I take a strong objection to the statement made by our Chief Minister “The people opposing Mopa have forgotten their roles” Herald dated 17 October 2014` No force can ground Mopa airport. My first answer to our chief minister is that only people who are interested in the well being of Goa and Goans and our environment are opposing Mopa airport and not the political class who think of vote bank and short term interest who are opposing the Mopa airport.
If our chief minister says that people opposing Mopa have forgotten their roles I like to remind our IITian chief minister that he himself has forgotten his roles despite given a clear mandate to serve the people of Goa. The BJP government promised special status for Goa, have we got it till now despite having BJP government at the center, BJP government promised settlement of regional plan issue in Goa , has the Parrikar government made any attempt to settle it. Our chief minister thinks that he is a dictator and can do what he likes he should not forget that he is citizen of world largest democracy and should take decision what majority wants and not like Congress do what pleases his high command in Delhi.
Regarding our chief minister statement that Goa does not mean only south Goa, I like to remind that he can say to himself that he is chief minister of Goa only because of people of south who have voted in majority in favour of separate Goa during opinion polls. The north Goan leaders were always in favour of merging Goa with Maharashtra, even leaders like Pratapsingh Rane, Ramakant Khalap and Shashikala Kakodkar were in favour of making Marathi the official language of Goa, it is because of huge support from people of south Goa that forced Rane to make official language of Goa. I agree with the statement of Vijay Sardessai that our chief minister is out to make north-south divide among the people of Goa.
Fernandes George Joao, Navelim
