In less than two weeks, Goa will be celebrating what goes by the name of “Liberation Day”. Yes, liberation it was from Portuguese domination. But was it a true liberation that Goans really anxiously awaited or was it mainly an attempt at extending India’s borders and imposing the latter’s will on an extremely docile, rather submissive and perhaps too decent a people? Such thoughts cannot be easily erased when we painfully and helplessly watch our Goa – its beauty, serenity identity, culture, environment and land – being destroyed and Goans ignored and marginalized in their own land. In this endeavour, the Union Government is unfortunately abetted and supported by a few elected representatives from Goa. Their endless greed and servile behaviour, solely to remain in power, has forced them to show scant love and concern for the land of their birth or ancestors or for the people they should consider their own. Similar feelings have been echoed earlier even by some of those who fought for this freedom, when expressing their frustration and anguish at the developments in Goa, particularly in the last few years, with a few others choosing conveniently to hide their remorse.
What is inconceivable is the Government’s insensitiveness in aggressively pushing through and bulldozing projects that will not only destroy our State but also our health and our livelihoods, solely to satisfy a bunch of wealthy industrialists, known to be close to Central Ministers. Public outcry and Gram sabha resolutions have become meaningless in this dictatorial style of functioning. Goa’s emotional integration into India was completed when it imbibed the culture of Aya Rams and Gaya Rams which Goa witnessed not only too often in the past, destabilising Governments, but also evident now when defections were engineered solely to retain power. And there is never dearth of traitors, who on the eve of elections assured never to support the ruling Party, but shamelessly aided the power hungry and grabbers, convincingly rejected by the people, to eventually assume office.
Government’s focus and priority ought to have been creating employment avenues for locals, as Goans are leaving Goa in search of jobs. Far from doing this, it is concentrating all its efforts and finances in infrastructure development aggressively being enforced, which is neither needed nor meant for Goans. That it is aimed at facilitating the coal corridor for the Adanis, Jindals & Vedanta for steel plants in other States, is common knowledge. How much the BJP Governments cares for Goans is amply evident by the simple fact that this project is not alone a health hazard and a threat to environment but is taking away large chunks of Goa’s land and will also divide, along the route, communities living together for ages. The nationalisation of rivers is no less a curse fatal to all Goans and particularly the fishing community. The “development” envisaged is also not entirely infrastructural and is meant to enrich builders, further concretise Goa and help non-Goans wanting to settle in Goa, wilfully ignoring the detrimental effects on our demography, ecology and environment. An IT Park could have been beneficial to Goans but why at Chimbel and not at Dona Paula, where land was flattened for the purpose? Was it to allow a free hand to the man from Taleigao, who would surely share the spoils with his facilitators? Is a minister turning Goa into a goonda raj with his threats and warnings to Chimbel residents? Is there some personal interest in having the Park in Chimbel? The recent amendment allowing conversion of orchard land into settlement is another shameful and unlawful decision, which needs to be fought tooth and nail. Being arbitrary it is nothing but a corrupt practice, which could allow conversion not on payment of fees alone but some “consideration” too. What a shame for the “Party with a difference”!!
The BJP can no longer fool the people of Goa, for Goans are increasingly aware and convinced of the Government’s untrustworthiness, insincerity, greed and ulterior motives, mainly aimed at obliging the PM, Gadkari and the lot. There is no project where the Government can come out clean on. For good reasons, there is a trust deficit. Had the Government been sincere, open and candid, it would consult the people, particularly the affected, and not shown scant respect for their views. What kind of democracy or Liberation are we talking about when even gram sabha resolutions are thrown to the winds and people are compelled to go to Courts, where fortunately the Government is generally getting a bashing, which only proves that people are right? Can there be a greater humiliation than the people having to teach the Government what the law is, when it ought to have been otherwise?
The Government must come to its senses and listen to the voice of the people which is the voice of reason. People are seething with anger and it is fast spreading to nearly every village. Goa is on the verge of a revolution. People are not in mood to take things lying down anymore and being treated as second class citizens. The writing is on the wall. The Government would be well advised to take note. Else the consequences could be unexpected, regrettable and irreversible, which the Government alone will be responsible for.
(The author is a retired banker)
