Goyant Kollso Naka (GKN) has called on Goans to gather in large numbers at Lohia Maidan, Margao at 5 pm on Sunday, November 9, for an aware ness programme that will highlight what it describes as the government’s continuing push to turn the State into a coal hub. Addressing the media at the venue on Friday, GKN co-convener Abhijit Prabhu desai said the meeting will renew the people’s move ment that has, for nearly a decade, resisted projects linked to coal handling and transport. “We shall present before you the facts regard ing the plans of our govern ment to convert Goa into a coal hub, and we shall also exhibit the sustained and unanimous opposition from the residents of the State since almost ten years,” he said. “We appeal to Goans, especially the youth, to come together again for Goa’s land, water and people.” The organisers said Sun day’s meeting will feature a large-screen presentation and addresses by citizens and environmentalists who have been part of the cam paign since its early days. They recalled that the meet ing, originally scheduled for November 1, had to be post poned due to unseasonal heavy rain. Prabhudesai said the enthusiasm shown by people in the lead-up to that date had only strengthened their resolve. The gathering comes af ter the Chandor midnight agitation of November 1–2, 2020, when thousands of Goans first mobilised in protest against railway double-tracking and coal transportation through the State—an agitation that be came a turning point in Goa’s environmental movement. The Lohia Maidan meeting, organisers said, aims to build on that legacy by reaffirming the collective stand to pro tect Goa’s rivers, coastline and livelihoods from indus trial expansion. Formed in the wake of the Chandor agitation, the GKN has since led several aware ness drives, petitions and ral lies opposing coal-handling expansion at Mormugao Port and related projects. The group argues that the government’s infrastruc ture policies, including port dredging, railway line expan sion, and the construction of jetties along the rivers, are designed primarily to facili tate the transport of import ed coal through Goa. Activists have long con tended that such plans endanger Goa’s ecological balance and undermine the livelihoods of traditional communities. They have raised concerns over the im pact of coal dust pollution in Vasco, loss of mangroves due to port expansion, and sa line intrusion in agricultural khazans near project sites. GKN maintains that these developments reflect a sys tematic attempt to prioritise industrial corridors at the expense of Goa’s environ mental and social fabric. The group also reiterated that public consultations and environmental clearances for several of these projects have been conducted with out adequate participation or transparency. “Decisions that affect the lives of Goans are being made behind closed doors. Our aware ness programme is meant to bring the truth before the people, supported by data, visuals and scientific facts,” a GKN member said. As part of its outreach, GKN has been holding small er discussions in villages and schools across South Goa, encouraging young people to engage in conversations about sustainability and civic responsibility. The group described Sun day’s awareness meet as an opportunity for citizens to express solidarity, share ide as and reaffirm their com mitment to protecting Goa’s environment. “This is not merely a protest,” said Prab hudesai. “It is an appeal for unity—a call to defend the only Goa we have.” With growing anticipation among supporters, a strong turnout is expected at Lohia Maidan, a venue long asso ciated with people’s move ments in Goa. Organisers said the choice of the histor ic ground carries symbolic weight, reflecting the collec tive spirit that has defined Goa’s environmental strug gles for more than a decade.
Goyant Kollso Naka to Hold Awareness Meet at Lohia Maidan on Nov 9 Against Goa’s ‘Coal Hub’ Push
