VASCO: Goenchea Ramponkarancho Ekvott (GRE) President Agnelo Rodrigues said the late Matanhy Saldanha was an active participant in the Goa Special Status movement because he believed a Special Status to Goa was needed to preserve its unique culture and identity. After his death Agnelo said, Goa moved from being a Green paradise to a concrete jungle. This, he said made it important for MLA Alina Saldanha his widow to fulfill her late husbands dream.
He was speaking to reporters after garlanding Matanhy Saldanha’s statue on the occasion of Saldanha’s 69 th birthday at Cansaulim Square along with other fishermen leaders on Tuesday.
“Matanhy biggest dream was that Goa should be granted special status because, he wanted to save the environment of Goa as concrete jungles were destroying this tiny but beautiful state. He also wanted poor people to be empowered but after his death things started ‘s empowerment however after his death things started moving in the opposite direction. If he was alive, Goa would have not faced such destruction from all the sides. We therefore demand that his wife (Cortalim MLA Alina Saldanha) take a stand and should fight to fulfill Matanhy’s dream of special status to Goa” Rodrigues.
Olencio Simoes, General Secretary GRE slammed the BJP government for betraying the trust of Matanhy.
“All of us know how selflessly Matanhy fought to protect the environment and interest of poor people in when he was in and out of power. Today we want to appeal to all 40 MLAs that even they should work on the same lines and should oppose destructive projects,” he said.
