried about the RP2021 becoming permanent and no doubt
they had something to do with the enigma of it’s frequent disappearances.
Reboni appeared with the latest news update. The RP2021 had
been spotted at last! It was being whacked on the head and bundled
into a truck filled with iron ore. Luckily an alert activist was able
to pass the message on before a bunch of builders jumped on him
with iron rods, and a passing casino tycoon kicked him in the ribs.
Miguel sighed ‘Not again! I’m tired of rescuing this Regional Plan!
Why can’t the government do its job, keep its promises and make
it into law?!’ Sabina looked the most upset. I asked her what the
problem was. ‘I can’t bear to see the CM in his shorts one more
time!’ she wailed.
