On November 20 we organized an overnight fishing-cum-picnic trip to one of the islands off the shores of Vasco, it was a annual, well and truly anticipated ritual for us for the past many years, as this is the best time for fishing. Fish catch has certainly dwindled over the years in most parts of coastal Goa, but those Island are still very fertile grounds for fishing especially shallow water stick fishing. We had hired a medium size motorized boat and all 18 of us, diehard fishing fanatics just couldn’t wait to start.
We left our shores at 6.15 am that day and arrived at the Island at 8.30 am, some who were ready soon spread around the Island and started fishing as soon as our things were offloaded from the boat and the boat left for Vasco to get ice and fresh bait (sardines and squids). I and a couple of others were still getting our sticks ready for fishing when we heard the loud blaring of a speed boat horn. We immediately knew something was amiss, it was not even 15 minutes since we had got ashore. A Navy patrol boat made its way to the Island signaling to us to leave the Island, we asked why and they pointed to the newly placed board that said ‘Defence land trespassers will be prosecuted’. After all these years of overnights at the Island we came across this board on Goan land that literary says “buzz off Goans”.
My first visit to this Island was in 1984, with the magnificent panoramic 360 degrees view bowling me over and the exciting catch of fish that evening just floored me to no end. It was a remarkable first visit to this scenic Island and the memories are still very vivid even after all these years, we even sang the litany at the foot of the cross that evening, which is still there along with the ‘Tulsi’ a few meters away. The many visits after that haven’t lessened my appetite to visit this shore, unfortunately the vivid memories stood still in time as distortion and sadness took over my mind. I could not believe we Goans were not allowed our freedom on Goan soil. I was filled with a deep sense of disquiet; I asked myself are we still living in the pre-Liberation 1961 Salazar era or are we in the modern liberated Goa of the 2015 era? Are these Islands off the coast of Vasco, Goan Land? If so why are we deprived of visiting them by the Navy or the Defence or whatever? It is indeed a knee in our groin by the defence forces, as we Goans are treated like terrorists in our own land, these Island have nothing noteworthy on them at the moment that can be called ‘national security interests’. My question to all the Goan politicians, when, why and how were these Islands handed over to the Defence? How much more Goan land do we have to sacrifice before all of Goa is posted with “Defence Land Trespassers will be prosecuted” boards?
Our Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar and some of his men have made attempts to confuse, obfuscate and befuddle the public by claiming that the land at Naqueri-Betul for the DefExpo and Aero India show will not be handed over to the MoD permanently. Unfortunately RTI information shows otherwise. Are we Goans fools to believe that after all the massive investment on the airport, runway and other infrastructure, all of it will be just rolled up, folded, bundled, packed and placed in CM Parsekar’s backyard for future use? The way this Defexpo and Aero India shows issue has been handled, the entire cluster of the ruling BJP along with the whole bunch of bureaucrats involved are indeed guilty at best of collective ineptitude, and at worst of collective stupidity, as no one seems to know what’s actually going on.
We all know that controversies and cynicism are no deterrents to Parrikar’s forward march of arrogance or his blatant ‘U’ turns, for him they are just another prop on the cynical battlefield of politics.
As per the statement of A.K. Anthony in 2011, the then Defence Minister of India, nearly 137,00,000 sq mtrs of Goan land was under the occupation of the Indian defence forces and if we add the Islands, off the shores of Vasco it’s going to go many folds over and to make things worse he wants another 6,00,000 sq mtrs at Naqueri-Betul. Even as Goa is in its usual state of perennial chaos and our torrid tango with the land sharks continues all over, India’s defence forces are feathering their own nests. Dabolim has two football grounds and a golf course and yet the Navy does not want to release a part of it for parking. What more can one expect from our defence forces.
History tell us that the first movement of Goa’s liberation started form Cuncolim and Canaguinim is not far away, it is just 14 kms from Cuncolim and don’t be surprised if the second war of liberation starts from Canaguinim. Come what may we will oppose this project to the very end, and if push comes to shove, we are ready to face any consequences to protect our land. This time it will be a fight against our very own tyrannical Defence Minister.
(The author is the Spokesperson for Orixtt Porjecho Awaz -Opa)
