from Lenny Barretto
for Daijiworld Media Network - Goa
Panaji, Feb 7: The carnival time is around. Goa will usher in three days of carnival festivities from February 17. The festivities that have a traditional ethos now run with commercial value. This year, it has one more addition. The political values too have been added to the festivities which attract a huge number of tourists.
The western state which welcomes massive tourists, almost equivalent to its population, is getting ready for the Carnival festival. If one goes by mere, colourful float parade and tries to judge Carnival then he will be absolutely wrong. The real carnival lies in Goan villages.
The folklore belongs to Carnival. The diminishing drama act, Khell Tiatr, finds rejuvenation during Carnival. And it is not mere eat drink and be merry, the carnival festivities pass on a message of unity and brotherhood.
I may sound like a politician, if I say that it gives a message of secularism. It does give but I don't want to mention, as Goa has always been secular and will remain so.
Carnival celebration in Panaji is caught between two King Momos. Dr Wilfred D'Souza, state tourism minister versus Tony Rodrigues, mayor, corporation of city of Panaji. Both political heavyweights are in tussle with each other. It's a much deeper politics. It's Congress versus NCP.
The elections are casting their shadow over the Carnival too. The political carnival has already began much before the carnival. Till writing this article, the tussle was on.
But, you never know, by the time the article is published (not to blame my editor but to blame the lightning fast speed in which Goan politics changes colour) the tussle may have ended or worsened.
The CCP says Panaji belongs to them while tourism department feels tourists belong to them. But no one talks about the average citizen who will be dotting Panaji's D Bandodkar road to see the Carnival with his family.
The fight is on. The CCP has said that it will not allow any carnival poster to be erected, if tourism department is doing it through Goa Tourism Development Corporation. The tourism department talks about withdrawing the finance.
Finally, the fight is on…. Let's sit on edge and enjoy the fight, a prelude to the Carnival.
Viva Carnival!
Daijiworld's Coverage of Previous Carnival: