This day, when 54 years ago Goa saw the end of a foreign dictatorial rule, ought to have been cherished and celebrated by Goans with great enthusiasm and immense joy. But that does not happen, because Goans are getting increasingly disenchanted with the so-called Liberation for innumerable reasons, the main being the destruction of our once beautiful land and the drastic change in our demography. Far from rejoicing or celebrating Goans have, in fact, enough reasons to mourn and bemoan. However, what is truly painful is that the main players in seeing the end of Goa and Goans are the Governments, past and present, elected by us, whose sole aim is making financial gains and amassing ill-gotten wealth to win elections
It is fastidious to repeat that had safeguards been in place either in 1961 or 1974, particularly about our land and demography, considering our size and population, we would have been spared the pains of watching helplessly the situation we are in today. Hence, the all pervading sense of frustration and an uneasy feeling that all is lost, with no hope of remedies. It was the Government of the Indian Union which denied us this right in 1961 and the unelected Government of Portugal that equally ignored in 1974 the right of Goans to decide their own future. Both India and Portugal are democratic nations, which believed in and defended people’s right to self-determination and yet shamelessly denied it to Goans.
But that does not absolve us of the blame for meekly accepting injustices heaped upon us not only in the past but also at present. There would be nothing wrong in Parrikar’s admirers celebrating his birthday had they used the opportunity to also tell him bluntly and forcefully that Goa is too precious to us to be sold to the highest bidder or gifted to the Navy; that all is not well with this administration, for which he too is partly responsible; that several decisions including removal of officials like Bosco George, Nolasco Raposo and Dr. Nitin Sawant for refusing to toe Government’s flawed line and policies, smack of high level corruption. Our servility and sycophancy should not go to the extent of ignoring Goa’s concerns particularly about the environment where much caution is imperative especially after the tragedies experienced by various States. The Government’s insistence in implementing the same flawed RP 2021 is surely with Parrikar’s approval.
On 18th December 2006, Goans of all denominations and parties had joined hands to tell the Congress Government that either the highly destructive Regional Plan 2011 had to go or the Government would. And the Government bowed down to the pressure. Having scrapped the RP 2011, the Government in 2007 appointed a State Level Committee having, among others, an eminent Goan Town Planner Edgar Ribeiro. The Draft Plan was prepared and sent to villages for ground work study, opinions and suggestions. People enthusiastically participated in the working of their village plan, though in some places, Panchayats under the influence of builders and developers submitted different plans. Rejecting the people’s plan, a notorious and most disgraceful Goa’s Chief Town Planner, Putturaju drafted his own Plan, overriding the SLC and villagers and marked as settlement zones lakhs of square meters of forest areas, paddy fields, water bodies, etc in several villages. Even a mine was allowed inside Selaulim Dam. The Plan drawn in three stages was notified in December 2011 and kept for public scrutiny for one month. Edgar Ribeiro, who rightly considered the new Plan an affront to his prestige resigned from SLC. The BJP too attacked it while in Opposition and in its election Manifesto, promised to scrap it. Later, it reiterated through the mouth of the Governor in the sacred precincts of the Assembly. But, flouting all norms of rudimentary decency, it is now going ahead with the Plan they earlier opposed and the CM has the gall to say it would be unfair to scrap it. If this is not lying and cheating the people of Goa by their own Chief Minister, what is it? And what have the BJP supporters, its MLAs and altar boys and girl to say about it? If the Government wanted to go ahead with it, why did it not do so for all these years or is it that it now needs funds for the fast approaching elections? It is disgusting that this Government made a mockery of umpteen representations made by the people of Goa. This RP is nothing but an assault on everything that is sacred to us: our forests, hills, sand dunes, agricultural and khazan lands and water bodies and an outright sale of Goa to builders, developers and other corporates by changing land use. This will eventually prove disastrous to the State and to the lives and livelihood of our people. A gross anomaly is leaving ODPs out of RP, but reasons are too obvious. Hence, it is imperative to scrutinize them.
Time is running out. Regional Plan is a question of life or death to us. Remaining mute spectators is inviting a catastrophe on us. We did it in 2006 and we shall do it again for our State and for our people. It is our sacred duty to defend our land from the clutches of monsters who are out to devour Goa and our people. For the love of Goa, let us forget our differences and come together before it is too late. Let this Government be forewarned that we shall do it, no matter what it costs.
(The author is a retired banker)
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