The invitation card for the 5th Kala Utsav at Indrawada-Gaondongrim, which was scheduled on February 11, had mentioned Art and Culture Minister Govind Gaude as the chief guest, but had excluded the name of Speaker and Canacona MLA Ramesh Tawadkar.
CANACONA
Reenacting the drama : FEBRUARY 10
The ongoing bitter feud between Minister Govind Gaude and Speaker Tawadkar over various events funded by the art and culture department in Canacona took yet another turn when the 5th Kala Utsav (Art Festival) 2024 scheduled at Indrawada-Gaondongrim on February 11 at 4 pm was cancelled the previous day.
The 5th Kala Utsav, organised by the Indreshwar Youth Club of Indrawada-Gaondongrim in association with the art and culture department, was to have been inaugurated by Gaude. However, the official invitation had not make any mention of Tawadkar, who is the MLA of Canacona.
It is reliably learnt that Tawadkar was reportedly upset over the exclusion of his name from the invitation card. On February 10, the committee members circulated a message on social media stating that the event had been cancelled at Indrawada-Gaondongrim.
FEBRUARY 11
The cancellation of the 5th Kala Utsav (Art Festival) 2024 at Indrawada-Gaondongrim on the eve of its scheduled presentation on Sunday evening had left people in the area disappointed, especially since they had been anticipating a variety of rich cultural performances by troupes from different parts of Goa and Maharashtra.
Elaborate arrangements, including food, flowers, costumes/dresses, including the participation of many groups from different parts of Goa and neighboring Maharashtra, had been planned by the organisers, for the event.
Asked to comment on the sudden and unexpected cancellation of the Kala Utsav, which had been co-hosted by the art and culture department, Art and Culture Minister Govind Gaude had said he had a number of events in his constituency on February 11.
“I have three programmes in my constituency. I had not given confirmation to the organizer's because of my hectic schedule,” said Gaude.
Gaondongrim Sarpanch Dhillon (Yeshwant) Dessai, who had been one of the guests of honour, said he had been told by the ward panch of Indrawada area on February 9 itself that something was likely to happen following some differences over the guest list for the event.
“I feel that the feud between some persons is eventually a big loss for the people, who have lost many cultural performances scheduled for the evening. Though Kala Utsav has gained the fame and is a very prominent activity in the village by this private club, it is eventually the people who have been denied one of the best cultural events in the village," said Dessai.
FEBRUARY 10
If the rift between Art and Culture Minister Govind Gaude and Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar had widened over cultural events in Tawadkar’s Canacona constituency, the political one-upmanship had also shifted to Gaude’s Priol constituency.
On the very day that organisers announced the cancellation of the 5th Kala Utsav (Art Festival) 2024 which was to have been inaugurated by Gaude at Indrawada-Gaondongrim, sources said Tawadkar had gone to Marcela on February 10 and announced his plans to replicate his Shram Dham housing project for the needy in Priol constituency.
According to sources, Tawadkar addressed a meeting with BJP workers of Priol constituency at Marcela and said he had plans to build seven new houses under his Shram Dham project to needy people.
Sources also added that the meeting was attended by a leader opposed to Gaude who had contested assembly elections in the past, after being denied the BJP ticket.
Tawadkar had, however, said he had gone to Priol constituency for personal reasons.
