As Goans, our eyes often light up when we hear someone say Goa is a land worth fighting for. But an inevitable question that must follow is: who is it that the land must be fought for? Similarly, while Goa’s fields are worth fighting for, we must take care to see that the interests of all and especially the most marginal of the stakeholders are sought to be protected. Because that will ensure stakes of all concerned in the fight, in the outcomes.
We all know that in many of the struggles around environment, we keep being confronted with old wine packaged in a new battle. For instance, in the battle against Dupont’s Nylon 6.6, where owner farmers, cultivators, people at large in Goa all joined hands to prevent a potentially polluting industry from being set up on a plateau, a victory was won, albeit a temporary victory as we now read it.
But soon, thereafter, the people’s demands for cooperative non-polluting ventures did not materialize, and a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) was sanctioned to be set up on the very same plateau. And this time, no decisions from the panchayat or whomsoever would have helped, because SEZs by their very nature are defined geographical areas, in the planning, development and administration of which no decisions can be taken by the people. It was only a people’s struggle and a posturing just prior to local elections that finally got the Government to yield and cancel SEZs for Goa and withdraw the SEZ policy. But the noose of SEZ-like biotechnology parks, information technology parks still hangs on people.
Therefore in redressing the problem of environmental degradation and destruction at the root, we have to consider the various stake holders and their standpoints and interests in protecting the environment. A Mario may want to fight to see the green fields retained, so that when he gets up in the morning, he can see the soothing green peering from his window. Looking at green as the morning sunlight is piercing through is, indeed, a treat, or, one can say, even literally a treatment for the eyes and for one’s health.
A Shankar may want to fight also to retain the fields, so that he can make his place a green tourism spot, a welcome difference from the increasing concretization done in the name of tourism. But all this must add up in a holistic way. Goa can ill afford tourist footfalls beyond carrying capacity, because land is in short supply, and this will translate into land and housing rates spiralling. Also, the promotion of the green fields must be accompanied by knowledge of what it takes to keep the green fields.
A Consu asks what is the use of the green, and all her labour to make it green when in effect the fruits of her labour are enjoyed by others and are the reason for her present status in society. With her daily wages, from which the farmer owner reaps profits, Sundorem just about makes ends meet. She is still the tiller, and looked down upon, and treated as a second rank citizen in the locality. How can we tilt this sense of dignity of labour? And also ensure a decent income for Consu?
A Sundorem says working in the fields is hard work, but she loves to work in the fields anyway. It keeps her fit and healthy and keeps the home fires burning. She hasn’t got the skills to do anything else. You will never guess her age if you look at her. And her thundering voice, and the calling ku’s may hopefully be Goa’s way of keeping land marauders at bay and yet in a style that only a few like her can – a style that drives home the point, while disarming the stiff opposition from a politician and his clique who have their eyes on the potential of the field if it is ‘developed’. Is what the politicians are talking about Vikas or Satyanash (ibad) is what Sundorem will ask.
ButA Michael says while he was working in the fields, and eked a good livelihood and people came to the field and bought vegetables from him. He had to stop, because the sewage of the neighbouring building was being discharged into the fields, continuously causing severe infection on his hands. In the end, he obtained a Portuguese citizenship, packed up and went to the UK for a decent livelihood. He hopes to come back when he has earned enough, but as an Overseas Citizen of India Cardholder, he cannot hold agricultural land. He will have to work on someone else’s field, and that is not the same as working on your own field.
Besides, by now, the natural drainage in various parts of Goa has been disturbed, because buildings have come up and continue to come up in fields by not factoring the existence of the natural drainage. Therefore Chandu’s field remains water logged for a good part of the rabi crop season in winter, thus driving a Chandu crazy. Chandu left his private job at some point of time to get back to the fields he loves being in, and he is one of the few who fervently hopes his children will take to farming too.
Then there is a Samantha who notices that Taleigao, for instance, is not flooded like Panjim because the fields serve as catchment areas for the rainwater, even as rice is cultivated and grows in those very fields. But that also means that only rice, which is not a profit making crop, can grow in that field, during the rainy season. Now this in turn should mean that this food security activity (after all rice is a prominent part of Goa’s staple diet) must be subsidized not only by way of an adequate support price, but by way of minimizing the hardships in securing a tractor, harvester, and manure including organic manure. But that does not happen.
Also, it means that the Government must raise a cess for high income residents who are benefitting from the maintenance of the low-lying fields which are like a natural climate resilient infrastructure.
And then a Santan is complaining that only short span growing crops can be planted as the winter crop, because the wells run dry, by as early as February, given the indiscriminate licencing of tankers sucking water for indiscriminately licenced gated housing projects. He is retired and very well wants to cultivate the fields during the day, while his children who are working can do the needful by way of watering and other activity in the wee morning hours.
Therefore, yes, Goa’s fields are worth fighting for, but it is not enough to romantically say this. The State and those who benefit from the maintenance of the fields must be obligated to put their money where their mouth is and not just pledge in the manifestos to keep the green, but spell out how and in a way that makes it possible to maintain the fields and the green.
(Albertina Almeida is a lawyer and human rights activist)
