PONDA: Even as hundreds of people from Bhoma and other parts of Goa gathered to celebrate the two-day traditional ‘Kaalo’ festival, the villagers feared that the road-widening project proposed through the village would make it impossible for them to continue celebrating their traditional festival in the future.
Villagers said the government may provide them with houses for rehabilitation, but the highway expansion would permanently make it difficult to celebrate ‘Kaalo’ festival, which forms a very important part of their lives. Hence, they are committed to protect it.
“Government may now understand why the villagers are demanding a bypass. Our sentiments are attached with it. As part of the festival, a procession is taken out of Goddess Sateri and Shri Narayan Dev through the main road. This tradition has been going on for several centuries. Thousands of people gathered to witness it. Once the road is widened through the village, then the route taken by Goddess Sateri will be lost forever, which will endanger the ‘Kaalo’,” a local resident, Sanjay Naik said.
“However if the government is adamant to carry forward its expansion plans, the Bhomkars will stand in its way, fully committed to protect their rich culture at any cost.”
“We are emotionally strongly connected with our god and their festivals. We want this tradition to continue forever,” the villagers said.
The Bhomkars said that the construction of a stilt flyover for 2 km distance would be several times costly. Instead, the government should use the same money for bypass as it would incur very less cost.
