Selective amnesia
The Navy’s Public Relations Officer (PRO) for the Goa Area, Commander M C Joshi, has assured the people who have raised concerns over the acquisition of Pequeno and Grande Islands that they “need not worry”, since the acquisition of the islands is “merely for security purposes”. People’s apprehensions about access to the shrines located on Grande Island, and boat owners’ and water sports operators’ fears that they will not be allowed to take tourists for islands trips, says Cdr Joshi, can be allayed by incorporating these points, “after discussion with the state government”, in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Navy.
However, when Cdr Joshi is reminded of a similar agreement inked in 1987, when the state government handed over Anjediva Island, near Karwar, to the Navy, which agreed that pilgrims would be allowed to visit the island on two feast days each year – of the Church of Our Lady of Springs in February and the Chapel of St Francis d’Assisi in October – an agreement that was blatantly flouted by the Navy, which has unilaterally stopped pilgrims from visiting the Anjediva Island since 2005, he claims he is “not aware of the facts about Anjediva Island”. Still, he insists, the acquisition of the islands of St George “won’t harm interests of the people”.
Offering facetious explanations and displaying selective amnesia is not going to convince people. On the contrary, it will only make them more suspicious of the Navy’s real intentions, especially when it resorts to disingenuous claims that the islands can be a “safe haven” for terrorists, but that the hundreds of buildings close to the runway at Alto-Dabolim cannot, or that the proposed fishing harbour at Katem-Baina – which will be closer to the Navy area than any of the islands – will pose no “security threat” to the airport.
Why is the Navy talking big about keeping “security personnel” or erecting “naval battery, guns and other armaments” on the islands? See its record in this matter. One of the three islands has been in the Navy’s possession for decades. First, it posted two unarmed watchmen on the island. Then they too were withdrawn. Even after the 26/11 Mumbai attack, the island remains unmanned. So much for so-called “security” considerations! If it has not considered it necessary, even after 26/11, to secure its own island – neither repairing the broken jetty there nor posting armed personnel – then any claims about “threat perceptions” emanating from the other two islands are just hollow talk.
The people of Goa have spoken up against any acquisition of the islands. So have some leaders. But the deafening silence from Goa’s ministers, chief minister and leader of the opposition is ominous, to say the least. Are we going to become victims of another casino caper? It is our sincere hope that there is no move within the government to sign away the islands, with the blessing of the opposition…
Deceive & deprive
The Forest Department’s messianic drive to deprive Goa’s forest dwellers of their rights under the law continues. It now wants to declare part of the Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary as a ‘Critical Wildlife Habitat’ (CWH). Thankfully, villagers are planning to oppose the move at the public hearing to be held on Thursday.
Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Kanti Lal Bhuria has already announced in Parliament that implementation of the ‘Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act is ‘nil’ in Goa. Yet, the Forest Dept wants to deceive people into believing that the CWH proposal is a part of implementation of the Forests Rights Act. They should not think that the people are such fools.
