In light of what's happening in Goa today with the mega-housing
projects, Nitin Kamat's article clearly brings out the anguish, pains,
hopes and wishes of the Goan people. Our politicians unfortunately are
the ones hell bent on destroying Goa through because of their immense
greed and through their devious schemings.
The struggle against the Gonsalves-Gates Project in Cansaulim that has
created a furore all over Goa and among even the NRI Goans stands out
as a glaring example where the unscruplous, corrupt and devious
Cortalim MLA Mauvin Godinho has gone about openly supporting Aboobakr
Shaikh a lackey of his dear cousin ex-Velsao Sarpanch and builder
Aggie Alcacoas (Queeny Realty) on behalf of the land-lords to
fraudulently hoist this mega-project and destroy yet another Goan
village. This is a classic case-study of all that's wrong in Goa
today and working in tandem with corrupt Government Bodies within the
Directorate of Panchayats, Town and Country Planning and Panchayats
who are hand in glove to destroy our beautiful Goa forever.
Please do voice your opinion against the mega-housing projects in Goa.
A thorough investigation by the Bombay High Court of Bombay into the
Gonsalves-Dias Gates Project in Cottar Vaddo Cansaulim bearing Survery
17/3 will expose this nexus, as clearly this stands out as a glaring
example of all what's wrong with our mega-housing projects in Goa
today and the evil that has deeply rooted itself in thanks to the
patronage of our our Goa Government and corrupt politicians.
Hopefully the current Assembly asks the Goa Government for some
explanations and stops them from taking Goa down the tracks to ruin
and destruction. It doesn't matter if you are from the North or the
South of Goa, Hindu or Christian please voice your opinions loud and
clear and put an end to the destruction of Goa through these
mega-housing projects that our wicked politicians want to hoist on Goa
and Goans.
Please read Nitin Kamat's article below.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Arwin Mesquita
Date: Wed, Jul 21, 2010 at 3:17 PM
Subject: [GoenchimXapotam] STOP ALL MEGA HOUSING PROJECTS INCLUDING
CANSAULIM (By Nitin Kamat)
To: goan-nri@yahoogroups.co.in, goanvoiceusa@yahoo.com,
qatar-goans@yahoogroups.com, ukgoanet@yahoogroups.com, goa world
Alliance
GOA
*STOP ALL MEGA HOUSING PROJECTS INCLUDING CANSAULIM*
All housing projects including the one in Cansaulim-Arossim village need to
be stopped and construction licences immediately revoked. These projects are
against Goan interests and do not benefit Goenkars in any way. Wherever
construction licences are obtained by deceit or illegally means by
circumventing legal processes or by producing false master plans, these need
to be investigated and the credentials of such people involved needs to be
scrutinised strictly by the law enforcing agencies and courts via suo moto
hearings and fast track courts to ensure that not only the common man avoids
unnecessary hardships but also to allow the justice system to prevail and
inspire. This will restore the confidence of people in the power of courts
in these difficult times which are ruled and manipulated by corrupt and
tainted representatives and bureaucracy. The fact that there are
manipulations and widespread intimidation to people fighting for justice
demonstrates their hidden agenda behind these mega housing projects and
hence it is left to us – “We” the people to scrap such projects permanently
which are nothing but detrimental the peace and prosperity of Goans. Now a
days a lot of such infamous projects have come to light which have been
approved by gross violations and illegal plans in collusion of our elected
representatives. Their determination to go against the wishes of the people
implicates them of widespread corruption and wrong doing.
Today a great tragedy has come to us in the form of these projects which are
raising their ugly heads, and we need to meet them with the best that is in
our state, with courage and concern for others because this is Goa . This is
who we are – true Goenkars.
Goans must not ignore the threat gathering against us namely the grabbing of
our ancestral land by the outsiders and imminent danger of leaving us
without an identity in our own land. Facing clear evidence of peril, we
cannot wait for the final proof, of being left out on the streets and
outsiders occupying our homes and villages. The mega housing projects will
house mostly non-Goans of the rich and famous from their vast accumulated
and unaccounted wealth thereby changing the demography of the state whereas
such housing cannot be afforded by most Goans, thanks to the bad governance
and lack of vision of elected representatives to tackle problems of
unemployment, poverty and education which has resulted in poor people
getting more poorer and the rich getting more richer. This has also
compounded their divide and rule policies and won them the loyalities of
many Goans who are helpless due to poverty and lack of employment avenues.
Goans also need to be careful of the type of people coming and settling in
our neighbourhoods especially when hard core terrorists like Headley and
Rana have hoodwinked our intelligence agencies and sneaked in our country
for organising terrorist missions. They have been successful in masquerading
and changing names and passports which caught the attention of the sleeping
agencies too late after so many tragic incidents. Since most Goans will not
be able to afford to stay in these housings it will be difficult to keep an
eye on such anti social elements and with the instances of builders like
Abobakr Sheik, the one constructing the housing project in Cansaulim, being
hell bent on driving the Goans out of their land, the consequences of
ignoring antisocial elements in our vicinity will be catastrophic. Goa will
not be able to bear another form of 26/11 claiming innocent lives.
We are accountable to our children and our grandchildren. We should not be
like our elected MLAs and bureaucrats without any accountability. We have a
duty, a duty to protect our identity, our land and hand it over to our
future generations. Today even the most advanced countries are reinventing
their immigration laws worldwide to safeguard the interest of their land.
There is a lot of slander being propagated that only Catholics are making a
noise and are against these developments. Being a non-Catholic, I am also
opposing the unfavourable housing mega developments along with other
affected people who also belong to my religion of Hinduism. Therefore can
anyone say that I'm a Catholic just because majority of the people in my
group fighting this injustice have their roots linked to Christianity? Not
at all. However everyone will do agree that we are ethnic Goans opposing the
wrong actions and demonstrating with democratic and peaceful means. And when
we say Goans we remain as true Goans fighting the divisive and corrupt
regimes irrespective of our religion or status in society. And so
politicians indulge in slander and malicious campaigns to divide and rule
Goans. They use such tools for their survival and to accumulate vast wealth
in seeking commissions from controversial projects. Can each of the elected
MLAs and panchayat members make their stand clear in public about their
support for the various housing projects? Can they prove their clean image
and do they have the integrity and values to distinguish themselves publicly
whether they are with the Goan people or are against them? Now that I am
also opposing the unfavourable housing mega developments, I am not counting
myself as a Hindu but as a patriotic Goan seeking a better future for Goa
and its ethnic Goans. And when we say Goans we remain as true Goans fighting
the divisive and corrupt regimes irrespective of our religion or status in
society.
Any government that supports, protects or harbours these monsorities is
complicit in the destruction of Goans and their identity. We need to send a
clear signal this time to the 40 cheats and thieves that we will not blink
in the face of danger, and will not tire when it comes to upholding the
interests of Goans. They ought to be shown the door in the coming elections
and new faces with integrity, professionalism and accountability should need
to be given a chance to Save Goa. We cannot accept ourselves being stooges
for the rest of our life nor should we remain second class citizens since we
are educated and know what is in best interest of us and Goa. We need to
choose our destiny and it is our choice to choose a better welfare and a
better future than allowing corrupt elected representatives to dictate our
destiny and jeopardise our well being by enforcing unfavourable mega housing
projects.
And in these trying times, the most solemn duty of any true Goan is to
protect Goa and its identity. The action we take and the decisions we make
in this decade will have consequences far into this century. If Goans shows
weakness and uncertainty or division now, Goa will drift toward tragedy.
The fight has started and hence we Goans need to move forward. Just as a
army of soldiers marches in the forward direction for a victory never to
turn back and we having taken the first initial steps to weed out high level
corruption, our fight also should be in the forward direction without being
demoralised at any point of time. No one goes to a battle field if victory
is not certain and no one will come forward to fight where they cannot win.
The fact that we see so many people coming forward from different parts of
Goa and united in fighting the unfavorable housing projects shows that
victory is certain against the corrupt and tainted and as usual in the end
truth will always prevail. All that is needed unity and our true leadership
lies in bringing people together and using all the democratic means to see
justice triumph. Our motivation and inspiration should be our legal justice
system and just to name a few are the best examples of bail being denied to
high profile mice who were evading the law enforcing agencies and that some
determined activists have got some victory in the courts, in their fight
against the destructive Monstrocities and high court directions to stop
issuing construction licenses to multi-dwelling units in the beautiful Colva
Village. The time has come to put an end to all wrong doings and say to our
selves “Enough is Enough”.
Viva Goa.
Yours Truly
Nitin Kamat
Via Email.
--
Please post your comments on my Blog: http://goanidentity.blogspot.com/
Please also see below:
1. Benaulim Village Action Committee: http://www.bvacbenaulim.blogspot.com/
2. "Rape of Goa" : http://www.parrikar.com/blog/the-rape-of-goa/
3. MAND - an adivasi-rights resource centre : http://mandgoa.blogspot.com/
4. EVERY GOAN SHOULD SEE THIS VIDEO:
http://infochangeindia.org/Infochange-documentary.html
5. For the Love of Konkani: http://www.radiogoa.net/
6. Goa's Identity Movement website: http://www.goamag.net/gim
7. Goa's Identity Movement group on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com//#/group.php?gid=193497031686
8. Official Government Site NRI Office (GOA): http://www.globalgoans.org.in/
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