Calling tiatr the most effective cultural weapon to awaken public conscience, noted envi ronmentalist Dr Claude Alvares urged members of the tiatr fraternity to ac tively take up the 10-point charter of demands draft ed by retired Allahabad High Court Chief Justice Ferdino Rebello and carry it to every corner of Goa. Interacting with tiatrists at a programme organised by the Brian Box Institute in association with social activist Anthony D’Silva at the Waterfront, Assol na, Alvares said Goa stood at a critical juncture and warned that continued public apathy would lead to irreversible destruction of the State’s natural and cultural heritage. “Goan society is in deep slumber. History shows that people wake up only when there is fire,” Alva res said, adding that tra ditional protest methods had failed to reach large sections of society. “Tiatr has always been the voice of the common people. It can stir emotions, spread awareness and mobilise citizens in a way no other medium can.” Alvares expressed dis appointment over the lack of institutional support for citizens’ movements, alleging that even Goan civil servants and IAS of ficers had failed to stand with the people. In such a situation, he said, public mobilisation had become unavoidable. Referring to the recent public gathering on Janu ary 6 at Menezes Braganza Hall, Panjim, he said the turnout reflected grow ing public anger over un checked development. Warning that Goa was heading towards an eco logical collapse, Alvares said unchecked real estate expansion and policy fail ures would destroy hills, rivers and farmlands. “If we do not act now, Goa will meet the same fate as places like Vasai. There will be nothing left for fu ture generations,” he cau tioned. Describing the pres ent Assembly in scathing terms, Alvares claimed that a majority of MLAs were aligned with real estate interests rather than public welfare. He urged tiatrists to weave Justice Rebello’s 10-point demands into their per formances and begin pre paring issue-based and election-oriented scripts ahead of the 2027 Assem bly polls. Veteran tiatrist Tomaz inho Cardozo highlighted the historical role played by tiatr in shaping public opinion, especially in the post-Liberation era. He said tiatr had earlier helped protect Goa’s iden tity and could once again become a catalyst for change. Cardozo appealed to tiatrists to create songs and plays rooted in Goan concerns to build aware ness and galvanise people to safeguard Goa from further degradation.
Use tiatr to awaken Goa, urges environmentalist
