http://oheraldo.in/comment/reply/10822
'Mopa will destroy Goa' BY HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, MARCH 9 — MP Churchill Alemao has said the proposed Mopa airport would revive the spectre of Vishal Gomantak (Greater Goa) promoted by Marathi protagonists which would wipe out the identity of Goa. "The Mopa airport would only strengthen the idea of Greater Goa which would merge all Konkani speaking areas into one State. This would destroy Goan identity," Alemao maintained while addressing a public meeting at Curtorim this evening. Saying that the Congress can easily win between 27-30 seats in the coming Assembly polls, Alemao wondered why the party leaders are digging their own grave by supporting the Mopa airport. "The Mopa airport would destroy the Congress in Goa," he said and reiterated his oft-repeated stand that he would go with the people if the Congress fails to scrap Mopa before the polls. Making an appeal to both Speaker Francisco Sardinha and Industries Minister, Luizinho Faleiro to admit their past mistakes and support the Dabolim airport, Alemao said "by supporting both Dabolim and Mopa, both Luizinho and Sardinha are supporting the stand of the BJP"., Save Dabolim Action Committee spokesman Radharao Gracias said that both Dabolim and Mopa cannot co-exist in Goa given the international rules on Aviation and criticised both Sardinha and Faleiro for misguiding the people on the issue. Congress leader Dr Wilfred Mesquita echoed similar sentiments saying that Mopa and Dabolim cannot exist, adding that the Union government will close down Dabolim with the commissioning of Mopa airport. In his address, Adv Mike Mehta made an open call to Sardinha to share the platform with Save Dabolim Action Committee and fight to retain Dabolim airport as Goa's lone international airpot. Mehta came down heavily on the Industries Minister for passing certain remarks on tiatrists, saying that tiatrists have always fought for the cause of Konkani langauge and Goan culture. -- TUMCHER AXIRVAD ASSUM; DEV BOREM KORUM. Gabe Menezes. London, England Comment: No stops for Churchill! he is pulling out the stops.
