It was in response to the ongoing farmers’ protests in the capital Delhi against the three controversial farm laws which were subsequently repealed by the Centre after more than a year of sustained protests by farmers from across the country.
In recent times, the State has been witnessing major protests, especially in safeguarding Mhadei. As the NGO which petitioned the High Court for Mhadei Tiger Reserve won the legal battle, no sooner the State government announced that it would challenge the Court order in the interest of the people. In June this year, while putting an end to speculations on the next Regional Plan for the State, TCP Minister alleged, “Regional Plan 2021 was the biggest scam by the State Level Committee (SLC)”. The chairman of the SLC, then chief minister is currently an MLA in the ruling dispensation.
The Constitution of India provides the nation with power structures that complement as well as keep each other in check. While the Legislature and Executive play their respective roles, the citizens have been provided with the right to protest, as the ‘freedom of speech’ envisages, or approach the Judiciary to seek justice. However, elected representatives have turned arrogant and with power at their disposal have forgotten that we live in a democracy and not an authoritarian regime. Here, the citizens can live due to the supremacy of the Constitution and not the popularity of the elected representatives.
While unverified numbers are being tossed to defend their objection to the declaration of the Mhadei Tiger Reserve, the MLAs have not been able to provide any concrete data on the matter. The High Court while delivering its judgment has taken a stern stand on the objection by the State which pointed out that thousands would be displaced due to the tiger reserve. The High Court in its judgment stated, “…the State of Goa now puts forth its own lapses as an excuse for not notifying this area as a tiger reserve… the State is not justified in not notifying the said area as a Tiger Reserve or contending that it would notify the said area as a Tiger Reserve only after rights and claims of the forest dwellers in the area are settled…”. The High Court further observed, “There appears to be some misimpression that the moment the area is notified as a Tiger Reserve, there would be large-scale displacements of populations and the rights of the forest dwellers would be drastically affected.”
The High Court specifically pointed out that nobody has stopped or stalled the process of safeguarding the rights of the forest dwellers and the non-compliance of the Supreme Court directives was being presented as an excuse by the Goa government.
Goans are familiar with the Kali Tiger Reserve (formerly known as the Anshi Dandeli Tiger Reserve) across the border in the neighbouring state of Karnataka, declared as a Tiger Reserve under Project Tiger in 2007 and renamed in 2015. Many Goans visit the Tiger Reserve annually and many others frequent the areas around the Tiger Reserve either on an adventure trip or to visit their ancestral homes.
The growing apprehensions amongst the populace of the State and the demand for a Tiger Reserve are due to the sustained environmental damage and the mass conversion of lands into development areas for commercial gains. Proposals of hinterland tourism without any blueprint, alongwith fears of large-scale tourism and dwelling projects have only cemented these apprehensions.
The forest areas are the last green belts and with the Western Ghats recognised as part of the world’s biodiversity hotspots, Goans want to preserve them for future generations.
