Goodness interred with (tiger) bones The efforts to save Goa must supplement with viable economic alternatives in the mining belt, says Dr OSCAR REBELLO
Rajendra Kerkar is simply a phenomenon of simplicity. Meet him once and he stays with you forever. Firm in his convictions; High on ideals; and passionate about the environment this is Mr Courage himself. I had the opportunity of interacting with him in Oman at the Global Goan Convention. His electric talk on Goa's Mhadei basin and the eco hot spots he so relentlessly strives to preserve enthralled the entire audience and had us spell bound. "Goa, at its very inception, had no Ram, Allah, Christ as her Gods -- those came much later, he says. Peruse her age old folk songs, her folklore and you'll learn that all these songs rise in prayer,in honour of Mother earth and her bounty. Goa's true religion is her environment," he claimed. "To the extent," he asserted in a lighter vein,tongue firmly in cheek "even in present times our three recent Chief Ministers Parrikar, Rane and Kamat have revolved around, worshipped and deified a natural fruit -- Monseratte -- a mango." Touche. Generations of Goans will have to be eternally grateful to guys like Rajendra, Ramesh Gauns, Claude, Seby, Nandkumar Kamat and a host of other unsung heroes, who are struggling to protect our rivers, our forests and our wild life. And then, the dirty cowards try to shoot the messenger. The conservator of forests, Mr Shashi Kumar tries to put Kerkar in the dock, accusing him to be an abettor in the tiger poaching case, only because he spilled the beans on the culprits. Who was Rajendra Kerkar's secret source, then? Who was deep throat? Who was the leaking sieve? Let's give Mr Shashi Kumar the answer -- "We,the people of Goa, were his sources." He did it for all of us and the unborn kids of this land. Does that suit you? Now, go ahead you know your answer. Come, get all of us. On the other side of this divide are our mining lobby, of course, smacking their lips and lazily yawning, eyes alert, waiting for the next kill in case Kerkar falls. Blessed by the Patron Saint of Mines, from Margao, illegal miners will have a field day ravaging the earth, disemboweling it mercilessly in our deep jungles if not for the valiant efforts of Kerkar, Claude & Co. The commonest argument you get, from the pro-mining lobby when you bump into them at cocktail parties, is that all environmentalists are a bunch of frauds only engaging in extortion of a perfectly legal business which is providing employment to thousands and increasing taxes for the state. Green is mean -- they say. So to play Devil's Advocate, let us buy our beatific mining lobby / government's argument that Greens are impediments to the state's giant economic march or whatever. Let us assume all greens are evil. How does all that change the visible and monumental carnage happening on Goa's eastern belt? It is a fact that mining takes place in reserved forests. It is a fact that people in mine affected areas suffer from severe respiratory ailments. It is a fact that rivers Kushavati, Valvanti are choked with silt and refuse to breathe. It is a fact that traditional farming is obliterated as a profession in these areas. It is a fact that mines may pay off for private profits but it is a heavy price that the public has to endure. These are facts that are indisputable and we need solutions. The solutions to these problems must come from the mining lobby itself who are fortunate to have made obscene profits at Goa's cost. True, many have donated handsomely to charity and to social causes: to temples and educational outfits but those times have changed. With Gen Next looking to head family-run mining businesses, we need this generation to focus on the environment. All corporate social responsibility efforts must be targeted to cleaning the crap your businesses are leaving behind. Forget the Gods and the art galleries for now, we need a Herculean, titanic struggle to clean our rivers, reforest denuded areas; invest in farming/horticulture and replenish the earth. These efforts must be visible, palpable and sustainable and illegal miners must be sent packing pronto and with God speed. We will need to look for viable economic alternatives in the mining ravaged belt. So, the story of Kerkar then, must be told, repeated, and reaffirmed ad nauseum, in schools and colleges; at festivals and cocktail parties. The story of one man's sterling courage and conviction,who put his all on the line, for us Goans and asked nothing in return. CHANGING HINDUTVA? I do not know whether it is a sincere change of heart (or guard) but have you noticed how post May 2009 General Elections the BJP our principal opposition party has been making all the right noises? Consider this; in the Mumbai v/s Bihari / UP battle, the BJP rubbished the Sena-MNS line and pitched for Bharat? In the Khan v/s Bal T war of words, the BJP squarely backed SRK and even Modi ensured a smooth release of MNIK in Gujarat? In Karnataka, Pramod Muthalik and his Ram Sene are being taken head on by Yedduvappa though churches/ mosques continue to get vandalised?The Sanatan antics in Goa were however met with a wishy-washy response here. For millennia on end, Hinduism has been the most accommodating of religions. The Sangh Parivar tried to change history, by converting all Hindus to Hindutvawadis, with their chest thumping,belligerent brand of cultural nationalism. If the current trend in the BJP is sincere and for the long haul, can we say, that the Hindutvawadis have been converted to Hindus -- rational, peace loving and all encompassing as they have always been? Or are we clutching at straws? ECO-SENSITIVE ZONES The GBA is to launch an agitation to protect the Eco Sensitive zones and see that the real estate-mining lobby adopt a no touch policy to these designated zones to preserve the eco-sensitive zones (ESZ) as envisaged in the Draft of the Regional Plan for 2021. I still recall, in the task force meetings when all the eminent members had proposed and accepted wholeheartedly the concept of ESZ and the Town and Country Planning Minister (also fondly called the CM) had assured us that the ESZs were like the Holy Grail -- sacred, inviolable and strictly to be implemented. He used to say all this in a solemn, grave tone with earnestness only he could muster. Apparently, he wasn't telling the whole truth. Clearly, another hood winking trick by Houdini himself. The aam admi/aurat are back on the streets and the challenge is on. The GBA also plans to launch another agitation to control and rein in their OSZ's Over Sensitive Zombies beginning with their much reviled Ex-Convenor. Poor dear Sabina Martins. It's easier dealing with rapists, molesters, wife beaters and other men she hates than this.