Recently, a video went viral about an illegal house being demolished on Comunidade land in Verna. Had it not been for the clarification given by Savio Correia, Secretary, Comunidades Forum, everyone would have believed the much circulated ‘sad story’ of the ‘victim, a poor local woman’.
People, NGOs and activists keep complaining about illegalities, either committed by the government itself or by people supported or sponsored by politicians. Surely, no one dares put up a construction, spending lakhs or crores, unless one is assured that it will be protected, like the one in Old Goa, where the ASI deliberately skipped issuing show cause to the owners, so that the High Court could throw out the petition for not following the principles of natural justice. These are the tactics to support the powerful and influential.
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One could rightly argue that the Verna demolition could have waited until the monsoons were over. But the fear is always that it would eventually never happen, knowing that our Govt and politicians would stop or delay action, when it suits them.
We, Goans, use the social media and the press to criticize illegalities, the doers and supporters – including members of Church bodies, Comunidades, etc. who often for want of time or fear of prolonged litigations, skip action against the violators. We ascribe motives to such inaction. It has become a fashion for certain people to try to gain publicity by videos, projecting themselves as defenders of justice or protectors of underdogs. Illegalities must never be supported, irrespective of who commits them or the victim is. Would we allow such illegalities in our own land? Or is it that we should allow it because it doesn’t affect us personally? Have we not been critical of slums which have come up on Comunidade land, which is the work of characterless and evil politicians?
Don’t we know who were the promoters and are the supporters of Monti Dongor and Zuari slums? Don’t those, who rightly advocate their demolition, know that it is next to impossible to have it done?
I understand that substantial funds have poured in, especially from abroad, for getting alternate accommodation to the Verna family. Each donor has the right to use his funds/her funds, the way he/she wants and I have no business to seek any explanations. But wasn’t the wrong publicity given to the case, responsible for this, what I call, undeserving largesse? Do people know that the family was occupying illegally an area of 1500 m2, which most of us can’t afford to own, and that they had constructed rooms and let them out, in a property which was not their own, and where a demolition order had earlier been given sixteen years back? Hasn’t a political party also similarly benefitted from wrong publicity by posing as pro-Goans, whereas their true colours have now been exposed?
I recall that another video was being circulated, weeks back, calling for donations for a family, which, according to reliable information, didn’t want to work and had a grown up son who was an idler.
Our intentions are good, but we need to be more circumspect while promoting/publicizing wrong people, especially in social media, as deserving people could be deprived of help, if such disinformation is encouraged.
