Heritage is always a positive legacy we inherit and hence it is of utmost importance to preserve the same for posterity. It is now the job of the CUSTODIAN which takes over Goa’s reins post-March 11, 2017 to preserve heritage and amalgamate it with modern day to make both inter-dependent on each other. This effort would also help in boosting heritage tourism a long way. It is also important so that we don’t have to depend on the negative sources of revenue by hurting Mother Nature to keep “fuelling” the state’s growth.
For the last 16 years, we at the Goa Heritage Action Group, have been fighting to preserve Goa’s historical, natural and cultural heritage. There have been several success stories and failures too. We have moved the court following litigations involving temples, the Regional Plan 2011 and now the ODP.
The Coconut tree petition is also in progress. We have been trying our best to save several monuments, historical sites through campaigns and a proactive heritage movement. The Heritage House Scheme needs to be revived to provide for the maintainence of Heritage houses. The Goa Biodiversity Board is helping out in heritage conservation. I appeal to each and every village to come forward and avail of this provision in the Goa Biodiversity Act 2002. Every village should fill the form and create a Biodiversity Management Committee in their respective villages and prepare a Biodiversity Register of the natural and historical heritage of the villages. I appeal to the youth and social environmental activists to come forward to save, preserve and protect the rich natural historical and cultural heritage of your village or town or city. It’s our bounden duty as citizens to preserve our natural cultural and historical heritage.
Abroad, they respect their history and heritage and preserve it meticulously. In India, we have such a varied heritage but lack of political will to preserve it. No other country can boast of such wonderful marvels of natural cultural and historical heritage as our country. Goa is blessed with a beauty which is unparalled. Garbage policing is a must in Goa. Fine the garbage offenders. The other day, I had taken my students of history to the Sachdeos memorial in Miramar. We found the place littered with garbage and there is no proper access to this historical monument.
We have written to the GTDC to look into the matter. The Chicalim caves need to be preserved and for several years we have been trying to save these ancient “pieces” of Goa’s antiquity.
In 2010, we had the State archaeology as well as the ASI to do the exploration . We wrote to Delhi office of the ASI . We had the gramsabha to pass a resolution and now have written to the Goa Biodiversity Board and received a favourable response which we conveyed to one of the members of the Chicalim committee Mr Rui Araujo. We have been able to successfully campaign to save Heritage forts caves street furnitures like the Tonca Pillars historic heritage temples churches chapels heritage houses and several historic heritage sites like gunpowder factory millstones, historic structures and so on as well as natural and cultural heritage all these years since 2000.
Every school should have a History – Heritage club.
Students should be taken on Heritage Walks Heritage trails like we do as part of our History – History Forum. Kushawati Heritage Trail Old Goa Heritage Walk, Miramar – Donapaula Tonca British cemetry Heritage Walk, Mhadei Heritage trail, Reis Magos fort heritage walk etc History and Heritage of Goa power point presentation , Heritage and History talks and many other aspects. Heritage preservation is the need of the hour. Let’s focus on promoting historical heritage tourism and let’s have heritage preservation as a compulsory subject in schools.
