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BY THE TIME we reached the Salmona temple, it was nearly 8 pm. There was a crowd and the speeches were on. If you have a persistent question-asking four-year-old with you, it's best to stand at a distance.... After getting our groundwater stolen in vast quantites from many points in the village (including just near the MLA's home), and garbage from the heavy waste-generating tourism belt dumped alongside the local hillock, this is the third battle-over-nature that Saligao is now seeing. Some wise guys have come up with the idea of 'developing' part of the area around the Salmona spring (locals call it the 'fountain'). They claim to have got the forest officials' permission to fell trees in this wooded, cool and green area. But this claim has already been questioned. For a change, villagers cutting across religious lines were out to make their views felt. There was a little bit of intrigue at Tuesday night's meet. The lights mysteriously went off for awhile; was that just another of our usual power failures? The local panch could not make a speech due to a throat-problem. Later, villagers said the meeting had gone on till 9.30 pm. Young environmentalist friends from nearby -- Sandeep Azrencar, Harvey D'Souza and Nirmal Kulkarni -- among others, were there to voice their support. On Wednesday morning, 11 am, the minister is expected to visit the site. --FN
