JOSE MARIA MIRANDA
The Goan social, electronic and print media need to be applauded for bringing to light various issues affecting Goa and Goans, which might have otherwise been hidden under the carpet.
In particular, social activists, like Swapnesh Sherlekar, Xencor Polgi, Rama Kankonkar and a few other whistleblowers and O Heraldo need to be commended for awakening Goans against the ills and the people who are out to destroy Goa. It was good to know also from Rane’s statement, published in O Heraldo’s September 24 edition, who else, besides his TCP, was involved in the Sancoale project permissions.
Apparently, official figures show only 4,200 trees felled in Goa in last five years, but we all know that, to safeguard the skin of those responsible for cutting or saving these trees, the figures have been shrinking. Similarly, with people escaping punishment by denying their involvement, like in Siolim, afforestation is done elsewhere –not where the damage is caused – and hopefully, not in any other State, as was once envisaged.
If mega projects, felling of trees, cutting of hills and filling of low-lying areas have been a curse to Goa, the silver lining is that this massive destruction of Goa, its environment, ecology and beauty, has brought Goans from all over Goa together for the main cause of saving what is left of our beloved Goa. Thank you Pramod Sawant and Vishwajit Rane for your unexpected efforts to unite us. It is now crystal clear that Goans are united on this issue and it is high time, all the people realise who is destroying Goa and why. The reason is no other than making fast money, so that enough is accumulated to win the next elections. This must be and will be thwarted after what we have been experiencing of late.
I would say that mega projects have been a blessing in disguise, to bring something unique and unprecedented in Goa - the unity of its residents and all those who love Goa and will not tolerate any further damage to their land and demography.
The protests at Sancoale which brought people from North to South and the press conference on Sunburn, which took people from South to North amply prove that politicians will no longer succeed in dividing people of North and South, claiming that South Goans are against North being developed. I had a first-hand experience of this, in Pernem, during our agitation in favour of Dabolim as sole airport. Today, people there and adjoining areas have realised that Mopa has only allowed loss of land of poor farmers, with hardly any benefits for the locals.
Let us never again fall in the trap of our politicians, whose only aim is to divide and rule. Let also the people and panchayats not tolerate the talk of development of their constituencies, by associating themselves with Ministers or ruling party MLAs. The money used for development is not theirs but ours and we have experienced how fraudulently it is used, with new roads and infrastructure crumbling regularly, for obvious reasons.
Let us all Goans be united in one and only endeavour to save Goa for the benefit of our future generations. Let us always remember that we are only the trustees of this land and take a firm resolve to oppose whatever is detrimental to Goa and Goans, no matter the cost.