SHANTI MARIA FONSECA
A social movement that only moves people is merely a revolt. A movement that changes both people and institu tions is a revolution.” – Martin Lu ther King Jr. Following its liberation from Portuguese rule on December 19, 1961, Goa experienced significant social and people’s movements that shaped its identity, language and political landscape. These movements were characterised by a desire to preserve a distinct Goan identity. Unlike most parts of the country, it’s not easy to shackle the people of India’s tiniest State into submission for too long. Let’s look at some of the movements that have defined the lives of people in Goa since its liberation from colo nial rule. Who can forget the opin ion poll of 1967? This was a land mark referendum held on January 16, 1967 to decide whether Goa should be merged with Maharash tra or remain a separate entity. Fol lowing the Opinion Poll, the people of Goa waged a sustained demand for full-fledged statehood to secure greater autonomy and develop ment for Goa. This resulted in Goa becoming the 25th state of the In dian Union on May 30, 1987. The Ramponkar movement in the mid-70s was a landmark ag itation by traditional fishermen (ramponkars) of Goa against mechanised trawling. It focused on preserving traditional, eco-friendly fishing, protecting marine resourc es from overfishing, and defend ing the livelihood of native fishing communities against marginali sation. Fishermen united through the ‘Goenchea Ramponkarancho Ekvott’. During this time, the Tod dy Tappers community of Goa also organised themselves. The 1980’s witnessed the Konkani language movement aimed to make Konkani the official language of Goa, which was accomplished through the Goa, Daman and Diu official lan guage Act 1987. The Save the Western Ghats Movement (SWGM) in 1987 was another environmental struggle in India. Tribes have lived in Goa for thousands of years. Their political assertion, however, began only in the second half of the 20th centu ry. In 1980, the Gawda Kunbi Velip and Dhangar Federation (GAKU VED) was formed to fight for the in clusion of these four communities in the schedule of the Indian Con stitution. In 2004, tribals formed another organisation called the United Tribal Associations Alliance (UTAA). In the 90s, Goa witnessed the Konkan Railway agitation and soon thereafter there was a de mand for “special status” for Goa to protect its local culture and curb the sale of land to non-Goans. In 1995, Goa witnessed the fa mous anti-nylon 6,6 movement. The struggle arose against a pro posed 6 billion-rupee Nylon 6,6 factory – a joint venture between the Thapar Group and US-based chemical firm DuPont—to be lo cated in Keri Ponda, Goa. The State government had allotted 500 acres to the Thapar group for construct ing a factory to produce the syn thetic product, Nylon 6,6 in collab oration with DuPont. The process used was highly polluting and the factory would cause huge pollution to the land, air and water resources in the area. In 2006, Goans from all walks of life came under the banner of the Goa Bachao Abhiyan (GBA), a movement to protest against unsustainable development, spe cifically focusing on the regional plan and the controversial Special Economic Zones (SEZs). It united activists, planners, and residents to protect Goa’s environment, land, and cultural identity from rampant construction and land conversion. In 2007, Goa witnessed the an ti-SEZ movement which was suc cessful in forcing the government to scrap the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) policy proposed in Ponda, Sancoale and Verna. Mining in Goa has a long and tumultuous history; it has deter mined the politics of this State for decades. 2012 saw the sudden clo sure of mines in Goa. In 2020, the villagers of Mol lem came together to successfully protect the Mollem National Park and Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary. The projects threat ened to destroy over 250 hectares of forest in a biodiversity hotspot, impacting tigers and various en demic species. In 2021 “The Save Old Goa Action Committee,” a community-driven group, focused on protecting the UNESCO World Heritage site of Old Goa from ille gal constructions, development threats, and environmental dam age. It organised marches, hunger strikes, and a Satyagraha which was joined by thousands of Goans. On the heels of this agitation came the “Amka Naka Double Track”. The biggest threat of double-tracking is to the fragile ecology of the West ern Ghats. If the railway line is double-tracked, it would convert the famous Dudhsagar Falls into a black waterfall. The movement reflects growing resistance against infrastructure projects perceived to ignore public consent. The coal that is transferred is not meant for the use of indus tries in Goa but it is meant for the steel plants of the Jindals and the Adanis at the expense of Goa which has to bear the brunt of coal pol lution. Most ports in the south of the country, including Mangalore and Karwar have refused to permit their ports to be used for importing coal considered one of the dirtiest cargoes. Goans have resolutely woken up to the dangers of the kind of development taking place in their state. With a sharp decline in the quality of life for residents, thou sands of Goans have taken to the streets to protest the conversion of green zones. People of Borim are fighting against the new bridge which will cut through their Khaz an lands. Goa is the only State that has callously permitted both land casinos as well as offshore ones. Development without consent is not progress. Goa’s people are no longer willing to watch silently as their land, culture and future are battered away. Widespread cor ruption, misuse of public funds, and a lack of accountability are the trademarks of the present-day gov ernment. Today, however, with environ mental concerns, Goa is slowly re alising the ecological nightmares that this paradise faces. There is continuous public outcry, protests, people’s resistance, and sustained campaigns against luxury apart ments and row houses that have spread like cancer. While the pol itician-builder nexus argues for the need to open up land for housing and ‘development’, 22 percent of houses in Goa remain unoccupied. Goa has become India’s capital for second homes. The government is accused of pushing through land use changes behind the backs of local village panchayats and gram sabhas. Look at villages like Assagao, Anjuna, Candolim and Calangute whose carrying capacities are over-flow ing from the brim and yet the gov ernment is bent on pushing ahead with projects. Protesters argue that the government ignores envi ronmental concerns and favours developers and corporate interests over the rights of local communi ties, leading to calls to protect Goa’s agricultural and comunidade lands from misuse. Over the years there have been several protests high lighting the impact of rapid, unsus tainable development, particularly in the tourism sector. Protests are also intensifying against large scale infrastructure projects seen as damaging or unnecessary. The protests reflect a deep-seated anx iety about the loss of Goa’s identity, often termed the erosion of ‘Goen karponn’. With a call of ‘Enough is Enough” (Aanik Sonsum Nezo), Former Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court, Ferdino Rebello has volun tarily taken the initiative of being the shepherd and is rallying the people of Goa to protect Goa’s hills, lakes, rivers, land, forests and vil lages against the “real estate ma fia” and promoting sustainable planning. The “Peoples Charter” of demands has been launched by this new movement. The focus of quantity instead of quality has turned Goa into a “cheap gam bling, narcotics, and overcrowded destination”. Goa’s people are no longer willing to watch silently as their land, culture, and future are bartered away. The struggle today is not merely against policies – it is for the soul of Goa itself. The “Enough is Enough” move ment in Goa is evolving from a protest initiative into an organized, grassroots campaign to safeguard land, ecology, and cultural identity. With the opening of an office on April 7, 2026 at the Velhos and Fil hos building in a centrally located area of Panjim, people’s hopes and aspirations have risen sky high. To sustain a movement of such magni tude and intensity requires a highly motivated and well-informed team of organisers and a creative think tank to carry on and sustain this movement. People are eager and hopeful. (The writer is a social scientist and a practicing Sr. criminal lawyer).
