After facing a beating in 2017 Assembly election, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has further tough time to deal with the people from the mining belts. Nearly three lakh people, dependent on the mining industry directly or indirectly are clear that they have to teach lesson to the party that played with their sentiments and livelihood for last seven years. The mining rich belts are fighting for survival as their sole source of livelihood – the mining Industry, itself being struggling for its existence in the State, after being served as backbone of Goa’s economy post Liberation.
The anger against BJP is so much that the people in these mining areas have also decided why not to boycott the Lok Sabha polls in toto.
“People have already decided what they are going to do. I would not like to comment anything but those who played with our livelihood and sentiments will have to face the people wrath in the election. The political parties will now know the power of voter,” Goa Mining People’s Front (GMPF) president Puti Gaonkar said.
September 11, 2012 is tagged as ‘Black Day’ for the mining dependents, who had switched over to mining sector for higher earnings, giving away all other source of income like that of agriculture. Then Chief Minister Late Manohar Parrikar’s decision to put a temporary halt to the mining operations from September 11, 2012 onwards, was a major jolt, as the decision was later endorsed by the Supreme Court in October, that same year.
The then BJP-led government failed drastically to resume the iron ore activities, living lakhs of people from the talukas of Sattari, Bicholim, Ponda, Sanguem, Sanvordem, Quepem and Dharbandora, reeling under severe economic and social crisis. Though, the industry was partially kicked off in November 2016, it did not pick-up the pace. People were left with very limited business.
The frustrated people showed their resentment in the 2017 Assembly election, when BJP was reduced from 21 seats to 13 seats only. The party lost in Sanguem, Sanvordem, Ponda, Shiroda assembly constituencies, which are dominated by mining dependents, and was BJP’s bastion in 2012.
The history is set to repeat itself for BJP, this time for the Lok Sabha polls. BJP, ruling both in the State and Centre, failed to work out solution to recommence the mining industry, which was again placed under suspension by Supreme Court in February, 2018. Since, then, the saffron political outfit has been busy dashing out deadlines after deadlines with vague promises and assurances.
A round in the mining areas, from North to South, makes picture clear as BJP will have to literally pull up their sleeves in convincing the voters, majority who have been their vote bank over the years.
BJP MLAs from mining belts- Chief Minister Pramod Sawant (Sanquelim), Nilesh Cabral (Curchorem) Deepak Pawaskar (Sanvordem), Pravin Zyante (Mayem), Rajesh Patnekar (Bicholim), will have some major task ahead of them while reaching out to people for votes.
Even though the ruling BJP claims to garner a major chunk of votes from North Goa’s mining hub, Sattari, Bicholim and Sanquelim, there is not all well for the party with the mining dependents likely to play a decisive role in the parliamentary elections.
Bicholim taluka has three constituencies including Bicholim, Mayem and Sanquelim, all ruled by BJP, and while Sattari has Valpoi and Poriem of which Poriem is Congress bastion.
“Since 2012 the state is hit by ban on mining and even though it resumed for some time in between it was soon stopped. This has led to major problem to the people who were dependent upon this mining activity.” the Bicholim Truck owner’s Association general secretary, Subhash Kinalkar said.
“If mining had to resume it would have been good for the state and even for BJP during the elections but now most of the mining dependents are likely to vote against the party” he said adding that “there is anger among the people. Shripad Naik had assured earlier that by October last year the mining would resume in the state but he was not able to keep up his promise and people have not forgotten this.”
Mining ban not only affected the people directly employed with the mining company but also those who carried out business activities in the areas including small hotels and shops. However, BJP seem to have already taken a step further in diverting the minds of the mining dependents by giving a new Chief Minister from the mining belt. When Herald spoke to some of the people from mining belt their stand had now been softened towards BJP. There was a time when they were openly talking about voting against the party but after the announcement of the new CM their mood has changed and seem to be reluctant to express their opinion directly against the party.
“We have hopes that now that there would be some solution to the problem as we have a new CM who is from the mining belt and even he knows what we are undergoing. So we demand with the CM to resolve this issue before the election” Secretary of the Sesa Workers Association, Kishore Lokre said, while declining to comment over whether they would vote against BJP.
“We will take a decision after our meeting with GMPF and whatever decision we take would surly affect the government as about 10 constituencies are affected by mining” Sesa Workers Association president, Kishore Karbotkar said, adding “We have new CM who happens to be from mining belt and so we have hopes that he would resolve the issue” Karbotkar told.
Further in North, people from Sattari Mining Belt especially from Pissurlem Panchayat, Bhirondem and Honda have expressed their anguish against BJP. Here not just mining, but dependents of other ancillary activities are facing the heat. The market areas of Pissurlem, Sankhalim, Honda, have wore deserted look.
“What is the point in voting for BJP? We voted for them in 2012 and again in 2017, what did they do for us? Nothing. So why not either not to go and vote or look for other alternative,” Rajesh Naik, a local hotelier reacted.
On the other hand, the North Goa Truck Owners Association (NGTOA) is yet to take a call on the elections. They will soon be holding a meeting and decide whether or not to go with BJP.
NGTOA president Suresh Desai said that he cannot dictate terms to anyone of his members as they are qualified enough to understand what is good.
As per government information, the closer of mining industry had led to loss of around Rs 3000 crore revenue to the State exchequers. Spread prominently across North and South district, the closer of the industry caused unrest along the belts. Being clueless as whether the industry would ever resume, the people, who have been associated with mining for years now, are feeling helpless having no other work experience to feed their families.
In Ponda, while there is clear resentment against BJP, some section also plans to boycott the polls as part of protest. More so, the mining dependents have even warned politicians not even step into their villages for campaign or else will have to face the consequences.
Dharbandora and Usgao- the mining hubs of Ponda, are in lurch with no other income generating source for them. The dependents here are furious as despite a year long struggle, it paid no fruits. Mining dependent Ramakant Gaonkar said that despite BJP government at State and Centre it could not do anything for us to restart and provide us employment. “It assured us to bring amendment to MMDR Act but failed. Further, it neither brought Corporation nor gave leases to restart mining. The politicians have cheated us and this would impact on voting in LS polls,” he said.
“We even led an agitation to Delhi but neither PM nor Mines Minister showed sympathy towards us and came to meet us. Hence, there is no doubt that mining dependents will vote against BJP,” said another dependent Jeetendra Naik.
Pratap Desai and some mining dependent feels that since Government failed to solve mining issue the mining dependent should boycott the polls to teach a lesson to the Government. Political parties remained busy in making politics of the mining closure issue and that there is no need to keep faith on these politicians, who promises false assurances to garner our votes, they said.
Apart from restarting the activities, the people are complaining also about the lack of development in their areas. They said that despite earning revenue over Rs 1500 crore annually, Government did nothing for the development of the mining rich areas. Neither it encouraged industrial estates or provided fully equipped hospitals, educational institutions, or any other source of employment.
“You show us one option of employment before us that government has created. Forget about giving us jobs in government sector, but what have they done in private sector,” Gajanan Naik said.
Down in South in Curchorem, Sanvordem and Quepem the situation is same. People here has only question to ask as when will mining resume? When will they get monthly income? Here they are not bothered about polls as they feel it is not going to solve their problems.
