As India and the world remember the tragedy of Bhopal 25 years ago and while the scars may never heal for the next 25 years, the villages of Corlim, Marcel and surrounding areas in Goa are just bidding their days when the swiss multi-national will spill the lethal poison into the air. A modest public meeting was organised today by a local group at Dulapi in Corlim to remember the victims of the Bhopal tragedy. What is very interesting is that people who lived in village for centuries are now being forced by police and CRPF into participating in mock drills on how to save their lives should there be a gas leak. Very strange indeed. The people were never told about the risks they would have to face if this industry was allowed to set shop, then as usual it was all about employment and economic progress something which continues to be done in the name of development even today. While religious and ethnic terrorism gets condemned, no one screams against corporate terrorism. I cannot forget the day I attended the public hearing by the Pollution Control Board for granting clearance for the extension of the Syngenta plant about a year ago. An educationist, who manages a school in Usgao, travels all the way to the public hearing at Old Goa just to support the extension of the plant on the grounds that he has visited the plant with his students and did not find any pollution. The cat was let out of the bag when this man expressed his gratefulness to syngenta for sponsoring some activities of the school. That this shameless intellectual got shouted down by the locals of the area is to be understood. Adding to the statistics of Goa's bankrupt intellectuals, who have become purchasable commodities for the economic exploiters, was a lecturer from St. Xavier's College, Mapusa who also came all the way to testify in favour of the industry. Even more shocking was the revelation that one of the environmental study report in favour of the industry was undertaken by a professor of Goa University, without doubt a migrant. Despite all objections the plant was given the environmental clearances. If all this does not amount to terrorism, then what is it? The question that remains to be answered on the 25th anniversary of Bhopal gas tragedy is, whether the villagers of Corlim must be evacuated in favour of Syngenta if a disaster strikes or should syngenta be ejected from Corlim before any disaster strikes the villages? Kick out Syngenta from Goa!
-Soter D'Souza
