18 Oct 2020  |   05:48am IST

Goans awake from your slumber

Goans awake from your slumber

Mariano Correia

This is a clarion call for all “Niz Goenkars” and other like-minded sons and daughters of mother Goa, wherever they are, be abroad or at home to wake up from your deep slumber as your mother is in peril. Arise those of you whose heart is beating in pain to see your once “Golden Goa” losing its sheen and darkened by the coal transportation from Goa (Mormugoa), to Karnataka (Hospet) to generate energy (electricity) at the detrimental health cost of the local populace. 

When the news of having the Konkan railway was first announced there was a huge hue and cry over it, saying it will bring lot of destruction to the ecology. Of course it had its pros and cons, making travelling easy from one corner to the other corner of India. This was and is more advantageous to the other people of far North East side of India rather than the Goans. Its ill effects were seen on the ecology and environment. Presently the new concept of double tracking of the SWR line from Mormugoa to Hospet in Karnataka if implemented or realised, it will sound a death knell to Goa and Goans and for others also who have made Goa their second home. 

Goa being the smallest state in the Union of India, the new double tracking of the rail line SWR, passing through the thickly populated villages of Cansaulim, Majorda, Utorda etc will bring untold misery to the lakhs of population being affected by it. The only two MLA’s of the ruling BJP Alina Saldanha and  Wilfred D’Sa had the guts to publicly declare that the double tracking of the SWR is only for coal transportation to Karnataka. If this becomes a ground reality it will be a havoc, and will have deleterious effects on the health of the nearby people leading to all sorts of respiratory problems, coal dust pollution and noise thereby also affecting the flora and fauna along the railway line. Many trees will have to be sacrificed thus generating more CO2 and green house gas emission affecting adversely the environment and global warming. 

This ongoing problem will be a litmus test for all the true-blooded Goans and their respective MLA’s, who have become altar boys of the ruling dispensation to meet their own personal gains. All people of Goa irrespective of their belief and idealogy come forward and cry in unison, “Goyeant Kollso Naka” and let the message and the cries reverbarete in the corridors of our Vidhan Sabha at Porvorim and later in the Delhi Parliament. As we have stayed firm and did not allow to merge Goa into Maharashtra during the Opinion Poll, so also we must stand vociferously as the adage goes “United We Stand, Divided We fall.” 

If we want to keep whatever has been left of Goa; after being raped, as a legacy to our future generation, the time is now! Either act or perish than rue over it. Why can’t Karnataka use their Karwar or Mangalore port which is in close proximity to Mormugoa? Here lies the ulterior motives of the Adani’s and Jindal’s and other cronies of the political bigwigs who want to decimate Goa for their personal gratification. Goa may look too insignificant but it is the Jewel in the crown of India. There is no single state in the Republic of India that has such a unity in diversity and adversity, unique culture, tolerance and temperament. Goans being well mannered and hospitable, so much so that the architect of modern India, Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru predicted saying “Ajeeb hai ye Goa k log”, for which we pleaded for granting special identity (status) as Goa was known as the Rome of the East for the entire world.     


IDhar UDHAR

Idhar Udhar