MOPA AND DABOLIM AIRPORTS.
In all probability Mopa Airport is coming, may be tomorrow or the day after tomorrow but certainly it is coming unless it is vehemently opposed by a mass movement. Churchill Alemao claimed that he saved Dabolim Airport and happy about it, so too his hired supporters. Is Dabolim Airport saved? And if yes, from whom? Dabolim Airport is as good as robbed by the Indian Navy after the exit of Portuguese from Goa and they will not surrender its claim over this beautiful and historical Airport. To retain its hold over Dabolim Airport, interested persons and authorities are pushing Mopa so that once Mopa is completed then Dabolim will have no need, as it is used now, for civilian air traffic. Those interested in having monopoly over Dabolim Airport are pushing the finalization of Mopa even, reportedly, by silencing of its opponents by bribing them to the extent of crores. For this reason, may be those who were earlier opposing Mopa are now singing hosannas of Mopa. Those who are now supporting Mopa say Dabolim Airport will be upgraded. Upgrading of Dabolim means not removing its hold from Navy. Once Mopa is finalized then Navy will be free to have full control over Dabolim. For a small place like Goa 2 Airports of international standard for civilian Aircrafts are not required. Mopa alone will succeed in doing justice for the entire Goa once it is commissioned.
Churchill Alemao claims that he did justice for Dabolim Aiport. Fine. But will Dabolim Aiport remain, as it is, always as per the thinking of Churchill Alemao? What is Churchill’s power over Government of India and Indian Navy? Is Churchill that powerful to shake the might of Indian Navy? What guarantee Churchill can give of tomorrow’s happenings? In India anything can happen and regarding this topic Dabolim will surely go into the hands of Navy exclusively. Challenging the might of Navy and that of Government of India is beyond Churchill. Hence, if anybody thinks Dabolim is saved forever by Churchill then that person is living in fools’ paradise. Dabolim will be saved for civilian aircrafts only if Mopa Airport project is dislodged from Goa and shelved it forever.
It is said that one can fool all the people some time, some people all the time but surely one cannot fool all the people at all the time. Our politicians must stop fooling the people. They have fooled us enough. I am happy that after the last Goa Assembly election and after the tamasha made by Churchill Alemao and his group of trying to form their own Government under Parrikar, people in Goa started thinking what is right and what is wrong, who is good and who is bad. Even in Kuwait, Goans have started to talk and express their views on Churchill, Parrikar, Babush and others who were trying to dislodge the Digambar Kamat Ministry. Now all are keeping silence except Churchill with regular “Thank you Churchill Alemao” paid announcements in Herald for saving Dabolim Airport. Once again I say as per my assessment that Dabolim is not saved by Churchill Alemao. On the contrary, by not opposing Mopa Airport, Dabolim for civilian aircrafts is brought to the cemetery for its silent burial.
R.I.P. Dabolim Airport for civilian aircrafts.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
