Alfred Fernandes
SANGUEM: Even after two months of the demolition of the residential house by the mining company, an aged widow and her son continue to remain in an open tent with no relief coming on their way from any sources.
The aged widow Kesar Gaonkar and her son Dinesh Gaonkar, residents of Collomb Rivona in Sanguem Taluka, who lost a legal battle with a mining company, got their 75-year-old house demolished by the mining company following a court order.
The irony is that Kesar has been staying in the house constructed by them which is by the side of the road and which in no way comes in the operation. Yet the mining company went ahead with the demolition process two months back after the court found Kesar to have illegally encroached on the land which earlier belonged to a local landlord but was subsequently purchased by the mining company.
The mines are over a kilometre away from the demolished structure. However, notwithstanding the fact that the house is in no way affecting the operation of the mines, the mining company, which could have well saved the house occupied by Kesar on humanitarian grounds, demolished the structure forcing Gaonkar family to stay in open.
Since the demolition of the house, Kesar and her son are staying in an open tent by the side of their paddy field by putting a tarpaulin sheet on a branch of a jackfruit tree.
However, with monsoon drawing closer, Kesar and her son are now wondering of the hard days that lie in store for them once the monsoon sets in.
With no help coming in any way and with no financial background whatsoever, Kesar and her son at the moment are only pondering to construct a temporary hut of thatched leaves by the side of their field to protect them from monsoon.
Kesar, though old, has still not left hope and waits for help to come on her way sooner than later. Though Kesar could have moved elsewhere, what holds her back to stay in the open are her paddy fields and agricultural plantation.
If moved elsewhere even for a day would mean total devastation of the paddy fields and the agricultural plantation, informed Kesar. “Wild boars and pigs wait for every opportunity to enter the paddy fields, even during the day time and this deters me from moving elsewhere,” claimed Kesar. “With no other source of income except that from cultivation of paddy field and other crops, I have no other option but to continue to stay in the open,” informed Kesar in a choked voice. The only solace to the aged widow is, however, the help rendered by her son who is in late twenties who supports his mother in all ways.
Kesar has also pinned hopes in the Sanguem MLA Mr Prasad Gaonkar in helping her out from the present imbroglio with the mining company. Gaonkar is reported to have assured Kesar of meeting the company officials but till date nothing has come out.
