It would not be right for me, as the spokesperson of the Goa Su-Raj Party, if I did not come in to give my/our view point on the Edwin Pinto's post re: Matanhy Saldanha , GMAS and the festering sore that is Meta Strips.
I attended the first call by Matanhy to a meet at the Panjim Residency which was to form a formidable opposition to SEZs in Goa through the formation of GMAS. Since my party has clearly come out strongly against SEZs in Goa in our Road Map for Goa (released on August 20, 2005 [Chapter XXIII(10) Pg. 82]), we took the initiative to attend this meet. We were informed that all political parties as well as all Social Groups/NGOs etc were invited for this meet. On that basis I had included PMAS in my report on the net for which I am reproducing the clarification given by PMAS etc. PMAS had not attended the meet. After the above meeting and/or during the press conference that followed, I was casually talking to Matanhy's wife Alina where the topic of Meta Strips cropped up, wherein I told her that this movement must not become like the AMCAC movement where the leader (Matanhy) when he became the Minister, has even officially visited the premises of Meta Strips and has given it a clean chit as a non polluting Industry. I wanted to know from her in what capacity did Matanhy give it a clean chit when this particular unit is a hazardous waste generating unit and its toxic waste is being channelised through the laundering units 'Nicormet and others' in the Cuncolim Industrial Estate which are just the fronts professing that they are extracting precious metals from these toxic wastes. Incidentally, I told her that Cuncolim has been polluted because of these units and Meta Strips is one of them. She told me that Meta Strips is no longer polluting as its raw material is no long scrap pvc coated wires but immaculate clean copper. To that I laughed and asked her if anyone has bothered to check the closed and sealed incoming and outgoing trucks and if anyone has bothered to checkout what is going on in the newly constructed shed where entry to even casual workers is banned. However, during the next meet, Matanhy had this to say to me. 'I have never entered Meta Strips as a Minister or as Matanhy Saldanha, like I have not entered the INOX. And I have not given Meta Strips any clean chit" This ofcourse, because Alina and he must have discussed on what I had said to her. Coming back to SEZs problem, we believe that this is a bigger and more vexious problem than the 'Merger' problem where Goans will lose out on their precious land and the identity. We believe that this fight cannot remain apolitical like GBAs fight against RP-2011 which has not been scrapped and cannot be scrapped. Incidentally, GBA by remaining apolitical has emboldened the political sharks in the CONGRESS to bite more than they can chew. Why? Has the GBA been taken for granted? And the SEZ isssue is the result of it all. Whether GBA likes to admit it or not is irrelevant. To our understaning, everyone, including political parties must oppose this monster as this is a massively POLITIAL problem and apolitical people cannot handle it alone. It requires a steadfast POLITICAL WILL And if PMAS, by remaining apolitical like the GBA, believes that it can scrap the SEZs, then it is all appreciation to its efforts and power to it. Every bit of opposition whether UNITED OR DISUNITED will have to work for Goa and Goans by scrapping SEZs from the face of Goa without releasing CRABS from the all to overflowing basket that Goa really is. Let the vested interests develop townships or whatever but not through SEZs and at the cost of Goa and Goans. The signal is very very loud and clear and it must be seen and heard by the powers that be, sooner the better. In our view, with all the aprehensions about our politicos, Goa will and must get over these on all inclusive basis, which is SEZ and only SEZ basis, just like the vexious MERGER issue of the past . floriano goasuraj PS: If the services of the 'Devil' himself must be enlisted to fight this monster, so be it. Incidentally, yesterday's Anti SEZ meeting (18-Sunday) of GMAS at Betul-Quepem, was well attended and was addressed by Socorro of UGDF-Margao, Jeevan/Aires/Amol of Utt Goenkara, Parvatkar of the BJP, many others including yours sincerely and was compared by the all enterprising Mahesh Naik of Margao. ----- Original Message ----- From: Floriano - Goa Suraj Party <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Flower2 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, November 11, 2007 8:44 PM Subject: Re: [Goanet] Initiation of an all inclusive 'Politico-NGO- > Suit yourselves. > I regret the mistake of having included PMAS in my report. > Here's wishing your movement all the very best. > > floriano > goasuraj > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Flower2 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: Floriano Lobo <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Thursday, November 08, 2007 9:31 AM > Subject: Fw: [Goanet] Initiation of an all inclusive 'Politico-NGO- > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Flower2" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: <goanet@lists.goanet.org> > > Sent: Thursday, November 08, 2007 9:05 AM > > Subject: Re: [Goanet] Initiation of an all inclusive 'Politico-NGO- > > > > > > > Just to clarify, that the People's Movement Against SEZs (PMAS) did not > > > attend the all politco meeting which culminated in the formation of > Goa's > > > Movement Against SEZs. While it is good that political parties have come > > > together to fight the destructive SEZ policy for Goa, we wish to clarify > > > that the People's Movement AGaisnt SEZs is purely a people's movement > and > > > is independent of the parallel political movement. We are working from > the > > > citizens point of view and there is nothing political in our movement. > > > > > > Edwin Pinto, > > > for PMAS ----- Original Message ----- From: Flower2 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <goanet@lists.goanet.org> Sent: Monday, November 19, 2007 9:33 AM Subject: [Goanet] Subject: Congress dirty tricks to split SEZ opposition > Rajan, I am really sorry that I need to write this email. We are part of > SEZ Virodhi Manch, and on behalf of SVM, I am now compelled to explain why > we cannot hold hands with political parties, including Matanhy. Our agenda, > goes beyond SEZs - we feel that we will always be fire fighting unless we > address the core issue of land acquisition, the urgency and public interest > clause that permits the Government to indulge in land grabbing and we can > only do this as a people's movement and not with political parties. > > Manohar Parrikar displayed whole hearted support for AMCAC during the Anti > Meta Strips movement when he was in the opposition. Once he became CM he did > a volte face and behaved exactly like Digambar Kamat is behaving now. AS for > Matanhy, the least said, the better. He led 13 people on a hunger strike > during the Anti Meta Strips movement. > All of us who were involved in this movement suffered brutally and are still > suffering even today. Yet when the people on the strength of the Anti Meta > STrips movement elected Matanhy, he did nothing he could have in his > position as MLA and later Minister, to rid us of this sore. Despite our > pleas, he didn't bother to even visit the factory, and even went so far as > to give it a clean chit. NEver mind if when questioned by various people, he > said that he was misquoted by the press , it speaks volumes for his > sincerity that he chose never to clarify his > stand publicly and correct the so called "misquote". Even last week, we met > his close buddy Joel Fernandes, who > led the AMCAC movement, and he told us that the spring at Consua village, > just beneath the Meta Strips factory > which is being used by locals is polluted and people have been getting skin > ailments. Therefore, we have sadly come to the conclusion that a politician > is a politician, no matter what he may masquerade as. And however difficult > it is for ordinary people to fight, and however much we must suffer, we have > learnt the hard way that the people must carry their burden themselves. > Winning or losing is in God's hands, but we must do our best sincerely, > honestly and with right intentions. > > Incidentally, SVM is having a public meeting at KEri this evening. Some of > the speakers are Mr. Arvind Bhatikar, Fr. Maverick Fernandes, Videsh Jalmi, > Sarpanch of Keri and a number of others. > > Edwin Pinto