Goanetters would have, by now, picked up news about some of the controversy emerging from back in Goa involving mining, the campaigns against it, Opposition leader Manohar Parrikar and his allegations that made it to the news here. See some comments on the subject that came up via Goanet here [1] and here [2] and also here [3].
Back in Goa, Friday's newspapers highlighted the story. The mining-linked Dempo-owned The Navhind Times [4] said "Police alert: Rising concern over Naxal activities in mining areas". Herald [5], from the Fernandes group, quoted the Opposition leader's version in its report, "Naxal gaining ground in mining belt: Parrikar". The Gomantak Times, earlier owned by the mining home of the Chowgules but now linked to the Pawar family, gave other insights. It's top-of-Page1 story is titled, "[Opposition leader] Parrikar targets anti-mining activist ... Sebestian (sic) Rodrigues denies charges, police say they are watching. Leading greens back Seby." The unsigned blog, Penpricks, has its take on the media involvement in this issue, allegedly in other ways [6]. As Goanet readers would know, the issue of mining in Goa has raised a number of concerns here of late. There are reasons for this: mining activity has picked up speedily, mainly due to the Chinese stepping up buying activity significantly to fuel their export-boom and being ready to buy even low-grade ore. Studies, as this one by journalist Raju Nayak [7], have looked at the impact of mining on Goa, while prominent institutions like the Anil Agarwal-founded Centre for Science and Environment (CSE-New Delhi) have highlighted the impact of mining on Goa in their latest report on the State of the Indian Environment [8] Goanetter Sebastian Rodrigues [9], singled out to face the Opposition leader's allegations, has been actively campaigning on this issue -- along with many others, including affected villagers and other campaigners -- for some time now. Check out links to some of his posts, available via a Google search, here [10]. Gomantak Times reported: [Manohar] Parrikar said though the villagers had every right to agitate against the ongoing indiscrimiinate mining, for causing pollution, etc, a group of seven to eight people who were active in the Naxalite belts had infiltrated into Goa and were now formenting trouble in the mining areas. He demanded that the police should investigate Sebastian's activities, who, he said, was going on the internet, blogging about his activities. He alleged that Rodrigues even showed a video footage to the Colomb villagers, about how Naxalites lynched a police officer. Later, the Leader of the Opposition displayed copies of the photos and other material published by the groups and even addressing meetings in the mining belt. This could have the potential of becoming a serious law and order problem in the state, he feared. Parrikar also said that activists of (the) banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) were now shifting its operations into Goa to forment trouble, as they did in other states including neighbouring Karnataka. End of quote. Share your views on mining in Goa via [EMAIL PROTECTED] and also join in the debate on this issue. [1] http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/2008-June/076061.html [2] http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/2008-June/076038.html [3] http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/2008-June/076044.html [4] http://www.navhindtimes.com [5] http://www.oheraldo.in [6] http://penpricks.blogspot.com/2008/06/rajan-narayan-is-dead-long-live-sujoy.html [7] http://www.cseindia.org/programme/media/candidates.htm [8] http://www.cseindia.org/Aboutus/press_releases/press_20080128.htm [9] [EMAIL PROTECTED] or [EMAIL PROTECTED] [10] http://sebyonmining.notlong.com
