I wish to reply to the e-mails of Pravin Sabnis and Mr Colaco
I have copied their postings below: If GBA and Oscar Rebello were so successful in protecting the goanland mass and environment because of their agitation in 2007, how comewithin months people of Goa had to come on the streets against SEZs. Was GBAasleep or was it complicit? Do we know whether all the land conversionsunder 2011 have been reversed?There should be no doubt that for the scrapping of SEZ, credit should go toMathany, firstly for keeping a lot of disparate groups together and also forthe master stroke of veiled threat vis a vis tourismthat ultimatelypersuaded this corrupt bunch of congressmen and women to do away with SEZ..Oscar, unfortunately, got close to SVM and if you were there at the LohiaMaidan meeting you would have heard the convener of SVM proclaiming hissupport for Digu and Congress. So much for 'Apolitical' GBA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!RESPONSE:So many myths masquareding as facts. Desai should provide the proof that SVM convenor, Charles Fernandesproclaimed support for any politician (at the Lohia Maidan meeting)What's your problem?There are so many Goans who are doing their bit for their motherlandand you want to indulge into jaundiced labellingYou go as far as to accuse GBA of being complicit. If according to you the GBA was asleep then was Mathany wide-awake in the same time frame?are just statements fair?on 6 Dec 2006, GBA and Mathany were part of the Round Table on SEZsRight from the start the GBA was supporting ALL people's movements against SEZsDid you here Oscar or me speak against the GMAS at any time?why are you allowing your imagination to run riot about an imagined war between the SVM, GBA and GMAS?The sword of SEZs continues to dangle on the state of Goa. If you seek to help, please avoid divisive agendas based on distortions. Understand that we need to fight the SEZs, not each other!Of course you can and must criticise the wrong statements and actionsbut with an intent to correct, not condemn!- Pravin Sabnis Dear Anil You are confused , politically blind. You need to be ashamed not astonished. Which politician in the last two decades or so has not back stabbed to gain personal political mileage? You tacitly sanctify Parrikar and Mathany and castigate Oscar and deride the GBA movement. Name any seasoned hardcore politician who has not involved in loot mar and wholesale destruction of Goa for their own conceited and selfish motives. Name any politician who has not politically horse traded for their own selfish interest. Name one. The highest award possible may be conferred on him. Or are you suggesting that Parrikar and Mathany are the best among the worst. Goa's destruction , SEZ and scams are the making of the corrupt politicians and their cronies who work at cross purposes and confound confusion among the cross section of Goans. Which sane Goan needs any further proof of this political insanity. Goa has spun out of control and a few Goans on this forum too are involved in brick bats and aggravating the situation instead of collaborating and working towards peaceful and prosperous Goa. Not only twisted , confused, crooked and tangled thinking!!!! And lastly Oscar has not gone fishing for awards. It is declared. The Oscar award goes to the common people of Goa!!!! John Collaco Dear Pravin and John, This is not a thread that I started. I was simply responding to a posting by John collaco that was a desperate attempt to attack Rajan Parriker. Rajan, like some of us, is committed to the struggle for a better Goa. However, I, like many of my friends, have noticed that a lot of contributors attack him merely because what he says is quite often 'inconvenient truth' I must apologise for my earlier posting because I got one fact wrong. I was, as it happens, wrongly under the impression that Shri Bhatiker was the convener of SVM. It was Bhatiker who had said at the SVM meeting of 14th December: "We support Digambar Kamat". It was reported in local papers. I have not accused GBA of anything. I raised a simple question - was GBA asleep or complicit? I invite Sabnis to answer that in stead of making false accusations against me. I also invite him to understand the context in which this question was asked. I agree with Pravin that as Goans, we need to fight the menace of political corruption together. About fight against SEZ, I wrote in Nov-Dec in this very forum that all groups should fight together. I happened to be in goa in December and I attended the rallies of SVM as well as GMAS. I was naturally surprised that on SEZ, all groups could not be brought together under the GBA umbrella. Was this not a failure of the leadership of the GBA? How can GBA accept all the laurels for the fight against 2011 plan but then not accept any responsibility for the failure in uniting various groups in the fight against SEZ? Should GBA not accept that they were at least caught off guard by the SEZ land scams? That Mathany was wide awake or asleep does not alter the fact that GBA was actively pursuing all the shady land deals under 2011 and failed to discover this major land sale/land conversion. I refute the suggestion that I try to tacitly sanctify Parriker and Mathany. Ask most Goans ( I aksed quite a few myself) who the most efficient Chief Minister was since Bhausaheb Bandodker and they will say Parriker without hesitation. However, for you guys, he is not only bad but all his supporters are bad too. The trouble is - in a democracy people are entitled to support whoever they choose to. I have no problem with you being fervent supporters of Congress, SGF or even CPI. My problem is with people who want to claim to be 'apolitical' and support congress in a clandestine manner. Best wishes, Anil Desai
