It is one of the most shocking and heartbreaking developments, somehow kept under wraps. While one can take a lot of pride in the building of temples, monuments, and other structures, the ancient homes, properties, and fields of Goans are being literally stolen through criminal guile and illegal deftness.
In some cases, their properties are not theirs in a flash, “transferred” by their late ancestors after their deaths through downright forgery and manipulation. People’s inheritance is being stolen, their security taken away, and the foundation of their lives destroyed.
Their lives are a disaster. Can any state or people have any pride when their people are facing disaster due to outright criminal activity, with the state not doing anything as a saviour?
Perhaps the CM is unaware, or not briefed completely. One is positive that he knows the full facts, he will intervene. Because a sensitive CM will realise the extent to which Goans are being affected and their lives destroyed.
Some Goans may have settled abroad and are come to terms with the shocking reality that their roots have been buried as their properties have been “sold” to others and still others; and villas and homes and housing projects coming up on their land, with not a penny to them.
Our CM must prioritize and intervene to stop this criminality, above everything else.
With so many people across so many places in Goa reporting the same incidents of being cheated of their land and property, mainly in Bardez, the least he can do in properties under investigation, is to put a stop to any further construction, transfer, or any related paperwork of any sort till a fast racked investigation and inquiry is completed in four weeks.
Secondly, as we have seen it is broadly the same set of people, who are involved in the fraudulent transfers. They are sitting on a large bank of properties and transferring them to new buyers. Investigations and arrest of these goons must happen.
Yes, we are concerned about the destruction of structures of places of faith. The CM, one is sure will be similarly concerned when faith in humanity is being destroyed.
Each day we are hearing how bulldozers are razing properties illegally taken away from Goans. People come back home from abroad to see bouncers sitting in their properties and they are told to get out.
Moreover, the land grabbers (who are not just the ones who are forging sale deeds but the entire system that assists them) don’t care about the law and whether it will catch up with them. When FIRs are filed, they are not registered for months, when complaints are made to the registrar and other authorities, the victims are asked to go to court’.
Look at the insensitivity. Here is a family that has lost everything, and the system tells them to go to court and spend money on litigation in the hope of getting back their precious land when there has been a clear-cut theft and loot.
So many Goans have lost everything. Where do they go? Can we ask them to go and reside in rebuilt structures of faith? For them, their homes are their temples, their pride, and that has been destroyed. These have to be rebuilt too
Yes, it needs courage to fight. But it also needs time and resources and the ability to hold on. Many of those who have been looted are aged or aging. They need to spend more time on doctors’ visits and health checkups than running to lawyers and attending court hearings. This is not what their sunset years are meant for.
And who do they look at for protection? They look at the state. And when the state turns against them, it is almost like your own bodyguards pointing a gun at you, (in this case bulldozers)
Every brick that they see in new villas and projects coming up on land stolen from them, is moist with their tears, every field grabbed is laden with the debris of their crushed dreams. This is not just a story of crime and no punishment but of letting down your people and hurting them where it hurts them the most- their pride and dignity.
Goans cannot allow this and will do everything in their power to stop this cruelty that can come and knock on anyone’s door.
The Goa Home Minister who is the Chief Minister must save the homes of Goans from downright goons.
