SANTA CRUZ: In a defiant show of grassroots resist ance, a wave of Chimbel residents laid siege to the private residences of their local representatives — St Cruz MLA Rudolf Fernandes and later Zilla Panchayat member Gauri Kamat — demanding the absolute scrapping of the controver sial Unity Mall project. The protesters on Sunday danced and raised slogans against the government and the local MLA, seeking a clear stand on whether he supported their opposition to the project. The villagers also chanted slogans such as “Yo yo begin yo, rudrap pa begin yo.” As the demonstrators ad vanced towards the MLA’s residence, they broke through a police cordon, leading to a brief confron tation with police person nel deployed at the spot. The protesters insisted on meeting their MLA to con vey their concerns directly. Questioning the police action, Govind Shirodkar, chairman of the Chimbel Biodiversity Management Committee, said, “We have come to meet our MLA. Why are the police preventing us?” He asserted that there would be no compromise on the issue. “The wet land and the lake are our lifeline. The water of the lake flows through the bodies of all villagers. The Assembly session begins tomorrow, and a reply will have to be giv en on this issue,” he said. Ajay Kholkar, a local resident, alleged that the police were being used to stop villagers from meeting their elect ed representative. He warned that if their con cerns continued to be ig nored, residents would resist the MLA’s entry into Chimbel village. Villagers have been opposing the Unity Mall project, alleging that it would damage the frag ile ecosystem surround ing Toyyar Lake and place additional pres sure on local resources such as water and elec tricity. They have also raised concerns over an alleged lack of transpar ency in government pro cedures related to the project’s approvals. The residents have approached the courts challenging the permis sions granted for the project and have earli er announced plans to take out a mega protest march to the State As sembly on January 15 to intensify their agitation. The protest received support from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Newly-appointed AAP Goa State president Val miki Naik joined the agi tation soon after assum ing charge. Addressing the gath ering, Naik said, “We stand with the people of Chimbel. If the BJP wants to build a Unity Mall, let them build it in Sanquelim or Porvorim — on the land of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant or Tourism Minister Ro han Khaunte — not near our lake. Rohan Khaunte says no one uses Toyyar Lake. Does that mean the BJP will now destroy every lake and forest they claim is ‘unused’?”
Naik said, “This government is on a mission to destroy Goa’s land and forests. Elections are just a year away, and the people of Goa will unite to throw this BJP government out.” AAP Vice President Sunil Signapurkar accused the BJP government of misleading the public. “They are calling Chimbel villagers ‘fotting’, but it is the BJP that is misleading Goans. People are peacefully trying to protect their land, water bodies and environment. Instead of listening to citizens, the BJP is insulting them. This arrogance will cost them dearly,” he said. AAP leader Jack Sukhija said the project reflected the BJP’s misplaced priorities. “This Unity Mall is Modi’s project, and for the BJP, Modi is more important than the people of Goa. Goa’s environment, lakes and villages mean nothing to them. AAP will not allow Goa to be sacrificed for political symbolism,” he said. AAP Minority Cell Vice President SarfarazAnkalgai was also present during the march. The party reiterated that it would continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Chimbel and across Goa against what it termed destructive projects, and would oppose any attempt to harm the State’s natural heritage in the name of development. Responding to the protest, St Cruz MLA Rudolf Fernandes said that no one had approached him earlier regarding the issue. “So far, no one has come to meet me. Today, when they came, I asked five people to come for ward and speak. How can I go to the protest site when people are saying anything about me? Even today, I offered to speak to five of them, but they did not listen. The government should have taken the people into confi dence before approving the project,” he said. Reiterating his stand, Fernandes added, “I will do anything to protect Toyyar Lake — that is my stand. RGP leaders have become property deal ers, and I will expose them. Let the time come; I will reveal who is funding RGP.” Later in the day, the protestors marched to the residence of ChimbelZil laPanchayat member GauriKamat and confronted her, raising slogans against her as well. Responding to the agitation, Kamat said she would take up the issue with the Chief Minister and act as a bridge between the villagers and the government. “First of all, there is a need to understand from the govern ment what the project is all about. There is no point in sitting on a hunger strike. I will take the issue up with the Chief Minister,” she said. Ajay Kholkar said villagers had been on a hunger strike for the past 12 days and only wanted clarity on whether GauriKamat stood with them on the issue. The locals later also marched towards the residence of Chimbel Sar panch Sandesh Shirodkar and staged a protest. However the Sarpanch was not available to answer their queries.
