Solution to Mopa: An Opinion Poll
Orlando da Silva
There is an adage: “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Has this idiom lost its relevance or has it assumed greater significance after the parivartan in Goa? NGOs, activists and the people of Goa who were instrumental in bringing about the change heaved a sigh of relief after the election results but has their happiness short lived their expectations within one year of parivartan? Have their hopes and dreams turned to illusions or delusions?
Issues of land grab by multinationals in the form of SEZs and mega housing projects, the Regional Plan, illegal mining, issue of Dabolim airport, family Raj politics and various land and employment scams in government, were some of the issues that every player (including BJP) played during elections, to demolish the citadel of the Congress and thereby bring about the required and desired change. These factors gave the BJP an absolute majority.
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Before the State Assembly elections in 2012, Manohar Parrikar in his capacity as Leader of the Opposition raised all these issues on the floor of the Goa Assembly and on election campaign platforms across Goa. All these issues have prominently figured in the BJP election manifesto. As Leader of the Opposition leader then and now as the most learned chief minister of the State, he is responsible for what he has spoken.
Serious issues facing Goa like Mopa, the gram sabhas, illegal mining et al, have wider ramifications in the day-to-day lives of Goans. Every square inch of land left needs to be judiciously used and protected for future generations. All development should be aimed at improving the Goans’ standard of living and not that of the world at large.
Goans surely have alternate tourism ideas for Mopa to benefit the locals in a very big way. If the people of Pernem believe that the Mopa airport alone would mean development and jobs for their youth they may repent later ~ and be shocked that international tourists would be the only ones to provide them with jobs as drivers of taxis and hotel coaches as is done at present. Moreover, non-Goan hotel owners have employed non-Goans for top jobs, with Goans not being preferred even for menial jobs.
Dabolim being centrally located is convenient for every Goan, whichever part of the State he is a native of. The fear that the neighboring state will develop a similar airport in Sindhudurg cannot be an argument to inconvenience Goans from South Goa. Having two airports in a tiny State such as ours, is senseless. We must learn lessons from Bangalore and Hyderabad where the two airport theory resulted in the closure of the old ~ it only smacks of a big land scam in the offing which will attract further in-migration and destroy our ambitions for special status to preserve Goa for posterity.
If the same land is developed to bring in job oriented industries, the youth of Pernem can hope to become skilled professionals because at present Goa has sufficient educational facilities to provide such professional manpower, but not the relevant jobs. In addition these industries will also provide them opportunities to begin various business ventures.
Also, if software industries are set up at Mopa, Goan professionals working in states like Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra and even abroad may get an opportunity to return to their homeland and help in the development of the entire State and protect Goan culture and unique identity for which we are today demanding special status under Article 371 of the Constitution.
