Media, Patnekar and ‘dynamic’ politics

Politics is never static. It's dynamic. This certainly holds true here in Goa, where politics has been super-dynamic since 1990. It's therefore not suprising that newspapers splash reports across their front pages to the effect that so-and-so MLA from the BJP will join the Congress. Even the one that claims you can trust and which otherwise needs the Official Gazette notification to publish news, had a report that said the BJP's Bicholim MLA, Rajesh Patnekar, 'will join' (and not 'expected to join') the Congress. It also specified the date and time!
Such reports are nothing new in Goa's media. In fact, Rajesh Patnekar, once told us that he had a count (which ran into a few dozens) of the number of reports published that said he would cross-over ever since he first became MLA in 2002. He also told us, that he no longer bothers about such reports.
Journos too feel emboldened to take risks with such political reportage, what with readers accustomed to their MLAs hopping parties, Xth Schedule or no Xth Schedule. Besides, even if at anytime in the future, Rajesh Patnekar, actually deserts the BJP, readers (and the authors themselves) will then hail all the reports of June 18, 2009 as master-pieces of political reporting!
In the early 1990s, the Congress had a well-oiled rumour mill that would systematically spread such canards among journos at the river-facing 'Press Room' in the Old Secretariat. Now, it's individual politicians, who unleash the psychological warfare through ever-willing journos kept permanently in good humour.
Bravo Houghton!
‘What has the Sports Minister done for football?' Indeed, it takes all the oomph in you to say this, especially when you are the national coach of the lowly Indian football team!
What speaks volumes of the oomph in Houghton, however, is that M S Gill, otherwise a fighter, has his lips sealed with these words!
At the risk of antagonising our ghanvti soccer fans, some of who I suppose are our esteemed readers, I'll give the thumbs-up to Houghton's outburst not just at Gill but also against seniors who rushed for Santosh trophy honours and basked in State-pampering, instead of resting ahead of international engagements (our own Climax Lawrence included).
"Nonsensical" Houghton called tournaments like the Santosh Trophy and the Durand Cup. I'm surprised he didn’t add in the list, the NFL, now rechristened I-league which is all about the A to 'zee' of marketing and money-making and zero about football. Clearly the NFL, which had huge promise to turn around Indian soccer to at least the 1950s levels where bare-foot Neville D'Souzas and P K Banerjees almost brought Olympic honour for India, has flattered only to deceive. When it (NFL) was launched in the mid-nineties, India had a coach in Akhramov, who matched Houghton every word. In an interview to me then, he had said: 'Give me 10 Brunos and I'll take India to the World Cup'.
But then, Brunos did not come from Santosh Trophies and Durand Cups. They came from Monte de Gurim, Don Bosco's Panjim and Fatorda, Fr Agnel's Pilar, and many such institutions. They could have come from the NFL, which required every club to also run age-group teams and eventually academies, Akhramov had hoped. But it was not to be. Nothing happened. Only, a couple of football administrators benefited, and the initial ESPN coverage gave exposure to our own Noel de Lima Leitao to make him a fine TV commentator. Akhramov left in two years!There's still hope though. Can our Big four or five adopt these local schools and run their matters football as their own academies? Clube Sporting de Goa is thinking on these lines and has taken a few steps already with Don Bosco's, Panjim.
Sanjit and CCP’s thees chors
Reluctant or not, he had no choice. Sanjith Rodrigues is a babu and he cannot decide where he works, even if he's the darling of the media and a favourite among certain politicos.
And, Monday showed it. Despite all his noises in a section of the media, Sanjith has taken charge of CCP as its commissioner and, it's evident he's focussed on taking the capital's garbage bull by its horns.
"Only I will be the 'Command'. Not 30 commands," he thundered as he took charge, in a way only he can! Clearly, he does not hold any of the thirty corporators in much esteem.
His sources in the CCP have apparently told Sanjith, how the corporators have been cornering kick-backs on every dime that goes out of the treasury. Apparently, Babush Monserrate himself seems to be backing Sanjith. The Sultan of Taleigao, who is the ring master of the ruling group in the CCP, is said to be disgusted with his men and therefore gave Diggu his consent to appoint Sanjith, despite protestations from all his lieutenants and pillars in the pack. Not very long ago, the Big B was so disgusted with his CCP men that he summoned a quartet, including a co-opted man, and gave them a tongue-lashing. Their sin: They were collecting a Rs 10 a day hafta from the little children who sold plastic bags in the Panjim fish market! The story of the panwallahs and the cycle-fish vendors is legend.
So, with Babush backing him at least for the sake of the garbage, Sanjith has nothing to fear!