What does “saving Goa” mean any more? The whole idea is absurd.
Right now the best that can be done is, you “save” your own vaddo from yet another hotel or construction project. That is, if your vaddo is not already under the control of Mr. Singh or Mr. Bansal from Delhi. Your larger village has already succumbed to the ximitt (concrete) virus. Dilliwallahs, Andhras, Biharis, Rajasthanis, UP bhaiyyas are crawling all over what used to be your cherished coconut orchards and ‘baans’ by the paddy field. What exactly are we “saving” now? It is just posturing. There are the professional ‘activists,’ who will be in it until 3000 CE, and there’ll be the new activists - bhaile, who fled their toilet towns, then darkened our Goa, and now suddenly realize the place is headed the same way as their original toilet town. In Bombay they are still “saving” but the theatre of activity of this “saving” is spread only over a few square feet. Like, say, they may talk about “saving” the Banganga tank from an unscrupulous builder. In a few years, you won’t even get to save your vaddo. It’ll be "saving" your village well that will absorb all your activist itch. Thank you, India and Indians, for NOTHING. r
