FIRST it was Churchill Alemao supporting mega builders at Carmona and now it is Mauvin Godinho supporting a mega project at Cansaulim. Both these politicians are working against the interests of the very people who elected them into power. Both have been using their political clout and muscle power to intimidate citizens who object to their kind of "development"…and their motives are obvious! Politicians are an ungrateful lot and will take on locals to give their blessings to any illegality that will benefit them. They are backstabbing their voters at every opportunity. Now it looks like Goan votes don’t count for much as their chieftain Ali Baba has already announced that he doesn’t need Goan votes.

It’s a shame that we Goans keep on electing renegade politicians in spite of knowing how corruptible they are! Our politicians are out to destroy Goa. Aboobakr Shaikh has been acting like he owns Cansaulim. Landsharks like him are certainly well protected by other like-minded scamsters. The government of Goa is deaf and blind to the misery of the aam aadmi. Goons are calling the shots and intimidating locals. I’m reminded of the story of the Arab in a tent and his camel, I’m sure most of us have heard the story. The camel asks the Arab to let its nose stay in the shade of the tent as it was very cold outside, then the camel asked for warmth for its head and neck and finally the whole camel was in the tent and the Arab out in the cold! Similarly, goons are getting into Goa and we’re being pushed out of Goa!

–Freddy Agnelo Fernandes,
Dubai, UAE.

DELHI BABU BLUES

THE political class of Goa is hell bent on selling Goa to Delhi babus! This was evident right from 1961 when the Indian Army and Navy took over prime land in Goa. When Ravi Naik was chief minister he secretly gave away Anjediv Island to the Indian Navy. Dabolim airport was built by the Portuguese but after the Indian invasion of Goa, the Indian Navy took it over as a Naval base as its Naval Base and named INS Hansa on September 2, 1964. Instead of signing land-for-land agreement to reclaim the airport and the adjoining land, Ravi Naik sold off Anjediv Island for a song.

Likewise, Mormugao Port rightly belongs to Goa and Goans. But not only have we lost the port but the entire Mormugao coastline claimed by the MPT which is being run by the Delhi babus. What is the contribution of MPT to Goa and Goan economy? Nothing. Rather, they encourage illegal mining by dealing with iron ore exports. The Indian Army has around six camps in Goa occupying tens of hectares of land and it is holding on to our heritage buildings in Panaji. What is the contribution of the Indian Army to Goa? Nothing.

Now, Goa’s greedy politicians want to develop one more airport at Mopa by taking away agricultural land from poor farmers. The social and environmental damages in and around Mopa will be colossal and has to be scientifically assessed by an impartial agency. Steering committees cannot be made up of tainted politicians surely? The villagers whose land has been grabbed by force are small farmers and to take their land away will make them poorer not richer. While the dozens of politicians who have land holdings in the area will become a hundred fold wealthier! A prominent politician and friend of the Aviation Minister of India has about 500 acres of land with a market value of Rs.100 crores (as per 2009 valuation). With the rise of land prices after completion of Mopa Airport the Rs.100 crore will become Rs.1,000 crore or more.

What will be the fate of our farmers after completion of Mopa Airport is anybody’s guess. The steering committee has now raised the land value to Rs. 60. Can the steering committee enlighten Goans about which land is available at Rs. 60? Individuals with 500 acres of land will harvest bumper crops beyond anyones imagination and thefarmers, who are the owners of the land will be on the road to poverty. If, this is ‘development’ for the sons of the soil than one must oppose this project tooth and nail. Farmers should be equal partners if any such project is to succeed. Farmers must get the equity plus the cash.

Also, environmental damages are never recorded in our books as scientists too are bought. It’s very interesting to note that the Union Ministry of Environment & Forests decided not to permit any Special Economic Zone within the Coastal Regulation Zone area in Goa and to grant Goa "Special Status". But is the Mopa Airport project included in this notification? I guess not. The question is: Why has Digambar Kamat’s government and the Opposition parties nothing credible to show that they are serving the people’s interests? Uncontrolled corruption is reason enough for the people to Goa to decide what to act and to clean up Goa’s political mess.

Agnelo Pinheiro
Raia/Dubai

WHAT POPULATION PROBLEM?

WITHIN months of the Mangalore air crash in which hundreds lost their life we have a couple of rail accidents within three months! Every other day bus and car accidents take a toll on life. We are not safe even as pedestrians for hundreds get killed on the roads every year. Even at home we are not safe from burglaries and dacoities. All this may be a novel way to solve our population problems but isn’t it time we gave mega projects a break and concentrated instead on citizens’ safety at home and on the roads?

Tony Correia-Afonso,
Benaulim.

STOP MEGA HOUSING PROJECTS!

ALL housing projects including the one at Cansaulim-Arossim village need to be stopped and construction licences revoked immediately. These projects are against Goan interests and do not benefit Goenkars. Wherever construction licences are obtained by deceit or circumventing legal processes or by producing false master plans, we need to investigate the credentials of the parties concerned. The widespread manipulation and intimidation of people fighting for their right to live in peace and harmony with their surroundings, is an indication of the hidden agenda of many of these mega housing projects.

We, the people, would like to scrap all projects which have come up and are coming up in the near future courtesy gross violation of the laws of the land and corruption. Goenkars cannot afford to ignore the grabbing of their ancestral land by outsiders - something which is being compounded by politicians. We need to be careful of the type of people settling in their neighbourhood — especially when hard-core terrorists like Headley and Rana have hoodwinked our intelligence agencies and sneaked into our country on terrorist missions. Goa can do without 26/11 attacks.. We should be accountable to our children and our grandchildren and should not be like our elected MLAs and bureaucrats who are neither accountable nor responsible.

The fact that so many people are coming forward from different parts of Goa to unitedly oppose unfavourable housing projects indicates that justice will prevail. The High Court directive to stop issuing construction licences to multi-units in Colva village is a victory and the same will happen in other villages!

Nitin Kamat,
Via Email.

BLAME THE POLICE, NOT THE MOTHER!

I’M a student of Loyola High School, Margao, where the mother of the late Nadia Torrado taught for about three decades without any blemish. However, this is not character certificate for my former teacher, but to bring into perspective all that has appeared in the print and electronic media in the last couple of months.

Sonia Torrado is being criminalised for destroying evidence after Nadia’s controversial death. By including allegations of homicide and abetment of suicide, the case becomes non-bailable. A greater punishment is involved, so the Courts are reluctant to grant bail. The higher the punishment, the higher the chances of an accused absconding. Consequently, higher chances of longer remand periods. In my opinion, only to ensure that a person languishes in a lock up, when the police know there is no case, amounts to malicious prosecution.

A person destroying such items must be aware of the fact that items constitute "evidence". It is not the case of the police that they had directed or even requested her not to destroy the said items, or that they required such items. I am quite sure that none of the items would have been destroyed if the police had directed Sonia not to do so. However, having said that, the fact that she did not know that she was destroying evidence has to be proved by her. The police are within their rights in accusing her of the said offence and booking the same. That being said, the offence of destruction of evidence is a bailable offence, and bail is a matter of right. Merely denying such a right to be granted bail, the police have also accused her of causing Nadia’s death and contrary to such accusation, has also been accused of abetting suicide.

It is frustrating to see the manner in which the police and those shooting by placing their guns from the shoulders of the police - are aiming at another target altogether - are systematically destroying a family that has already undergone much trauma, The reputation of a gentle lady who is held in high esteem by numerous students who have passed out of Loyola High School every year, for the last three decades.

Mario de Loyola Furtado,
Margao.