MARGAO: Musical Warriors, the group which earlier conducted campaigns like ‘Save Tiracol Save Goa’ and ‘Save Carmona Save Goa’ has now come up with ‘Save Amarnath Save Goa’ campaign. The campaign is in support of Amarnath Naik of Tuem, whose land has been grabbed by the government for the Electronic City in the village after striking off his name from land records and imprisoning him when he dared to protest.
Musical Warriors have decided to open a third battlefront at the site of destruction at his house and over the destroyed orchards and next to the fallen trees on November 8.
Speaking to Herald, Sudeep Dalvi, the convenor of the musical group said, “The plight of the family is pathetic. The man himself is on the verge of breakup and I can tell for sure after observing him closely for quite long that he may contemplate something drastic once he gives up hope. Not much time is left eventually before the poor man gives up to fate.”
Dalvi explained that he, along with fellow musician Kennedy Afonso, had met Naik at his residence. “Everything he owns is about to be sacrificed at the altar of Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar’s Electronic City,” Dalvi added.
In a message to the chief minister Dalvi accused Parsekar of ruining Naik’s life. “His jobless state level kabaddi player son who used to sell home-grown jackfruit in Mapusa market (that’s what kabaddi champions in India are expected to do) is now running helter skelter with his father to advocates in pursuit of justice, as all his trees have been chopped by your (not his) government,” said Dalvi addressing the chief minister in an open letter.
“But let me inform you that we, the musicians of this equally hapless and disgusted State, have torn off the plan of retreat from the battlefield right now, and promise you that not one among us will allow you to see his back,” added Dalvi to Parsekar.
“We will sing out our throats and play our drums, violins and guitars for the fallen trees, for the gashed open breasts of mother earth, for the jackfruits rotting in dust, and for a gloomy looking lone house, for the hapless and disgusted farmer, our ‘Anna data’ who is on the verge of contemplating the end to the journey of his life.”
Afonso, who is also president of Goans for Goa, in a statement issued on Tuesday, demanded the immediate suspension of the Town and Country Planning officials, who have illegally changed the zoning of Naik’s land from agricultural to industrial.
“As per the Regional Plan (RP 2001), which was scrapped it was shown as agricultural land. On the RP 2021 it was gain demarcated as agricultural zone. If that was the case GFG demands to know who gave the orders to change the zones into industrial,” Afonso said.
GFG said this is a blatant misuse of power to bring pressure on TCP officials to change the zoning in order to have the Electronic city. “It is a highly illegal action of the TCP officials to change the zoning, when the RP 2021 is in abeyance, and clearly exposes the fact, that the current Regional Plan, which is in abeyance, is being altered to suit the needs of builders and politicians. In this case the finger directly points to the Chief Minister of Goa,” said Afonso.
GFG has demanded an immediate inquiry into the matter, and the suspension of the officials involved in this case. GFG has filed for documents under RTI so that a proper investigation is carried out in the case.
