Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, cut into NGOs with the same flourish with which he must have cut into his birthday cake. He did not even take a birthday break to pause his attack on ‘environmentalists’, who have actually fashioned the discourse against the government’s anti-environment policies.
In the course of doing this, he has learnt to parrot his predecessor Manohar Parrikar, by doing a re-run of his statements against NGOs and environmentalists. On his birthday, the Chief Minister said, “It is a fashion in Goa to halt development in the name of environment”.
To Mr Parsekar, we say, ‘Mr Chief Minister, if this is a fashion, let us remind you that it is indeed a good fashion. And if fashion is linked to beauty, it lies in the eyes and the heart of the beholder”. For most true Goans who are saddened at what is happening to their land, the fashion of NGOs who are fighting for it, is welcome. For those of us, including the Herald, which feels that the government is making a mockery of environmental, forest and CRZ laws, the fashion of NGOs is the only check against the murder and loot of Goa in the absence of credible opposition.
From Tiracol to Amdai, villagers themselves have learnt this fashion by approaching various courts of law against anti-people projects – the Leading Hotels Golf Course and Villa Project in Tiracol and the red category beer and brewery project of Vani Agro Farms.
Did the Chief Minister think that, while we genuinely wished him good health and a long life, we would allow his actions and statements which are destroying the good health and long life of Goa, to go un-challenged? His birthday doesn’t give him any license to attack environmentalists and NGOs, just because Manohar Parrikar has started this fashion and Laxmikant Parsekar plans to play copy cat.
Now check out birthday boy Parsekar’s next statement. “Anyone comes as an environmentalist and takes the government to court or National Green Tribunal in the name of protecting the environment”.
For his information, people who have taken the government to court, more often than others is the Claude Alvares headed Goa Foundation. Alvares was chosen as Herald’s man of the year 2015. So our belief in his work is total. Too bad Mr Chief Minister if your cozy mining big daddies do not like him. Let it also be known Mr Chief Minister that your Manohar bhai who taught you “how to take bold and courageous decisions” (your words in your birthday speech), made a call to Mr Claude Alvares within two hours of he getting sworn in on the fateful day of March in 2012, asking him for his help in unearthing details of violations of mining companies “I need your help Claude”, he had said. Now just because the same Claude Alvares is taking you to the NGT, for heaping anti-people projects which destroys their livelihoods and changes their lives, you have a problem. Well Goa doesn’t have a problem against these NGOs.
The Chief Minister’s next birthday grouse is that projects are delayed by NGOs because they “drag” them to the NGT. Let us again very politely remind the Chief Minister that the NGT has been formed to assist the Supreme Court of India to fast track cases of environmental violation. Its job is to check, among others, reckless governments, because it is only governments which more often than not, violate key acts. NGOs in Goa have taken the just, correct and above all the legal path to stop projects which have taken over peoples lands, destroyed forests and heaped red category breweries projects in fragile eco-systems. The CM is upset these projects are dragging. Most Goans living in these areas are upset that these projects are dragging their lives out of a peaceful existence and throwing them into turmoil.
So take back your words Mr Chief Minister. And you would do well not to worry about the NGT or any court. Start preparing for your big date in the people’s court in the 2017 elections. The people will not only drag you and your party there but give a judgment all of you will remember.
