14/01/2012
Matanhy as a politician, is far ahead of his times and that is the reason why very often he is misunderstood. In the present "aya Ram gaya Ram" political reality, he truly stands apart as a man of honour. Besides, while for most, politics means to feather not only their nests but also those of their descendents. Matanhy is a beacon of hope as for him, the interest of the community is all that matters.
For Matanhy politics means working for the betterment of the Goan Community and that is the reason why he has participated if not led practically all the struggles of Goan people for their right to live in dignity. Whether elected or not. For Matanhy everyday of his life is a political activity as he believes in working for the society. Contesting elections was just another mean of putting across his views and agenda to a larger section of the populace. Besides, if elected to any office, the office would give him the means to further his agenda for the people in a little easier manner.
After innumerable attempts, Matanhy was finally elected to the Goa Legislative Assembly and he made his mark there. Ironically, Matanhy was also vilified for his stint as an MLA merely because the common man does not know what his MLA is supposed to do. For most people the MLA has to do everything even if the work is supposed to be done by the Panchayat or the MP. More appalling is that fact that most people expect their MLA to abet and aid them in illegal activities, while Matanhy was very adamant not to support any illegalities in any form.
Matanhy knew his duties and responsibilities as an MLA and he fulfilled them to the hilt. However, his refusal to do things that were not coming within the ambit of his duties and responsibilities earned the ire of a few, who said “We go to the MLA for help because there is something wrong? If it was totally legal, why should we go to the MLA?” was a very often heard comment from those bad mouthing Matanhy. How can a person elected to enact laws be expected to break and circumvent those very laws? This is something that the average person has to seriously think about.
Matanhy was the only MLA who submitted suggestions and objections to the much debated and now scrapped Draft Regional Plan 2011. All his suggestions and objections pertained to the constituency and there was not a single one regarding his personal matter as was done by some other MLAs. A testimony to the fact, that Matanhy never used power to his personal advantage is the fact that till date, Matanhy does not have road access to his ancestral house and he and his family members cross the railway line everyday, every time. Knowing from the drivers, he never used the official car after work hours and for any of his private visits. He used his personal car to visit his constituency and office in Cansaulim. Interestingly, uncommon amongst most politicians, his wife never used the official car, ever. Unfortunately, Matanhy is not an individual to seek public ovations and much of his work is not known by the public of Goa.
As an MLA, Matanhy prevailed upon the Government to drop its proposal to have Arossim as the venue for the International Film Festival of India, which today would have turned into yet another white elephant. Respecting the people’s wishes, Matanhy also made sure that Bharati Shipyards proposal to set up a yard at Velsao was scuttled. He even took on the MPT and blocked their proposal to erect a fishing jetty as Santrem in Velsao. If the jetty had to come in this sleepy village, not only the looks but even the air in Velsao would have changed and it would have turned into another Cutbona.
Howver as Matanhy is not one to tom – tom his achievements, these and many other things that he did, were not publicized. However, the people who matter knew what he did and that is why he commands so much respect. Given the fact that Goans are enamored by stereotypes, they expected Matanhy to continue raving and ranting against the Government as he was always doing. However, for Matanhy, there was a difference. When he was a MLA, he had a Government that was not only willing to listen to him, but a Government that would appreciate his views and act upon them. That is the reason he got all those unwanted projects in his constituency scuttled. This was a different scenario from the earlier Governments that would not even listen and hence people had to agitate and take to the streets to make the authorities hear them. “Why should one shout when a mere whisper is heard and acted upon?” was Matanhy’s principle when he was the MLA.
He was much vilified because of his decision to stand by the Government of the time when it was evident that the latter had lost numbers. For most people it was a wrong decision as if he had switched sides, he would have benefitted and maybe even got to continue not just as a Minister, but as the Deputy Chief Minister. But then it was principles decision taken by Matanhy which the very people who complain about politicians having no principles, failed to appreciate.
To put the record straight, Matanhy was elected to the Assembly as a member of UGDP and it was this party that decided to support the BJP Government headed by Manohar Parrikar. Matanhy had no say in this decision and he went by the party decision. Initially, even though he was offered a ministerial berth, he refused it and opted to remain as MLA. The coalition partners persuaded Matanhy to join the cabinet as Tourism Minister and Matanhy took oath as Minster only after getting his party’s approval.
While working with Parrikar, Matanhy came across a Chief Minister who not only listened to him, but also understood his point and acted swiftly on them and that is why he grew to admire the way Parrikar was administering the State. That did not mean that he accepted anything and everything Parrikar did. Whenever required he protested and dissented and even pulled up Parrikar for his misdeeds. One such instance is the cancellation of public holidays which also included St. Francis Xavier’s feast day and Good Friday. Matanhy was the first one to protest against this and there is press evidence for the same. With respect to the CD, Matanhy along with his party members met Parrikar and demanded the withdrawal of the CD and Mr. Parrikar said it was already decided to do so.
For Matanhy who has lived life according to his principles of honesty, truthfulness and sincerity, to defect at times of crises was not the right thing to do, as that would mean giving up the principles he has lived with for nearly 50 years. He also was totally against causing a divide between the two main communities of the State. He was not into politics to make money and therefore the offers to defect failed to tempt him. All that mattered to Matanhy at that time was to stand by his principles and show to the people that all politicians are not unprincipled.
He did that and paid quite a heavy price for it as he was disqualified as a member and left with absolutely no source of income as he had taken leave from his teaching job to work for the people as their MLA. The biggest irony was that the party that he belonged to changed sides like the proverbial weathercock but Matanhy remained resolute as the pivot on which the weathercock spins. Although by and large, Matanhy was castigated for his decision, the fact remains that he earned the respect and admiration of the educated and enlightened Goan populace. Though he lost the next assembly elections, the number of votes polled by him stand as testimony to the respect and admiration he earned as a MLA.
In Matanhy today, one can see a honest and principles politician and also the price one has to pay to remain unsullied by what Amitabh Bachan once said “cesspool of politics”. - Julio D' Silva
