----- Original Message ----- From: Goa Suraj Party To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, November 11, 2007 10:14 PM Subject: Re: Your Editorial - 'ONLY SEZ' - [H- Nov 7, 2007] - RESPONSE
ONLY SEZ Herald Editorial Nov. 7, 2007 So now Goa has one more organization "Goa's Movement Against SEZs" comprising of various leaders from political parties. Last year it was the 'Goa Bachao Abhiyan' and now this. Commendable considering the issue that they are taking up and the fight they have on their hands. But let us (ask) them one question. "Why are they only fighting on one issue" No doubt the SEZ issue is an important one and needs to be addressed immediately but what about other issues that are plaguing Goa. Why is there no movement against those issues? Is this just a political gimmick in order to garner support in case there is some political development or is it genuine movement to really save Goa. If it is genuine then please also address other issues. RESPONSE: By: Spokes person of Goa Su-Raj Party hri. Floriano Lobo; Executive member of 'GMAS' - Goa's Movement Against SEZs. Sir, The above edit raises a lot of questions which needs to be answered. We thank the editor giving us the opportunity to respond. GBA came into being when the people saw through the RP-2011. Should the GBA have taken all the other issues affecting Goa's well-being at that time, simultaneously?. At that time it was felt that RP-2011 was the mother of all issues and rightly so. Its notification has wreaked havoc in Goa and continues to do so. The SEZs issue is part of RP-2011, which by the way, has never been scrapped. RP-2011 has been silently doing what was intended and the assurances given to the GBA by the Government of Digamber Kamat are just an eyewash. The editor has not identified the other issues that must be addressed simultaneously. But we believe that these are the garbage problems, CRZ violations, Industrial Pollution, mess of a public transport system, havoc and killings on roads due to traffic indiscipline, pathetic road conditions, unhygienic and unsanitized markets, etc etc. These are the problems that the elected government of the day is expected to tackle. If the people, who pay through their noses were expected to tackle these problems, then there was no need of the government in the first place. However, the setting up of SEZs, left, right and center is going to aggravate these problems ad infinitum with the influx of more people into Goa in 2 to 3 years time which would otherwise take 30 to 40 years of normal population growth rate. That is precisely why 'GMAS' is born to fight against. The editor likes to call the initiation of this movement against SEZs as a political gimmick. Why? Did he expect it to be apolitical like the GBA has been?. Has GBA achieved anything by remaining apolitical? Has anything changed, either through the recent June' 2007 Assembly Elections or through the assurances of scrapping RP-2011? Hasn't it emboldened the government machinery on the contrary when it was dealing with a movement entirely apolitical? Politics affects the day to day lives of the people when they pay their taxes. Can they afford to remain apolitical about their suffereings? The GMAS is an 'all inclusive' movement with the participation of conscientious citizens, NGOs, Social Groups and political parties, and cannot be termed as a political gimmick. Remaining apolitical would be like choosing to bathe from a bucket of sewage waste rather than from a bucket of clean fresh water kept side by side. Politics is nothing but effective and impartial leadership. What we have been having for the last over a decade in Goa is politics of vested interests. This is ultimately exposed through the intended sell-out of Goa's prime scarce land to set up SEZs (18) which will contribute nothing to Goa by way of revenues but only heaps of problems. This movement against SEZs must throw-up effective leaderships which will serve the people Goa in times to come rather than the vested interests. It must be the revolution that Goa was waiting for to cleanse self-centered politics. And if it fails to do so, then it will be most unfortunate for Goa and Goans. ----------------------------------------------------------------- GOA needs a 'REVOLUTION' if it is to see better days. Goasuraj is that revolution. It needs your support. email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Website: www.goasu-raj.org Ph: 2266111 - (M) 9890470896
