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| Jose Maria Miranda |
It is indeed disheartening that we, Goans,
fail to rise even when we are nearing the abysm. We often wake up when it is
too late or have reached a point of no return. Our ever insensitive, adamant
and deaf rulers will not pay any heed to us, as they have their own interests
and motives in mind, and are aware that any protest in Goa will never last. We
must candidly admit that we get easily fatigued and lack resilience and
tenacity to fight any issue to its logical conclusion. Though violence must be
eschewed, assertiveness and even aggressiveness to a certain point, is
imperative. We have failed in this, not so much because we are not of one mind
on some issues but because of our apathy and indifference. It is only when we
are directly affected that we rise – when not, it is someone else’s problem,
not ours. Not only do we not take initiatives but even moral and physical
support to any worthy cause does not come in easily. Meetings in Margao on
serious issues, in the last two years or so, despite massive efforts, when we
could have jammed the city by sheer numbers, prove my point.
We must avoid defeatist attitudes and finding
the easy way out: get a Portuguese passport and quit. Surely some may need to
do it, but not all. Quitters can’t be winners. Our land is our treasure. As its
proud custodians, it behooves us to save and protect it for our future
generations. It is our land and only we have the right to decide what is good
for us and what is not. Let us not allow vultures from here or Delhi to prey on
it and barter it for their job. We need our scarce land for housing and
projects beneficial to locals, unlike what is happening now when they are for
the rich and mighty, having some of our politicians on their payroll. Enough of destruction of our land, our
environment and all that is dear to us! If this Government thinks that a few
bridges and bypasses are going to entice us, let them know that they are destroying our environment,
fields and hills, as can be seen in Verna, Nuvem, Navelim, etc, and are actually
meant to further marginalize Goans, change our demography, bring in more
migrants and ultimately create social unrest.
Despite heavy debts of over Rs.10,000 crores,
this Government audaciously agreed for an IIT at Bhagwati plateau in Loliem.
We, Goans, are surely desperate for jobs. We do need job-oriented projects or
industries, but not those which will provide employment mainly to outsiders and
add to our equally desperate migration problem. This Government is equally
desperate and working overtime to create vote banks of migrants and make Goans
irrelevant. The bogey of creating employment and of NGOs being anti-development
is being aired without any basis, statistics or study even by responsible
media. Investment Promotion Board was
created solely to serve as milking cow for the party in power. Will this
Government tell us what studies have they done on projects proposed under IPB,
job prospects and efforts done to ensure that existing hotels, industries and
Konkan Rly employ Goans? Are there any attempts in this direction? Haven’t
preconditions of employment to locals been flouted before with impunity and do
we wish to rectify this, in future?
The IIT in Goa is unnecessary, as firstly
there is no seat allocation for Goans, unlike NIT, which has 50% seats for
locals. The students, around 10000 and the faculty, 2000, will almost entirely
be non-Goan. One of the provisions is that faculty spouses should get jobs. Goa
Government has committed to this – how, and where? Other staff, clerical, lab, canteen,
menial, etc 3000 to 4000 – total 16000 approximately –nearly 4 times the
population of Loliem. This cash starved Government will acquire the land at our
cost to benefit thousands of non-Goans. Why? Will diehard supporters of BJP and
other partners in crime explain to us? The NIT is already operational at GEC,
Farmagudi since 2010 without any headway in the proposed premises at Cuncolim.
IIT rules stipulate “IIT Goa can be operational only upon identification and
handing over of land to MHRD for setting up permanent campus of said
institution”. Yet it will be operational, within few days, again at GEC without
even acquisition of land. Aren’t these half baked projects? The location of IIT
is a Government identified private forest. It is a water recharge plateau being
a source of drinking water for wells and irrigation for the population living
down below. Hence, water and agriculture will be severely affected. Government
supply of water is most irregular, only for a few hours and often not daily.
The plateau is home to wild animals like leopards, bisons, deers, boar,
porcupine, etc. They will need to find alternate location which will eventually
adversely affect residents, their plantations, etc.
My question to this Government is: Are you on
a mission to destroy not only Goa but Goans too? And to my fellow Goans: Are we
going to be silent spectators to these evil designs of this Govt. Or is it time
for a revolution, as rightly portrayed by Irineu Gonsalves in his tiatr
“Revolution”? Can we sink our differences and unite for Goa and for our people
and through the ballot prove our mettle and annihilate the monsters, who in the
garb of development are out to destroy us?
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