PANJIM: Aggrieved farmers from Cotarli, Sanguem and Nagvem villages have written to President Droupadi Murmu and PM Modi seeking their intervention towards the “violence and misuse of powers by Goa government to usurp tribal land” for the proposed IIT project in their village.
In the letter, which is also addressed to the Union Ministers of Education, Agriculture, Environment and Forest and Tribal Welfare, the villagers have demanded that the proposed IIT project be dropped from their village immediately and the land rights of the farmers, tribal and others be granted.
“This is to bring to your urgent attention the violence, intimidation and misuse of powers by the State government and Ministry of Education to try and usurp the tribal lands at Survey No 21 and adjoining areas within the Survey No 16-34 of Cotarli villages, Sanguemtaluka and Survey No 25-26 and adjoining areas of Nagvem village in Quepem taluka for the proposed IIT Goa campus site,” the letter stated.
“Our agricultural and forest land be spared and the proposal to locate the IIT Goa campus be dropped. Land rights of the farmers, tribals and other local communities of Sanguem and Quepem taluka should be granted immediately, especially where the government of Goa’s name has been erroneously entered in the land records,” the farmers demanded.
The farmers have said that if required they are willing to meet the Central authorities to discuss in detail on the subject.
Stating that the project is being aggressively pushed by the locals MLA Subhash Faldesai and some feudal landlords, the farmers alleged that the move is with vested interest.
They said that they are the defenders, farmers and occupants of the said community lands since over 12,000 years. “It is the constitutional duty of the government to protect our inalienable rights over these lands, yet it is misusing its powers, criminally intimidating us and using violence and police force against in order to usurp our lands,” they said.
The protestors said that they are totally dependent on these lands for their survival and have no option but to defend and fight against government for our future generation. They pointed out that the land is forested area so also having no development slopes.
They said that government is directly responsible for police brutalities, attacks by goons and the trauma focused by them.
“Self-reliance can be achieved by citizens only if they have food sovereignty, which means that they are producing their own food and have rights over the means of production. Local communities of Cotarli village exist across Goa and India, and are the only places where truly self-reliant citizens can exist. These communities and their lands are therefore to be protected under all circumstances,” they said.
The farmers have proposed that the proposed IIT campus be shifted to Farmagudi only, where the institute is currently operating from, by providing additional land.