Date: 20 June, 2008
The Goa Su-Raj Party rubbishes the allegations made by Shri. Manohar Parrikar, the Opposition Leader, Chairman of the Ad-Hoc Committee on Police-Home which had its deliberations on 19 June, 2008 at the Goa Legislative Assembly Complex that Shri. Sebastian Rodrigues is a naxal operating in Goa's mining belts. The Goa Su-Raj Party was represented in the above deliberations by its General Secretary Shri. Floriano Lobo, who also deposed before the Committee during the morning session. Shri. Sebastian Rodrigues is a member of the Party, a well informed activist against the mining atrocities in Goa. He is encouraged and aided by the Party to make the people of Goa's mining belts aware that the mineral resources of Goa is the 'Gift of God' to Goa and Goans and not to the mine owners/operators, nor to the Government of Goa and/or to the Central government. The Party has authorized Shri. Sebastian Rodrigues to make the suffering people of Goa's mining belts aware that if the controlled exploitation of these rich mineral resources of Goa do not benefit Goa and its people, these must remain buried and untouched, irrespective of whether the mining lobby of Goa, the government of Goa or the Central Government likes it or not. Goa Su-Raj Party has, at one time, financed a short video documentary made by Shri. Sebastian Rodrigues on 'Pissurlem Mines' ; the draining of the water from the deep mining pits to afford further mining, resulting in the domestic wells of the locality running dry soon after the monsoon season; cultivable agricultural fields silted, making the tilling of the same impossible, scores of citizens of the locality suffering from TB as a result of the chronic dust pollution and school going children walking miles through ankle deep dust. The Goa Su-Raj Party vouches for Shri. Sebastian Rodrigues. If he is considered to be a part of the Naxal Movement, the Goa Su-Raj Party itself should be considered as such, and warns the Goa police authorities in no uncertain terms of dire consequences in case they feel pressurized by the mining vested interests to exact harassment to our member Shri. Sebastian Rodrigues in connection with the prevailing agitation against destructive mining in Goa. The Goa Su-Raj Party considers the out of power 'Leader of the Opposition' to be in the pay-roll of the Goa's threatened mining lobby and is being used as its spokes person to brew trouble for the people's genuine movement against the destructive mining in Goa. Sd/- Floriano C. Lobo General Secretary, Goa Environmental Action Group & Goa Su-Raj Party
