Enter Sharad Pawar. In a political development, whosesignificance may have been missed, this maratha strongman’s arrival in Goa tomeet folks from the mining belt, on a hunger strike at Azad Maidan, is thefirst real glimmer of hope of a path opening in this messy log jam.
The reasons are clear. Sharad Pawar doesn’t even get out ofbed unless he has a very strong reason to. Every act of it has a motive, a timespan and a desired result. His joiningcause with the mining dependents is crucial because the NCP has zero politicalstake in Goa, it has no party nor organisation nor dreams of resurrection.Pawar’s game plan will slowly unravel but the benefits of whatever he does isplaying out.
It will be an error to localise the visit. Pawar’s role andinfluence in the Delhi durbar is understated but obvious. In an atmospherewhere the court imposed and NGO inspired ban on mining has led to the creationof a surge of angst which will grow, notwithstanding opposition - includingfrom NGO coloured newspapers - Pawar is a better force multiplier than evenParrikar. Pawar is in the senior most echelon of the cabinet, a longstandingally and can pick up the phone and head towards the PMO or 10 Janpath withoutthe ubiquitous Gen Secretary Ahmad Patel controlling appointments. SecondlyPawar as a senior UPA leader helps quell the charge that the stoppage of miningin BJP ruled states is a Congress dictated ploy, even though there be severaltons of truth in the argument. With Sharad Pawar leading delegations to startlegal mining, the clear bitterness that was caused when Jayanti Nattarajancancelled all EC licenses of Goa mining leases at the behest of Goacongressmen, can be redressed.
Pawar’s greater role will be behind the obvious. He is,after politician Pranab Mukherjee was lost to Rashtrapati Bhavan,- India’s besttrack two politician. Goa’s best hope is that he manages to finally turn thedebate towards restarting the industry that has sustained Goa’s economy, whileallowing the state to do the repair and cleansing. Chief Minister Parrikarunderstands this better than Narendra Sawaikar does. Parrikar welcomed Pawar’sinitiative while Sawaikar, the BJP spokesman asked NCP not to play politics.Anyway Sawaikars vision isn’t a matter of concern for the moment.
Sharad Pawar is the comfort cushion between two bitter sides–the Congress and the BJP, even as they think of future strategies on themining front keeping the 2014 elections in mind.
