A hotel tycoon wanted to build a tourist hotel at Tolto and he had filed a case against our village Panchayat. And the Panchayat had kept us in the dark about the case. (Referring to a case filed by against the Village Panchayat of Jua with the Additional Director of Panchayat)
Through the intersession of Our Lady of Boa Venture who is the Patron of the Tolto ward and also St. Stephen, the Patron of this village who guards this land, helped us to get our hands on this case, by which we came to know that these hotel tycoons have bribed the Panchayat to bring in their hotel project on the land, which we have been fighting to save for the last many years.
I have been chosen to save this earth for our children. There is Global warming. The earth is heating up. Water and vegetation are on the wane. This year, the monsoons started in July. We may face scarcity of water this year. We have money, but vegetable is scarce. Trees are diminishing and I see people dying in my village due to heat stroke, high blood pressure and diabetes. Hence, saving water, trees, land, should be considered to be true development. These are God’s gifts to us through which we have to sustain ourselves and grow. And not destroy them.
And then came the regional Plan. It was a plan for all the villages. It was then that it was brought to my knowledge that the rivers and water bodies in Vanxim would be reclaimed with mining rejects to make way for something called “Seventh Sense”. That is when I contested the elections. Before that I had decided to leave Goa because I had got a Westminster Scholarship for doctorate in Mass Communications. But my conscience would not allow me to leave Goa.
In case anything happens to me, I am telling William to feel free to disclose this message to the public. So my Goa as I see in my dream, is going to be the Goa of tourism through bodily pleasure. With the help of big money power, the builders and politicians will finish us. What is the meaning of Eco Tourism? It is to serve the village, to protect the fundamental rights, to increase the trees and plants and in cooperation with the public to protect this natural wealth. But this (developer of this massive tourism project), has never shown us what is there in the Regional Plan.
If we win this case then we will be victorious. For this we have to fight vigorously. But in case anything happens to me or to my family or to any Zuenkar who are with me, there may be an attempt on my life. Only the builders will kill me. People must rise up and try to finish builders and politicians because to kill me means killing Zuve and Goa and land. We are neither activists nor revolutionaries but we are people of love. We Zuvekars must fight, not withdraw and not rely on Panchayat which committed a big sin that will remain till eternity.
Everyone must stand firm as one unit because our enemy is within us. In our mission to protect our village, our ancestors Gods Ravalnath, St. Estevam, Our Lady and others will surely help us. I am not against anyone, not against church but if church commits a mistake I will raise my voice. I am not against government but it is not supporting us. This movement is started and it should be carried forward. There is no fear, with the help of God we will fight and you also must fight to keep our land safe for our children.
