MARGAO: Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar recalled the role played by Ulhas Buyao through his poems and M Boyer via the tiatr medium during the historic Opinion Poll, but did not make any mention of Jack Sequeira, who is described in many quarters as the Father of the historic Opinion Poll.
Leave alone making an announcement on the installation of Jack Sequeira’s statue in the Legislative Assembly complex, a demand made by Goa Forward, Congress and other political parties, the Chief Minister avoided making any mention of Jack Sequeira in his speech at the Ravindra Bhavan, Margao at the government sponsored Asmitai Dis programme. He ended his brief address by reciting Bakibab Borkar’s poem, but the Chief Minister avoiding taking Sequeira’s name till the last.
“The Opinion Poll movement was an uniform and combined effort of everyone. Ulhas Buyao through his ‘shayari’ contributed his bit to the movement and created the right energy. So was M Boyer who took the movement through the tiatr. People such as Shankar Bhandari and others contributed to the movement”, Parrikar said.
While many had expected him to comment on Goa Forward Party’s demand for the installation of the Jack Sequeira’s statue in the Assembly complex, BJP leader, deputy Speaker Michael Lobo and TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai later pitched in support of Sequeira’s statue, but the Chief Minister had then already left the Ravindra Bhavan citing back pain.
Both Sardesai and Lobo publicly batted for Sequeira’s statue in the Legislative Assembly complex, with the deputy Speaker moving a step forward, saying he would table the resolution in the Legislative Assembly, while exuding confidence of garnering support from all the 40 MLAs.
