TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
MARGAO: Former Public Works Department Minister, Churchill Alemao is back with his anti-Mopa movement. At a meeting held here on Saturday to oppose the Mopa airport Alemao resolved to constitute a committee under his leadership to fight to retain Dabolim as Goa’s only civilian airport.
The meeting further resolved that newly-appointed Congress General Secretary Luizinho Faleiro should prove his love for Goa by prevailing upon his party high command to meet the aspirations of the people of Goa by maintaining Dabolim as the sole airport for Goa. It was further resolved that all those genuinely interested in fighting to retain Dabolim airport as the sole airport, should work together for the cause.
Some of the speakers gave an open call to the people to rally behind the former PWD minister to take the anti-Mopa battle to its logical conclusion.
Alemao said his decision to take up the anti-Mopa movement is not with an eye on the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. “I have been fighting against Mopa airport since day one. People will decide my political future”, he added.
Cautioning the people that Dabolim will be shut down once Mopa becomes a reality, Churchill said the Mopa airport will only benefit Maharashtra. “Two airports will never be feasible in Goa. Navy will lay claim on Dabolim after Mopa becomes operational”, he said, demanding acquisition of land owned by the Birlas for Dabolim expansion.
Saying that Chief Minister, Manohar Parrikar has named the District Collectorate after Matanhy Saldanha with an ulterior motive to keep the minority community in good humour, Churchill wondered why the government did not deem it fit to recognise Jack Sequeira role in protecting Goa’s identity.
In his address, Advocate Radharao Gracias said that Congress general secretary Luizinho Faleiro should work for scrapping of the Mopa airport given his close association with Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. “Today, Luiznho has become a powerful person in the Congress. He always says that he loves Goa and Goans. Moreover, the Mopa airport was proposed during Congress rule. Luizinho should convince his party leaders in Delhi to scrap Mopa”, he added.
He said all people, including priests, should come under one platform to oppose Mopa. “Fr Eremito Rebello cannot keep the politicians out. This is a political issue and all people, including politicians, should come together to fight the battle, he said.
In his address, Advocate Anacleto Viegas said people of Goa would boot out the Parrikar government and defeat the BJP candidates in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls if the government does not scrap Mopa. Demanding to know the government’s rationale to name the South Goa district collectorate after Matanhy Saldanha, Anacleto said the government should have named Dabolim airport after Matanhy for his sustained fight to retain the airport.
Advocate Mike Mehta said that it was Churchill Alemao who first launched the anti-Mopa movement and obtained central funds for Dabolim’s expansion. “During our meeting with Union Minister P Chidambaram, I had told him that Mopa would only benefit Maharashtra since the airport is proposed to be situated right on Goa’s border”, he said, adding “the whole game plan is to take tourists to Maharashtra in the name of Goa. Mopa would destroy Goa and its tourism”.
Fr Erodiano Fernandes called upon the people to join hands to take the battle against Mopa to its logical conclusion, while noted tiatrist Ben Evangelisto said the chief minister is out to destroy South Goa and its tourism by pursuing Mopa.
Amongst others who spoke were Raul Pereira, Simon Fernandes, Mahesh Nayak, and Teofolio Almeida.
