The Accidental Activist - A Gameplan for the RP2021 By Venita Coelho
The government has finally decided to extend the date to react to the Regional Plan by one month. For those villages who are still wondering what to do, here is a possible game plan based on our on-the-ground experiences in Moira. You can begin by holding awareness meetings in each ward. Ideally send a notice from door to door and ask people to sign a register that they have been informed. Attendance at meetings should also be recorded in a register. We got the excellent presentation from the GBA on the plan and this was explained both in Konkani and in English. Blown up maps of the RP2021 were explained and we helped people identify their properties. If there were mistakes they were told to respond with a letter to the Panchayat, proof of ownership, and two photographs of their property, one of which showed that day's newspaper headlines as proof of when it was taken. These mistakes need to be physically verified by the committee. For the questionnaire we created two versions. One version explained the meaning and purpose of each question. In the second version the committee for the Regional Plan got together and created model answers for the questionnaire that the people could use as a guide if they chose. The Panchayat opened a special register and gave inward numbers to all questionnaires, objections, and letters received. We asked opinion leaders in various wards to get friends and neighbours to answer the questionnaires. The big problem for Moira is that it is too close to Mapusa and is marked as an 'emerging township' in 2021. The committee debated how to protect the village and finally recommended a game plan - Refuse to allow the roads to be widened to 10 and 15 meters. Ask for a lower FAR and VP3 status. Save what remains of ECO 2 areas. Save as much land as you can by marking it 'heritage' and 'green lung'. Challenge the population forecast for Moira. The village was up in arms against being converted to a town. Two signature campaigns were started. The first protested the proposed 10 and 15 meter roads. Not only would people lose land and houses to these roads, but they would open the door to mega housing projects, and our village would no longer be a village. The second signature campaign demanded that the government revoke Amendments 16 and 16A to the TCP Act. Once the villagers understood how these acts would allow the government to work outside the Regional Plan, they were determined to protest. The work actually starts after the questionnaire starts coming in. Every single one has to be read, tabulated, and suggestions and objections noted down. This is not an easy task and you need to put aside at least three weeks to do it. On the basis of the majority opinion expressed in these questionnaires, resolutions will be passed in a special gram Sabha. Meanwhile on-the-ground checking of the maps has to be done. The committee members, ward member, and one architect or expert have begun going from ward to ward checking all the obvious mistakes on the map. Agricultural land and orchard land is wrongly marked as settlement. They are also marking all that the maps leave out. In our maps not a single thing has been marked as heritage, no water bodies have been marked, and no forested area is shown. We will be creating our own map with legends that identify what we wish to preserve - 'Heritage' 'water bodies' 'forests' 'green lungs' 'water catchment area' etc. 'Heritage' is a wonderful tool to preserve what you want. You can even mark 'heritage landscapes' as we are doing. We are designating areas as 'green lungs' and asking that they be marked as ECO2. Water catchment areas are also going into ECO2. We will be creating another map that corrects the 'mistakes' in our map. This will be backed up with photographic proof that the areas have been wrongly marked. Lastly the committee is also doing some larger thinking for the village. Among the proposals they are recommending is a community and knowledge centre. What has made the biggest difference to the fight to preserve Moira as a village is the attitude of the Panchayat. I would never have thought that a Panchayat that ordered my arrest a few months ago would now offer co-operation. But once they understood how the village was threatened, the Panchayat has extended all the help it could. The last thing I expected the Regional Plan to do was to help build bridges, but that is exactly what it has done. From being arrested, to being put on the Committee, to being given full co-operation - what a journey it has been! If one village can forget its differences and put its weight behind saving the future, other villages can as well. A one month extension is not much in the light of the mountain of work that has to be done. If you haven't started - do begin. (ENDS) ============================================================================== The above article appeared in the February 10, 2009 edition of the Herald, Goa
