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Goanetter Francis Rodrigues (Vasco/Toronto) unveils his book,
The Greatest Konkani Song Hits. Launch dates: Goa (Kala
Academy) on 9 Aug. 4 pm. U.K. (Staines) on 15 Aug. Canada on
20 Aug and US on 30 Aug. Details http://www.konkanisongbook.com/
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The Cry of the Dispossessed - Diana Pinto
It was a rallying of the constituency of the dispossessed. Farmers from all
over Goa gathered in strength at Margao's Lohia Maidan on 2nd August to
speak their hearts out on the fatal blows dealt to them by the Government's
ongoing land acquisition program executed in the name of so called
"development" - the Congress government's euphemism for the total
destruction of this once beautiful land.
Throughout the length and breadth of the state, the "aam aadmi" government
is busily engaged in finding ways and means of cornering huge tracts of "aam
aadmi" land with the help of the draconian and antiquated Land Acquisition
Act of 1894. Mopa Airport, super expressways, an ultra modern Sports City in
Dhargal, expansion of existing Industrial estates and now the Health
Ministers' latest brainchild - the Goa Health Services Development Act 2008
that prohibits the common citizen from exercising his legitimate right to
voice his protest against this high handed land acquisition of the
government for the construction of five star Health Resorts or other
projects set up for the benefit of the high and the mighty. The stark
tragedy for Goa is that all these grandiose projects involve colossal
amounts of cultivable paddy fields and orchard land.
In fact, the sites for the new South Goa Collectorate and District Hospital
on the outskirts of Margao are an affront to every citizen of Goa. They
portray with symbolic poignancy the lawlessness of a Government that
considers itself above and beyond the rules laid down for the rest of us
"mamuli log". Farmers have been summarily evicted from their livelihood and
fields, which have been filled by the government in order to construct these
institutions of governance.
The intense indignation of the ordinary farmers that triggered a ready
response in their fellow Goans who had turned out in numbers at Lohia Maidan
to express their solidarity, should send strong indications to the
government of the day of the alarming disconnect between its policies and
the aspirations of the people. It is now clear that land is being cornered
disproportionately for industry and so called "developmental projects" at
the cost of agriculture and traditional occupations, leading to massive
occupational displacement and resentment amongst the populace. The kind of
development that is being imposed upon us has put an unbearable pressure on
the environment and the common man, and will undoubtedly lead to serious
depletion of cultivable land and natural resources that will impact the
quality of our lives and that of our future generations.
The devastation caused by the Goa Government's strange idea of "development"
has only been intensified by the unfortunate but indisputable fact that Goa
today has evolved into a state characterised by absence of the rule of law
and accountability in those holding responsible positions. Destruction of
the environment, projects imposed without any relevance to the profile and
needs of the community and an elite club that collaborates smoothly to
manipulate rules and laws to suit their vested interest - but it is not only
the people of Goa whose faith in the Congress is faltering. The issues
raised in the Legislative Assembly by ruling party MLAs scream from the
rooftops that the policies of the Congress governmemt in Goa are certainly
not people or "public oriented". Hence the recent farcical drama in the
Legislative Assembly where ruling party MLAs fiercely attack each other's
performance and that of the Government in general in a bid to position
themselves on the side of the people. Incredibly, the Cortalim MLA asks the
Government to protect communidade land which he now feels is "facing the
onslaught of encroachment across the state". Of course as every Goan knows,
there is very little comunidade land left to protect thanks to the
Government's arbitary land acquisition spree. So the Honourable MLA bolts
the stable door after the horse has fled. He has also admitted the
prevailing lawlessness in the state, when he said "If government takes steps
to stop illegal encroachments, even the law and order will be under
control". If Congress MLAs feel compelled to express their public
displeasure with the functioning of their own government, one can only
imagine the seething anger bubbling amongst the people.
But as we have seen recently, its a merry coterie of the "forty" in the
Legislative Assembly as Opposition and Ruling MLAs get together to pass a
bill increasing their salaries and perks with the blessings of the
Honourable Governor. Are Directors of Corporates permitted to increase their
own salaries and perks ? If the private sector needs to get the consent of
the General Body, then why should people in the public domain, professing to
serve the people, imagine that they have the right to increase their own
benefits? Especially when one considers that this bill will deplete the
public exchequer of a massive Rs. five crores annually ! A transparent
government with no ulterior motives would have certainly appointed a
commission to examine the issue and make its recommendations.
Before moving to acquire any more land, the Chief Minister, has an
obligation to explain and clearly define to the "aam aadmi" that he
professes to hold so dear, what exactly is meant by "public purpose", under
the garb of which most of the land in the state has been acquired by the
Government and what is the Congress party's vision and concept of
development for Goa. Is it the systematic urbanisation, concretisation and
decimation of our beautiful villages and heritage at the cost of the local
populace and farmers? Does the Congress party's vision for Goa not
encompass nurturing and preserving the traditional economy and occupations
of our villages? Is the right to livelihood only to be enjoyed by industrial
barons, mining magnates and the creamy layer of society? If he chooses to
keep the concept nebulous, then the people of Goa are perfectly justified in
assuming that this so called "development" is just a ploy by him to
distribute the loaves and fish of power to his party members in order to
maintain his "kodel". And we the people, will just have to come to terms
with the distressing fact that we will be compelled to come out time and
again into the streets to defend our birthright and our beloved motherland.
