CYCLE RALLY: With Benaulim having more than 20 hotels and huge traffic jams, Royla is encouraging people to take to cycling. This will save them money spent on petrol which has crossed the century mark now

A young woman architect by profession, ROYLA FERNANDES, is no political novice. She has already served at the grassroot level being elected as the Benaulim sarpanch. In her candid chat with GARY AZAVEDO, this passionate social activist and Congress woman Royla exudes a confidence of victory, as she unveils to Goan Observer her blueprint for Goa, particularly her pristine coastal village constituency of Benaulim in Salcete taluka

GOAN OBSERVER (GO): Why’s Royla Fernandes the best candidate for Benaulim constituency?
Royla Fernandes (RF): There was a time in Goa when we used to play in our neighbours’ houses, we used to share our food and even rest in their homes. There was a time when families would come two days before a feast, we would all prepare together, pray together, celebrate together. To harvest our fields, we had our nearest neighbours. We all lived together, did business together and went fishing together. Our children were safe, no matter where they played. Our society was close knit – protected and prayerful. But over the years, the political divide broke us all. We had followings, ideologies, flags and more. It broke the Goan unity. The race for political dominance destroyed the fabric of our Goan unity, the togetherness and finally the security of our co-existence.
Seeing this rapid change from the time, I was a young girl playing in the fields, to who I am today, has broken my heart and I had made a vow to bring back the Goa I lived in, to my children of my fellow Goans. Though I am active in social issues, I focus more on proper governance and legislation that is the need of the hour to make long term resolutions that not only helps to resolve current issues but also provides a long term solution for our children’s future, too. Hence, this drive and passion started my career into grass root politics with the panchayat as panch, then as sarpanch, then as a village development committee member and continued as member of many associations working at grass roots.
My associations with different organisations helped me learn the governance processes, the methodologies and the real life case studies on what’s truly happening to our Goan society.
Having shared all this and if you can connect the dots, I have my purpose, the passion, the grass root experience and the education to drive the needed governance to make our village, a role model village.
For any role as a doctor, engineer, etc. and now for the role of a MLA, one needs to have past governance experience, education, legal knowledge, a great team alongside and a drive to make a long term plan. Hence, since I have accumulated this over the last 12 years, this helps me complete the necessary pre-requisites to apply for the candidature of the position of a Member of Legislative Assembly with the people of Benaulim constituency.

GO: In 2017, you had contested as the AAP candidate but narrowly lost the elections, why do you feel you lost the polls?
RF: We were very much impressed by the ideology that was introduced through India Against Corruption (IAC) and the initial leadership of AAP. But it was made clear by the Goan mandate that they do not want an ideology from another state and wanted to focus on our Goan culture and our own way of life. Hence, the loss for AAP in 2017 was due to the Goan electorate mandate that they will not accept another state policy or ideology forced upon Goa and we, as leaders must respect that…

GO: Why did you quit the AAP and join the Congress party?
RF: I was always a Congress follower prior to AAP. I was part of the Youth Congress in my early years of leadership formation. When we realized the faults within the AAP core and the Goan mandate for a party with a Goan acceptance, it was a realisation that we shouldn’t leave our roots. Congress in Goa has worked always in building leaders from within with the secular ideology and it has always been accepted by the Goan electorate.

GO: What does Benaulim constituency lack that the present and past MLAs have miserably failed to achieve?
RF: With due respect to all the past and present leaders, I believe Benaulim constituency is missing a future vision and a long term plan. The past and present MLAs focused on fixing present maintenance issues like roads, water and others but failed to focus on areas of expansion as our villages grew in populations, constructions and more. Since sustainable expansion was never considered, the constituency failed. Issues affecting the Benaulim constituency are as follows:
1) Employment: With creation of jobs for our youth. Hence, there has been a mass exodus of our youth. There was no focus on business creation for our Goans youth and adults.
2) Infrastructure: Pressure on existing electrical and water bandwidth infrastructure. Thus, causing frequent power issues of low voltage and less water pressure and several more problems. Pressure on our underground water tables with wells going dry. Hence, no development on water recharge, rainwater harvesting and other techniques to improve well water supply.
3) Internet connectivity: Lack of proper alternate internet connectivity. Only mobile towers are being pushed. Local village schools do not possess proper advanced IT infrastructure to help teachers and students. Improving the school to raise the standards of our education in the village so as to allow more Goans to admit their kids in village schools.
4) Environment: Pressure on environment causing mass erosion of soil, floods in low lying areas and more.
5) Poverty: Lack of proper ration items for the villagers as families are growing bigger in homes.
6) Sports: No focus on sports development for the youth.
7) Women empowerment: No women empowerment policies to help women with professional careers of home based opportunities.
8) Senior citizens: Retirement plans for our experienced elders.
9) Swift administration: Automation or single window of processing at all panchayats and other authorities.
All the above are basic nine points which are the need of the present century for our people. While most of our past and present leaders focused on basic maintenance, we need to focus on sustainable expansion.

GO: What is your vision and manifesto for the Benaulim constituency in 2022?
RF: Our goals are very clear – Goa level and village level.

At Goa level:- Work to pass four Bills at the legislature with the support of others.

1. FOG. Forest and environmental bill that will focus on maintaining our existing forests and focus on adding or increasing more forest areas in abandoned places. This will also focus on other environmental issues such as protection of rivers, wetlands and more.
2. BIG. Build in Goa which will focus on empowering sustainable businesses in Goa. Startups. Yearly job creation as a law. Invitation of international multi-national companies (MNCs) to Goa. Focus on exports and small medium enterprises (SMEs) with a choice for market audiences for home business and self help groups (SHGs).
3. EMP (Empower my people). Ensure that the basic necessities will include the predefined bandwidth and minimum needs in the form of food, water, electricity, internet and other survival needs. This way all constituencies will need to ensure the minimum needs of survival is provided to all in Goa.
4. SAVE. Goa has lacked any form of disaster management plans. Whether it’s a pandemic or a natural disaster. With the right teams, we need to improve our disaster management which has failed Goa and Goans in the present pandemic and failed to help Goans affected by floods and other calamities.
   At village level:-
5. Empower sustainable businesses. Existing or new. Thus, confirming at least 500 to 750 jobs per year minimum. Since with at least 500 new SME or large businesses then job creation is the final outcome.
6. Protection of Goan assets in the form of land and others through legal aid corrections of paperwork and other formalities to ensure Goans have all the right documentation and procedures to safe guard their properties.
7. Empower youth through sports and talent at village, state and national level.
8. Women empowerment through training. Opportunities and career possibilities.
9. Consulting committees made of talented elders and retired professionals in all domains to train and support the youth as mentors and consultants.
10. Empower village level products at state and national level and finally exports.
11. Review, assess and correct environmental damages and work to rebuild environmental conditions for the future generations.
12. Work with the associations such as a taxi, ramponkars and others in empowering them and supporting them with various advancements and opportunities.
13. Building new leaders for the future of village governance in all levels.
    In the end, I should make these five years work for the people that they will be benefited for the next 10 years.

GO: Do you feel that Congress will honour the women and grant you the party nomination for Benaulim constituency?
RF: Women empowerment is the need of the hour. There has been great women leaders that have changed the dynamics of governance and politics. However, Indian politics has always been a male dominant arena and since Congress is leading the initiative to bring equality in leadership, I feel it’s the right time for women to come forth to save our Goa from the shackles of corruption.
Our leaders such as Smt Priyanka Gandhi have been in the forefront to push for women leadership across many states. I believe our Congress leadership in Goa will consider her stand and have women leaders across Goa including Benaulim. Hence, the possibility of party nomination is very high.

GO: If you are denied the Congress party nomination, will you contest as an independent candidate or join some other political party? Which political party will you opt for in the 2022 assembly elections?
RF: Presently, Royla isn’t alone. Royla is a member of the Congress party. But Royla is also a part of a team. A team of talented artists, businessmen and women, youth, grass roots leaders and more. Royla is also part of the people so I cannot make decisions on my own without the feedback from the team and the people. I believe Congress will consider my experience and qualifications and my efforts given to the Congress party as an organisation. However, I believe as leaders we work for the people and the people will guide me on what to do. But I have no plans to join any other party though was offered by many.

GO: If Congress decides to have an alliance between the Congress and NCP, will you consider contesting as an independent candidate or join the Trinamool Congress (TMC)?
RF: TMC was there at our doorstep doing their best to convince me and the team to join them. But we made it clear that Royla isn’t changing any parties. In our recent booth meeting, the grass root leaders has voiced out clearly that there should be no alliance with any party. However in the end, we pray and hope that Congress decides on its candidacy in Benaulim through a Congress grass roots leader as myself and the people will decide accordingly what should be my next step.

GO: What are your views on criminal corrupt and uneducated politicians who frequently change their political parties?
RF: There are two types of politicians. One who makes a career out of politics and the second who wants to serve the people. When you have a career, you need to keep it by jumping jobs and organisations. You either find a better opportunity or you are poached. Many career minded politicians focus on their personal survival.
The second type of political leader is into empowerment. They create opportunities for their people and the village to grow. They do community governance and encourage people to participate in governance. If they would leave a party, it is because they found something unacceptable for their people and would take a collaborative decision on how to move further and when the time is up. They focus on making new leaders to grow into governance.
I personally wish that there would be a law to limit the number of years a politician should remain in different stages of governance, thus, giving more opportunities to the younger leaders.
When it comes to education today, I see a social worker with a heart saves the day. But an educated leader can save for the future. Education is vital for the future of a state, country and more. That’s why majority of the world leaders are highly educated.
You wouldn’t take home remedies for a heart issue, would you? You would go to an educated heart specialist with years of experience and track record. So if you would do that for health reasons then why not for our governance?

GO: What is your opinion on Dynasty Politics and Family Raj?
RF: As I shared, there are some that make a career out of it without following the pre-requisites of leadership. Now I defined Family Raj as when multiple family members are actively involved at the same present governance term or period.
The chance of coming to power is always with the people. If the people feel that Family Raj is not providing the right vision for the village, they have the chance to prevent the family from coming to power.
Now, when we speak about Dynasty Raj, this is slightly different than Family Raj and could be related to me, too. Since my father was at one point of time a grass root leader at the panchayat. However, the decision for me to work for the people was my own through inspiration from him and many others. Our family didn’t focus or want to make a political career and we focused on entrepreneurship and service through different associations.
However, in Dynasty Politics, it’s again in the hands of the people to see, understand and speak about the success of the village as a whole and the fate of the candidate is always in their hands.

GO: Who do you feel will be your main rival in the Benaulim constituency?
RF: Our goal is to ensure BJP is defeated in the upcoming elections. So the rival is not just BJP but all the parties that work with the BJP or RSS whether directly or indirectly and also against parties and individuals who are against our Goan ideology and culture. Our success is with the people. People are fed up of communal politics and years of self gain politicians.