SHWETA KAMAT
shweta@herald-goa.com
Shashikala Gurav, a lady in her 50s, was seen washing trucks which were fully enveloped with dust. Of the total three trucks she had, one was sold during financial crisis due to mining ban and the two were parked outside the house with uncertainty of getting into business looming large. Six member Gurav family, whose life was completely dependent on the transportation of ion iron ore untill September 2012, today eke out living transporting construction material engaging one truck.
With her pretty wrinkled face, Shashikala welcomes one who visits the Shirgao village in Bicholim taluka. Her husband, Gokuldas, is jobless, waiting endlessly for the day when mining company will assign a trip to his truck, which is left to rust with financial burden piling up every passing month.
The family of four voters has no hope left in any political parties-for them the elections will not solve their woes- it is the mining companies who has to take the initiative.
This is not the story of Gurav family alone but over hundreds of families living in Bicholim taluka, whose main source of livelihood was snatched when mining stopped.
Iron ore rich belts of Bicholim and Sankhali which were once buzzing with activity, seems impervious to the high-octane election campaign steered by BJP, Congress, AAP or MGP-GSM as people are more concerned about resumption of mining- the industry that saw major downfall post closer in 2012, with situations continue to be same even after lifting the one and half year long ban in April 2014.
“What are we going to get by voting? We voted in 2012 and in return earned ban on mining. We voted again in lok sabha (2014)…still no mining, no business….our life has not changed…” Gokuldas shot back, with anger writ large on his face.
“Election doesn’t seem to enthuse anyone. People will vote for those whom they feel like voting. Everyone has a question to ask ‘when will mines start’. No one is interested in politics. Can somebody sign and give us affidavit that mining will resume immediately and all will get business,” ask his 20-year old son Suresh, who will complete his graduation this academic year.
“I am not going to drive trucks even if mining starts tomorrow…there is no guarantee…i will do some private job and get earning,” he says.
The Shirgao mining run by Chowgule, though has started, it is operational at low scale. There is no much business for the people as Supreme Court has fixed annual production cap to 20 million tons, couple with low international market price and limited trips.
The long stretches of tarred roads in the mining belt of Bicholim and Sankhali talukas now wear a deserted look as people and vehicles hardly use them. “It’s simple, whoever starts my truck can get my vote. I am not going to fall prey to false promises now…enough is enough…we are been betrayed,” Mohandas Gawas, truck owner, said summing the mood among locals.
Gawas has two trucks and both are without any business. Currently, he is working as a site supervisor for a private firm in Bicholim itself. “My truck was running for Vedanta mining at Amona. Now with imposition of cap, company has cut down on the trucks and trip…so we have no business,” he explained.
Gawas scouted me around the village, where long queues of trucks parked along roadside, shops doing scarce business and people refusing to move out of their houses in scorching heat mirror the ground reality in this mining hotbed.
The story was similar in Pali, Velguem villages. In Amona village, the locals are upset as the Vedanta Resources, having its plant here, has engaged people of their choice, with no business for locals. Government failure to intervene and resolve their problem, has upset people.
In Sankhali, there is no difference, infact, here the situation more worst as no mining has started in this belt. Villagers have already taken up alternative means like agriculture, construction, private jobs and several in government jobs also.
“How long should we have waited for mining to resume? Can any party give us exact date when the mining will start in full swing and we will be given business?,” Kishor Sawant, questioned adding ‘in Lok Sabha elections, we came out in large number to vote for BJP but our plight is the same…no change”.
He explained how, many people had rented out their small rooms to the truck drivers, cleaners and others, who had settled here with their families, when the mining was at its peak. Today, these families have migrated back to their native places in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Zharkhand, etc.
A villager here says that as many as 6,000 truck owners and their family members who are up in arms against BJP for the ensuing elections. During the Lok Sabha election held in 2014, huge polling was held in the mining belts both in North and South. All the votes were pulled in favour of BJP.
However, this election, it does not seem BJP first choice nor did Congress. But this does not give hope for AAP as people here don’t want to trust an non established party and a non-Goan leader Arvind Kejriwal.
“We have seen what BJP and Congress done all these years. How can we take a risk by voting AAP, who was sleeping all this time, when we people were struggling and fighting for our livelihood? People have decided to distance themselves from elections. Then the political parties will know our importance,” Brijesh Gawas, a truck owner said.
The president of All Goa Truck Owners’ Association (AGTOA) Nilkhant Gawas said that with the cap of 20 million tonnes, mining firms have hired fewer trucks for transportation of ore and the business is not profitable. ”What has government did to solve our plight? How can they even think that people from mining belts will vote for them? We are been fooled enough,” he said.
