As usual, the subject of garbage dominated the Gram Sabha on August 16. What follows is my frankly jaundiced view of the proceedings (this barb is aimed at my carpers like LV who will not usually write even a line or two of their own wisdom to us MN-ers in return for the bounties I offer them - bounties for which they can be hyper-critical (they do write then) but yet the carpers greedily consume my offerings so long as it is not aimed at them.)
This was the first ordinary Gram Sabha for new Sarpanch Santosh Chari and Secretary Bhiva Thakur and they both began by asking forgiveness in advance if any errors were made by them. This 'humble' approach is unwise as a public speaking strategy as it doesn't inspire much confidence in the audience. The minutes were read and since one point mentioned that Mrs VM was barred from the GS because she was not on the voter's list, JD said that since they were saucy to the goose they should be saucy to the gander gesticulating at a gent in front. So there was a clamor that this should be verified because as KPS said quite eloquently and sonorously, "Misrepresentation of the Representation of People's Act is a serious crime!" People scuttled around searching for the electoral roll, and we waited in suspense although the alleged culprit wasn't quite aware he was the the target. When he did realize that it was he who was being referred to the gent calmly opened his bag and took out his voters ID. If I got the name right he was Sq. Ldr. Mendes from Bambordem. He then said he wanted to know who had raised the objection and that was an awkward moment as nobody wanted to utter the name of JD. Someone said "Behind you" To which he growled, "Then I don't want to see her face." Most tittered, but quietly. There was some talk of some huge amounts being doled out by the government. So VD nudged me and said that the Ward Development Committee should be making a development plan. I got the cue and dutifully said that the WDC should be involved in making a plan. Then it was pointed out that all the members of the different Panchayat bodies should be so involved. I said that not a single meeting had been constituted of the WDC. Former Sarpanch OC thought I was attacking him and he got defensive and started saying that it is for the WDC to constitute meetings and I was member and should know this and that I didn't go for a training programme that had been held ferem ferem ferem. I told him that I couldn't take leave for such programs as my work is such that unless there is a substitute in place it can't be left pending. Then AM asked who were the members of the WDC. It transpired that they were Tony D'Sa - Chairman, Thomas Gama - Secretary and Eusebio D'Sa Treasurer none of whom were present. So basically the blame fell on Tony and Thomas and Eusebio and as everyone knows all three are close neighbors and supporters of OC ALTHOUGH I'D ADVISE OC THAT THESE ARE FALSE FRIENDS. With the blame falling upon these Attafondem worthies, I said why not we go ahead and decide to hold a meeting. The upshot was that a meeting was to be held asap. JD moved a resolution about Awareness regarding Set Top boxes by cable operators. The Secretary read the long letter so badly that I couldn't really figure out what this Resolution was all about except that she wished that the cable services that Moira gets becomes better. JD also moved a resolution regarding having an awareness programme regarding Prevention of Malaria other vector-borne diseases by various government bodies. KPS moved a resolution to see that government stops Child Labor and begging especially in Mapusa. He also moved a resoulution that the Panchayat have a Village Biodiversity committee as per the directive of the government. He gave a long speech saying that foxes and other species which were there in there in the past have disappeared; that species of bananas and chillies and onions of Moira are precious examples of biodiversity and that they should be documented and preserved; that the knowledge of oldies who are themselves repositories of biodiversity should be tapped before they expire. During KPS's bhashan, JM cattily remarked that a fox from Saligao should be imported. I responded equally cattily saying that I knew one fox named FN from Saligao but was not sure whether he would agree to relocate in Moira. I'm not sure whether JM or others who over-heard understood. OC said that such a Village Biodiversity committee has already been formed when he hadn't attended a GS. KPS was not fazed and said that more members could be brought in and got himself co-opted. Feeling alone he asked me to get in too and VD and JD too were co-opted while MD opted out. KPS moved a congratulatory motion to the former Sarpanch OC about a blind turn in Attafondem being fixed and said that he had done a lot of work in the ward. He mentioned someone who had voluntarily gifted his land for making the blind turn a bit better sighted. He didn't mention the name of the donor but I wouldn't be surprised if it was KPS himself. JD got up and hoped that the current Sarpanch SC would do as much for Bambordem ward which is his constituency. The Sarpanch stood up and said how much more he would work. OC got up to say that whatever he did in Attafondem was his efforts as a ward member and being Sarpanch had nothing to do with it. AM said better speed breakers were needed as also better signs. Sq. Ldr. Mendes said that there were no signs about speedbreakers, and where there were they were only placed at the spot of the speedbreaker. He described how his head hit the roof one night because he didn't see the speedbreaker. IC said he had approached HDFC for signages all over Moira and they had said that they would give him an answer in a month. PD brought up the garbage plant issue and after this it was garbage all the way. PD pointed out that when he was in the Panchayat 7 years ago he had got the Communidade of Moira to donate 300 sq.mts to build a garbage treatment plant and till today the plant was not a reality. He wanted the current status. Sarpanch SC stated that a staggering sum of Rs 17. 8 lakhs had to be deposited with Deputy Collector (or was it Dir of Panchayats) before the NOC came. Everyone was dumbfounded by this. So the issue was why did such money need to be given when the Communidade of Moira had given the land free. Former Sarpanch OC said that this was due to the new land acquisition laws. PD proposed that we should stop trying to depend on the Govt and that we should have a people's fund raising drive whereby the people themselves raised funds to pay for the garbage plant. People were a bit hesitant regarding putting their hands into their wallets and said we could approach the MLA and Min of Panchayats to a) get them to waive the amount given that the land was given free by the Communidade b) get them to give Govt. money to pay the amount of 17.8 lakhs for the land acquisition or c) get them to have the amount at previous land acquisition rates paid which would amount to Rs 1 lakh max. The consensus was that a delegation from the village should visit the MLA and make our point clear and failing that have a garbage committee meeting where he is an ex-officio member to attend. PD then opened a can of worms by saying that bins should be put in place to collect garbage. RV stood up to point out that segregation was the key. I stood up to say that I agreed with RV and that bins are a horror. I pointed to FL who had put in bins on the road leading to St Xavier's school and said that although I appreciate FL for the trouble he took I said - what a mess that had resulted in. I said segregation and door-to-door collection was the answer. KPS supported what I said but also started in philosophizing by blaming ourselves for creating garbage. FL then started his own philosophizing and blamed people from Bicholim and Valpoi coming and dumping their garbage in the dump he had created. I suggested that the Moira school be made a part of the garbage awareness programme. (I wanted to also say that we should approach other schools which have many of more moneyed Moira students like St Britto's St Mary's and the 2 St Thomas Schools to chip in but not knowing how to put this in a practical way I passed this.) My mild proposal however stirred up a hornet's nest. RV got up to say that Lion's Club of Aldona had developed a garbage plan involving the St Thomas Schools. He said that when these schools were approached the faculty said that it was not the job of students to go and handle garbage. FL (who I happen to know has for long has had problems with the Moira school which doesn't listen to his dicta) told a long story about how a 'buddi ka bal' seller had come to the school and his 'buddi ka bal' had been blown by the wind and the ground had become a snowfield and how he came and put all the 'buddi ka bal' into a bag and he took the bag to the staff room and fired the teachers and how the teachers listened and apologized but did nothing. I responded briefly by saying that the previous Vicar Fr Mariano was very proactive on garbage issues and I said that if we nicely approached the current Vicar who is the Principal of the school we could easily get funds for the school by showing our social commitment by doing such useful social work. And with the Principal's support the faculty would understand the problem. I think that the elite of Moira who send their children to English medium schools outside Moira should also be involved and if we have people who have a plan and a passion like IC then it is possible to get these people too to invest their children's energy in community affairs. This will also make those children more involved in the community and decrease their tendency to take the easy option of emigrating. I am digressing.
