We feel the need to remind Averthan that the views he has expressed today
(and is doing so almost on daily basis), he was invited to express them
some 9 years ago when a series of brainstorming sessions were organised
starting at the International Center, Dona Paula and carried over at
Caritas, St. Inez. If he were to accept that invite then, perhaps all the
damage that has been done in these 9 solid years would have been arrested to
most extent. But Alas ! we are Goans. We like to hold our cards very close
to our chests and not share them.
We also remind Averthan that the formation of Goa Su-Raj Party was not to
have one more political party that would start building vote-banks for its
leaders to play foul on the playing field of politics. It was a legitimate
NGO called the Goa Environmental Action Group registered in 1997 to fight
to bring sanity to Goa through fighting against Noise Pollution. Later, many
NGOs joined together to form a larger Apex body called the 'Goa
Environmental Federation', and Averthan was elected to head it as its
president. It did seem at that time that 'GEF' would accomplish things where
puny NGOs like GEAG etc would falter. And indeed, GEF ventured forward to a
great extent even to the extent of filing PILs in the Honourable High Court.
And gradually, it vanished into thin air...with nary a sign of it anywhere
to be seen today.
We remember a time when the Porvorim Police station was inaugurated in a
function where the citizens of Porvorim were rocked out of their sleep upto
2 O'clock in the morning. An enterprising reporter of the Herald had brought
this hot news on its front page next morning. We wanted Averthan and
Advocate Norma Alvares (Office bearer) to take this opportunity to hammer a
Contemp Petition in the High Court over the suo motto petition 97 of 97
filed earlier by yours faithfully. But both shied away, thereby losing the
opportunity of closing-in on the authorities who had filed laudable
affidavits with the HC in petition 97 or 97.
The lost opportunity came to us on a silver platter as it were in the recent
Ponda affair where the PI of Ponda PS has given out the name of the
complainant to the irate mob which has resulted in the stoning of the
complainant's house a number of times. (GT 1/5 & 12/5)
The NGO which qualified itself to be a registered political party has not
lost time to put in a Contempt Petition against the PI of Ponda as well as
all the authorities who were the Respondents in Petition 97 of 97. The
Contempt Petition was filed on 9/5/2008 for urgent circulation and has been
admitted through the vacation bench of the Bombay HC today, 14/5/08 with
order to issue notices to all respondents. The hearing is fixed for 5/6/08.
Needless to say that the Petition has demanded the dismissal of the Ponda
Police Inspector Shri. Manjunath Dessai for his actions of omission and
commission.
Hopefully, the GT will bring all the relevant details in its issue tomorrow.
We need to explain as to why this tirade, at all.
This is because we want Averthan De Souza to know just one thing and one
thing alone. That he cannot club any and all politicians in one basket
alone and seek to dump them into the bottom of deep seas. With the
reluctance that he and his ilk is showing to get into the political mode,
wanting to stay apolitical and immune, will give birth to more deadlier
newer politicians who will be doing ten times the damage done to Goa by
their peers. And we remind Averthan and his ilk that no matter what, he and
them will always be standing in the voting line to mark their voting ballots
or to punch the voting buttons, for they will not be able to do away with
the politicians ever. It is said that "IF YOU CANNOT FIGHT THEM, JOIN THEM"
We are hoping against hope that Averthan will look over this side of the
coin too.
goasuraj
----- Original Message -----
From: "Averthan D'Souza" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Goanet" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2008 11:33 AM
Subject: [Goanet] THE END OF THE TUNNEL
For favour of early publication please. Thank you.
Averthanus
_____
THE END OF THE TUNNEL.
Averthanus L. D'Souza.
Even a cursory reading of the Interim Report submitted by the
Task Force to the Government of Goa conveys the clear impression that it
was
prepared in a professional manner without succumbing to external political
pressures. This is a welcome departure from the previous Planning
process, which was marked by haphazard cobbling together of data and the
formulation of recommendations based on the palpable influence of vested
interests. The people of Goa rightly rejected the previous draft of the
Regional Plan - 2011, not only because it was the product of corrupt
transactions, but mainly because it represented the total sell-out of Goan
lands to land sharks and the interests of big businesses. The Regional
Plan for 2011 was quite evidently formulated to serve the interests of
big
business, even if this meant that the citizens of Goa were to be deprived
of
their land as well as their social, cultural and environmental heritage.
The unanimous rejection of the R.P 2011 will go down in history as the
greatest achievement, so far, of the coordinated effort of the citizens of
Goa under the banner of the Goa Bachao
Abhiyan....................................
