The mining sector will now have us believe that it is not just the Goan economy that depends on it, but that the entire nation’s economy trembles when mining operations in Goa are stopped. Vedanta’s executive chairman, Anil Agarwa, has linked the falling value of the rupee against the dollar to the stoppage of iron ore exports from Goa and has called for an immediate resumption of mining operations in the State. His words in a tweet were “Natural resources imports have skyrocketed. Aluminum imports are up by 20%, enormous amounts of oil, copper, sulphuric acid and fertilizers are being imported and iron ore exports worth billions from Goa have stopped. These domestic factors are contributing to slide of rupee.” He then said, “Need of the hour is to urgently restart Goa mining…”