To Goanet - Now that we have decisively established that there is absolutely nothing Samir Kelekar can do about my American citizenship, my opportunism & my undying love of greenbacks except babble from Bengaluru, we move on to more important matters.
Now then, what is the way forward? The big guns - DLF et al - have taken direct aim moving this into the big league. A court case here and there will achieve little, and they drag on for years. Time is not on our side. You don't fight a cancer with a band-aid. Let be back up a bit. What we are staring at in Goa is a disaster of epic proportions. Forget aesthetics (only a clueless clown will bring up aesthetics). The very basics of life are in peril: water, breathable air, space to live (a Goan coming out of college today can no longer afford a place in his own village/town when the Sharmas and Varmas from Delhi are on the prowl with their moneybags), safety and security, a wholesome environment for children to grow, etc. The builders & miners & casino operators will finish Goa off long before the effects of climate change kick in. This must be attacked at the root. The govt has to be put on notice. Note that when the govt fails to address the aspirations of those who put it in power and instead actively works to undermine the interests of its citizens, it is entirely legit for those citizens to rise up in resistance. That's Gandhi 101 for you. A temporary halt to ALL construction (exceptions perhaps for single family homes of Goans owning property) and land conversion is essential until we sort out where we are right now in terms of land use. No mega-projects. No questions. The specifications crafted must be clear & simple with no room for interpretation (i.e. loopholes) and such that an untutored villagers should be able to figure out what is and is not permissible. We do not not architects to craft plans for Goa. This is not rocket science (and if it were, I would recruit a rocket scientist, not an architect). Now - any proposal that calls for a halt to construction activity will be fought tooth and nail by the builders and the politicos, through their chamchas in the media and their moles in activist circles. All sorts of bullpucky will be thrown at you by the usual suspects on why halting construction is impracticable, unwise, unachieavable, etc etc. A complete overhaul of land-use laws and rules can only come through a mass people's movement. Likewise the uncontrolled migrant influx in Goa has to be addressed. There is no leadership in sight right now to marshall and mobilize Goans. There are protests in some villages but no coordinated strategy or direction for any meaningful change. The one chance we had - in Dec 2006 - GBA blew it. Will we learn from past mistakes? I don't know. So - where do we go from here? How can the momentum be regenerated? If you have any ideas, put them on the table. Warm regards, r
