Team Herald
Guirim: A well-known historian and teacher and many students taught the Goa government a lesson or two about people power and the strength of protest. They led a unique and forceful ‘chipko satyagraha’ movement on the Mapusa-Guirim stretch of the highway, enveloped by magnificent coconut trees, to demand that the coconut tree be restored to earlier status of tree, to prevent its uncontrolled felling by industrialists and builders for their projects.
Protestors, led by historian, heritage activist and teacher Professor Prajal Sakhardande, many students and young people, backed by several NGOs and independent minded anti-government MLAs, blocked one end of the highway from Porvorim to Mapusa at the Guirim stretch, shouted slogans and raised placards, with slogans like “I’m a tree, please don’t kill me” and “I don’t have branches but I’m a tree”.
Protestors demanded a withdrawal of the amendment to the Trees Act of 2008, which included the coconut tree under the classification of trees, would be dropped to restore it to its original status of a “palm” or “grass”.
With both sides of the highway blocked and with the agitators refusing to budge, the police summoned Bardez Deputy Collector Pundalik Khorjuvekar.
Khorjuvekar assured the protestors that he would convey their feelings to the government and requested them to clear the road, following which the protestors stopped their agitation.
The groups consisted the Goa Heritage Forum, Goa Heritage Action Group, the History Forum, Goa For Giving and Goa Movement for Special Status, while politicians included Porvorim MLA Rohan Khaunte, Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai, Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco and Bicholim MLA Narendra Sawal, and NCP spokesperson Trajano D’Mello.
Sakhardande stated that the government has already cut six coconut trees at Guirim and wants to cut around 800 trees at Sanguem to allow Vani Agro to set up a beer factory. He added that the protestors would continue their agitation until the government drops the idea of amending the Trees Act 1984.
Later, addressing the media, Khaunte stated that the BJP government is out to destroy the environment. He said that the government’s move to declassify the coconut is “nonsense” and that the protestors would not allow the government to proceed with the same.
Lourenco claimed that the government is hand-in-glove with the builder and corporate lobbies, which is why it wants to amend the law and permit easy cutting of coconut trees.
The issue then moved to the assembly as Sardesai, Lourenco, Sawal and Khaunte asked for a discussion under rule 64 on the declassification of coconut as a tree.
#Chipko movement uploads on Facebook, Twitter
Social media spreads coconut hugging movement like wild fire
Team Herald
PANJIM: The protests were on the streets, but the buzz quickly spread on social media platforms as Goans, both young and young at heart, took to Facebook and Twitter to support the protestors and castigate
the government.
Social media platforms were abuzz with real-time posts and pictures of the movement as the traffic on the Porvorim-Mapusa Highway came to a halt. Here is a selection of Facebook posts to give readers a feel for real responses. This belies the Environment Minister Rajendra Arlekar’s claim that the protests were political.
Luis De Sequeira Nazareth: The Rasta Rokho drew crowds like a magnet. Speeches by the MLAs, Prajal (Sakhardande), Kapil (Korgaonkar), Armando (Gonsalves), etc highlighted the fact that in Tiracol, they are after the Caju (cashew) trees, in Bicholim and elsewhere after the coconut trees, in Vaxim after the mangroves and everywhere after the rice fields!!!! The very facet of Goan traditions and the tapestry of Goan life are being attacked. No Xit Koddy, No Goan sweets, No flora. And without the trees and mangroves, no fauna will be left. Our descendants will have to be taught via pictures in books to understand that once we had fruits called cajus, coconuts, birds called bokkem, etc., etc. !!!!!!! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!”
Nirmal Kulkarni: In support of the humble ‘coconut tree’ whose existence now looks threatened. What would a Goan landscape mean without its key component? A free to cut and clear law will irreversibly damage Goa’s ecological and cultural landscape like never before. Hope better sense prevails.
Dayanand Koushik: I guess those who own coconut trees should start worshipping them right earnestly with all the possible rituals making it amply clear that they are SACRED !!!….If possible have MASS PRAYERS with trees identified for different families, groups etc….whichever way !!!….This will have two effects….1. It will desist anyone from cutting something which is being worshipped…..and 2. Teach people the value of Trees…..
Diogo Fichardo: Trees that add beauty to our Goa, coconut tree is no exception. We need to save our trees. Enough is Enough down with the “builder pimps” who run the state of Goa.
John Mendonca: Sanity has been lost totally with the present Goa govt. Just cannot comprehend the logic of turning coconut tree into grass. Even the kindergarten kids are dumbfounded to hear this bizarre logic. It’s time all Goans come on to the streets to do justice to this insane coconut tree turned grass philosophy.
Jose Vincent Gomes: The stupidity of the BJP Government never ceases to amuse me. ….Here is another case of their stupidity wherein they classify the coconut tree as grass. Seriously, what was the BJP Govt thinking?
Vishwas Prabhudesai: We have plenty of coconut trees but never cut them unless they are a real threat to human life…So did almost everybody in the village. The real issue is selling Goa and unfortunately this powerful lobby has spread in all political parties and could be funding elections too? One wonders if anybody could stop this sale of Goa?
Arlekar defends coconut tree reclassification
Team Herald
PANJIM: Goa government said the amendment to the Act will not disturb plantations in the State even though activists and some MLAs protested against the State government’s reclassification of the coconut tree.
“The protests are only by activists, the common people are convinced and agree with our stand. Some people are trying to get political mileage from the issue,” Environment and Forest Minister Rajendra Arlekar said.
Arlekar said the Congress government, in 2008, had included coconut tree under Section 1 (A) of the Act which had classified it as a tree. “Now we are going to amend the Act and put it into section 12 (A),” he said.
Arlekar further stated the amendment has been brought about to give relief to the poor people and not to help the builders or is in their interest. Arlekar said that if need be the government will bring legislation on par with Kenya and Philippines to protect the coconut tree.
Arlekar said, “For Goans, coconut tree is a tree and nobody wants to cut it.”
He added that “when the Goa, Daman and Diu Tree Protection Act was brought into force by the then government there were 38 lakh coconut trees whereas at present there are 47 lakh coconut trees, a rise of 20 per cent.”
A section of the people, led by historian Prajal Sakhardande, held a token protest against the government’s move on Monday. The agitators have threatened a ‘chipko’ satyagraha movement to save the coconut tree in the State.
Claiming the protest is political, Arlekar said that with this amendment the common people will get relief as the tree will now be categorised under Section 12 (A) where the tree could be cut down with permission if it is declared dangerous.
However, Arlekar also said that in past 296 permissions were given by the government to cut coconut trees. Arlekar’s statement contradicts the earlier statement that the bill will give relief to the common people.
When asked by the reporters, Arlekar also said that after this bill, coconut trees in private property can be cut without permission.
