From: b sabha <[email protected]>
From: Joseph Rebello <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> To: Jose Colaco <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> ----- Forwarded Message bcc'd to ten score and nine Goans who now have to deal with a difficult situation and probably contend with the death of peacocks, a bird, in the assessment list of nuisance ‘animals’ by a Goa meanister ----------- First it was the draconian law which the Goa assembly passed on January 14, to de-recognise the coconut palm as a tree. Now apparently according to Ramesh Tawadkar, the peacock, a bird, in the assessment list of nuisance ‘animals’; Goa’s state animal Gaur on list too after agriculturists complain about farms being affected by animals. Is GOAing to Bite the dust more like ...Fall to the ground, wounded or if you are a bird, you are dead bird in Goa by now ! Is a bird an animal? I keep having this argument with someone who says a bird is not an animal, it's a bird. It doesn't meet the definition of a mammal, so is it really in a class by itself guys ? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Celebrate A Coconut Tree-Themed Valentine's Day This Time IANSFeb 6, 2016, 06.50 PM IST FacebookTwitterGoogle+RedditLinkedin On Valentine's Day, celebrated universally on February 14, a charitable trust in Goa has invited people to make coconut trees their valentine, to innovatively protest against the state government's controversial decision to officially de-recognise the coconut palm as a tree. Armando Gonsalves, who is part of the Goa For Giving trust, told IANS that apart from celebrating the coconut tree for its multiple uses and its significance to Goa's cultural identity, a unique photo contest is being organised in which lovers and married couples were invited to hug coconut trees. "Valentine's Day is a befitting day to respond to this draconian law which the Goa assembly passed on January 14, to de-recognise the coconut palm as a tree. The 'Coconut Love Coconut Valentine' photo contest is just one of the initiatives we have planned for the day," Gonsalves said. The photo contest has three categories -- the first one for lovers who can post a photo hugging a coconut tree, and the second for married couples. "Those who don't have a valentine, can make the coconut tree their valentine for the day, hug the tree and send us the photos. That is the third category. It is the duty of every Goan to protect the coconut tree and protest against the law which goes against the interests of Goa," Gonsalves said. On January 14, the Goa government amended the Goa, Daman and Diu Protection of Trees Act, 1984, dropping the coconut palm from the official list of trees. The amendment attracted a lot of criticism from the opposition, coalition partners of the ruling BJP as well as from the civil society, both in India and abroad. While critics insist that the amendment was pushed by real estate and commercial interests, Forest and Environment Minister Rajendra Arlekar defended the amendment saying the law was amended to benefit coconut farmers to cut old and non productive palms without having to undergo bureaucratic delays. On February 14, civil society activists will publicly hug trees at two locations along the national highway-17, where nearly two dozen coconut palms have been earmarked for felling. "Subsequently, we have organised another event on the same day where food, music, which will accompany a cultural show involving songs and music about the coconut tree," Gonsalves said. (Image: Flickr) Facebook ============================================================================ Friday, February 12, 2016 [http://www.heraldgoa.in/images/twitter-icon.jpg]<https://twitter.com/oheraldogoa>[http://www.heraldgoa.in/images/facebook-icon.jpg]<http://www.facebook.com/oheraldogoa> [Herald]<http://www.heraldgoa.in/Goa/Goa-Agriculture-Minister-plans-to-declare-national-bird-as-nuisance-%E2%80%98animal%E2%80%99/index.php> [Bay 15]<http://http//www.justahotels.com/bay-15-beach-resort-goa/wedding-and-events/beach-wedding.html> Goa Agriculture Minister plans to declare national bird as nuisance ‘animal’ Ramesh Tawadkar puts the peacock, a bird, in the assessment list of nuisance ‘animals’; Goa’s state animal Gaur on list too after agriculturists complain about farms being affected by animals By Pratik Parab [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> | 12 Feb, 2016, 06:54AM IST MARGAO: Ramesh Tawadkar has done it again. Goa’s Agriculture Minister, in his latest gaffe, says he is assessing the national bird – the peacock – to see if it can be declared as vermin (nuisance ‘animal’) along with Goa’s state animal, the gaur. Environmentalists have reacted sharply to the move and have warned that it will boomerang on the people. They have also blamed the government for destroying the habitat of the animals and have warned of a backlash if the ecosystem is disturbed. Addressing the media, Agriculture Minister Ramesh Tawadkar said that the Forest Department has been asked to assess the nuisance animals in Goa’s wildlife. Wild boar (raan dukor), monkey (khetim), gaur (gawo redo), peacock (morr) and some more animals are being assessed under this category of wild animals. The government will go through the assessment report and attempt to convert it into an Act. There is a National Bird and a State Animal in the list of the assessed animals. “While doing assessment the points like complaints which have been filed till date by agriculturists and people will be taken into consideration and the opinion of the Forest Department officials will be sought,” Tawadkar said. “After considering the complaints of agriculturists which we have got a lot, the government and the related department will go ahead with the procedures,” he added. The minister said the process was initiated after there were recommendations from farmers to declare these nuisance animals. However, animal lovers and environment activists have reacted sharply to this and have claimed that if these animals are declared a nuisance it will have a long term and negative impact on human lives of Goa. Amrut Singh, animal lover and environmentalist said, “Section 51 (a) in the Constitution of India made it a duty of Forest Department to protect the animals and if what Tawadkar says becomes a reality then the department will have to shut down as they have failed to do their duty,” he said. “The Forest department has allowed massive deforestation in the past and also allowed people to go into forests and plant banana and pineapple farms by clearing forests and destroying the habitat of these animals. This is against the ecosystem and will have a bad effect on humans,” warned Singh. “This will boomerang on the people and the environment will be damaged to an extent which will be irreparable in the future,” he added. Rajendra Kerkar, an environmentalist said, “The classification of these animals is not as easy as it looks. There will be some other animals in the future which will trouble agriculture and the people. Will they also be classified as a nuisance?” questioned Kerker. “These moves of dislodging animals will bring trouble to those animals and the people too,” he added. “Rather than planning on terming them nuisance animals, the government should think of a proper scientific and a long term plan of reviving the habitat of the animals,” Kerkar suggested. Several civil society members have also expressed surprise over this stand of the government.
