THE GREAT GOAN UPRISING ARTICLE PUBLISHED VERSION

The article on The Great Goan Uprising published by HERALD.

Apologies for bad resolution, will try getting a better copy scanned.















Original Article: Click Here

Govt to frame new rules for constructions

In my repeated visits to Goa, asking the Shri Morad Ahmed, as to what can his office do make Goa the model state, aligning development with needs of locals seems to not have gone to deaf ears, specially with peoples movement coming shape across Goa.

HERALD REPORTER

PANJIM, MAY 19 — The Goa Government is in the process of giving final touches to a set of new regulations for laying down unified procedures for land development and constructions across the State.
The Government will invite objections and suggestions from the public on the draft regulations within a month, Chief Town Planner, Morad Ahmad told Herald. As per the Goa (Regulation of Land Development and Building Construction) Act, 2008, public view is to be obtained for a period of 30 days by issuing a notification.
This is going to be a unified regulation for any kind of construction in the State of Goa and apprehensions are already being raised by the panchayats and municipalities over the issue.
The Bill was passed in the last Assembly session mainly to introduce centralized regulations which as of now are being executed separately by local bodies – panchayats, municipalities and municipal corporation besides PDAs. The three institutions are currently having their rules for land development and building constructions.
Sources said the regulations would provide for zoning of the land, general requirement of land development, group housing, sub-division of land including amalgamation of plots,preservation and conservation and importantly, procedure for seeking development permission from panchayats, municipal councils/corporation and Planning & Development Authorities (PDAs).
According to the provision of the Act, any application for land development or construction of building received by the Panchayat/municipal council/municipal corporation would be forwarded by them to the respective district level/taluka level office of Town & Country Planning Department for obtaining No Objection Certification (NOC) from planning point of view.
The Act also envisages an interim provision to facilitate the authorities to follow the regulations, bye-laws and rules which are being followed until the new rules and regulations come into force.
The Government will set up a Steering Committee headed by the Chief Minister as its chairman which in turn will appoint a Sub-Committee consisting of Director of Municipal Administration, Director of Panchayats, chairman of Goa Chamber of Commerce & Industry, chairman of Goa Chamber of Housing Industry, a representative each of registered local chapter/association of town planners, engineers and architects to consider objections and suggestions received from the public. It will have to submit a report to the Steering Committee within two months.
The Steering Committee, after considering the report of the sub-committee, will submit its report with recommendations, to the Government within 30 days of receipt of the sub-committee’s report.

Mining activities kick dust in Bicholim

The peoples movement in Bicholim, resulting in the first ever large movement in Bicholim Taluka.

HERALD CORRESPONDENT

Patnekar, 70 others arrested
HERALD CORRESPONDENT
MAYEM, MAY 19 — Tension gripped Advalpal-Bicholim on Monday, as hundreds of irate villagers staged a protest rally and forcibly stopped mining activities in the village.
Bicholim MLA Rajesh Patnekar and 70 agitators were later arrested in the connection, even as villagers have threatened to intensify their agitation if mining companies do not stop operations in the village within eight days.
Residents have been opposing mining activities in the village, ever since mining companies resumed operations two years ago, after a gap of about 40 years.
Villagers were aggrieved that despite several complaints to authorities, mining operations continued unabated.
Left with no option, villagers then convened a meeting two weeks ago to chalk out their future course of action. When authorities failed to break the deadlock between the agitating residents and mining companies, residents of Advalpal decided to stop mining activities on Monday.
Incidentally, villagers first sought blessings of the local goddess Shantadurga at the local temple, before stopping all trucks and vehicles linked to mining activities. The protestors then went to three mining sites and forcibly stopped operations, including loading of ore.
Bicholim Deputy Collector Arvind Bugde, DySP Bosco Silva, Bicholim PI Braz Menezes, Mamlatdar Upendra Bhat, PSI Tukaram Walke and a police team rushed to the spot. But they could do little to persuade villagers to disperse from the site.
Efforts to persuade Bicholim MLA Rajesh Patnekar, who was also at the site, met with little success. “I will always be with the villagers as they are facing acute hardship. It is my responsibility to support them for their safety,” said Patnekar.
Mining companies then lodged a complaint against the villagers, but the police was initially reluctant to arrest any of the protestors. But when talks between the villagers and mining officials broke down in the afternoon, mining operations resumed in the evening. The agitators then rushed to a mining site and tried to stop the operations. Police then arrested Patnekar and 70 agitators under Section 151 IPC.
Angered by the arrest of MLA Patnekar and 70 others, a number of women rushed to the Bicholim police station and squatted on the floor in protest for about two hours. Patnekar and 70 others were later released on bail by the Deputy Collector.
The agitators, however, vowed to continue their protests till mining activities are stopped in the village.
“We are determined to fight unto death and nobody will stop us from doing so” warned Shyamsundar Naik, leader of the agitating residents.
“Mine owners and Government officials are working in collusion to finish Advalpal village, which was once full with lush green hills and natural heritage. Water bodies like springs and wells have been destroyed, while there is sound and air pollution in the entire village,” he said.

Kalem locals want action against ‘polluting’ plant

The awakening of Goan masses and its ripple effects....more...

BY HERALD REPORTER
MARGAO, MAY 19 - Agitated residents of Kalem on Monday asked district Collector, G P Naik to initiate action against a sponge iron plant for alleged pollution.
The residents warned to take the law in their own hands if the government fails to intervene and redress the grievances of the people of Kalem.
Black-colour dust, which the residents claim is polluting the houses of the people of Kalem was kept before the Collector for his attention and action.
Saying that they have lost faith in the Goa Pollution Control Board, the residents underlined the need for quick action before the situation takes an ugly turn.
The Collector gave a patient hearing to the residents and assured that the issue needs to be examined on legal grounds. He said the matter would be referred to the law department for examination as the company recently got a relief from the supreme court.
Meanwhile, the Collector today issued strict instructions to the police and RTO to explore the possibility of building road bypasses at Curchorem and Quepem.
This follows a petition made by the residents against loaded mining trucks entering the Curchorem market and causing traffic congestion.
The residents maintained that a by-pass could solve the problem of acute traffic congestion in the Curchorem market.
The authorities, including the Traffic police and the RTO were given directions to prepare the feasibility report within four days and submit the report to the Collector .

Nuvem infrastructure fails to keep pace with time

The awakening of Goan masses and its ripple effects....

BY HERALD REPORTER
MARGAO, MAY 19 - If Nuvem villagers are up in arms over the construction of 40 bungalows, the message is loud and clear for the powers that be - don’t issue indiscriminate licences for mega housing projects without taking into account basic infrastructure requirements.
It’s prime location on the NH-17 - right on the northern entrance to Margao — and the booming real estate is an indication that Nuvem is the destination for many a settler in Goa.
Sadly, many a local feels the infrastructure has not kept pace with the booming housing constructions mushrooming in Nuvem countryside.
Take for instance, the fish market. While one find bungalows perched on a hillock as one enters Nuvem from Margao, fisher folks continue to sell fish from a makeshift market right adjoining the highway - bringing to the fore the absence of basic infrastructure.
That the local MLA and Power Minister, Aleixo Sequeira has now taken up work on the proposed market is not in dispute, but the fact remains that infrastructure has failed to keep pace with the changing times in Nuvem, which is fast acquiring urban features.
Leave alone market facilities, the village is grappling with the garbage menace. No garbage disposal facility has been identified by the local body and locals wonder where the garbage generated in the new housing complexes would find their way in the absence of any dumpyard.
That agitated villagers are opposed to the mega project - relating to 40 bungalows with swimming pool facility — is an indication that the locals would no longer take things lying down now.
When contacted, Local MLA Alexio Sequeira said issuing construction licences is the domain of the local village Panchayat body. “It’ for the Panchayat to assess the infrastructural requirements before granting permissions for new constructions”, he added.
Nuvem Sarpanch, Antonio Barretto, who came under fire at the Sunday’s gram Sabha meeting, however, said that technical agencies such as the PWD and the Town and Country Planning department should guide the Panchayat body on technical and basic infrastructure such as roads, water, power et al.
“Why is the Panchayat blamed when these technical agencies approve the construction plans”, he asked and disclosed plans to approach the government to define the meaning of mega housing projects.
However, Town and Country Planning officials maintained that it’s purely for the local Panchayat body to evaluate the existing infrastructure and then only to forward the file for technical approval. “If the Panchayat feels so, the file can be returned back to the builder at the Panchayat level itself.”, a TCP official said.

Liberation Movement of Advalpal People

Source:http://www.mandgoa.blogspot.com/

“It’s like Liberation Movement of Advalpal from colonial mindset of miners”. This is how Ramesh Gauns sums up the Advalpal people’s revolt in Bicholim taluka against open cast iron ore and magnesium mining.

Around 600 villagers marched on the mines leased out to Litho Ferro, Sesa Goa, and Salgaoncar mining companies this morning. At around 4 pm two villagers were arrested while on a delegation to deputy collector’s office in Bicholim. Shamsunder Naik and Kashinath Gad were whisked away by police officials attached to Bicholim police station.

As a quick reaction to the above arrests, around 500 people descended at the Bicholim Police station in two vans offering their arrests too. Police were in the process of completing formalities of arrests when the report last came in at 6.45pm.

Section 151 of CrPC was applied to register cases against over 100 Advalpal protestors today.

Large number of women is also a part of the 500 strong group that has gone to court arrest at Bicholim police station, in fact one van is full of women and the other of men.

Reports received at 8 pm discloses that Fomento mining company had filed police cases against following 12 Advalpal villagers Shyamsunder Naik, Sharmila Naik, Kishore Naik, Kashinath Gad, Vijay Pundloskar, Ganesh Naik, Babi Gaonkar, Suresh Gad, Shrikant Gaonkar, Manguesh Gad, Amar Shetye and Pradip Gaonkar. The cases were registered under following sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC): 143, 144, 147, 148, 323, 427, 341, 506 and 149.

Out of these 4 people were arrested namely, Shyamsunder Naik, Sharmila Naik, Kishore Naik and Kashinath Gad. The process of releasing them on bail was on when the last reports came in.

Fometos are operating Litho Ferro mining lease in Advalpal and has one of the worst records in applying State police force and entire machinery to silence people's protests. The best examples of these are Colamb in Sanguem and Pissurlem in Sattari talukas.

While all these protests are raging throughout the state of Goa, Government continues continues to be active collaborator of Goa's mining plunder and loot.


Sebastian Rodrigues with input from Shyamsunder Naik in Police custody at Bicholim Police Station, Bicholim, Goa.

Benaulim panchayat seeks revocation of licences of mega housing projects

MARGAO — The Benaulim gram sabha on Sunday passed a resolution seeking revocation of licences to all the mega housing projects in Benaulim village with retrospective effect from January 26, 2007.

Changing their earlier stand, all the panchas, including the sarpanch, Ms Maria Fernandes, bowed to public pressure and assured the villagers that they would not allow any mega housing projects in their respective wards and the village at large.

“We do not want projects in our village, which will cause harm to the villager and the children of the village. Since the people of Benaulim don’t want such projects, I too am with you and oppose such mega projects,†the sarpanch said after the villagers sought assurance from all the 11 panchas on the issue.

The sarpanch informed that all the housing projects have been issued inspection notice and that the inspection would be completed within the next fortnight. She also said those violating the laws would be given show-cause notice and action would be initiated. Ms Fernandes promised the gram sabha that report would be presented at the next meeting, which will be held on June 1

The people, who had gathered in large numbers, appreciated the stand taken by the panchas in opposing the mega housing projects. Over 600 people had gathered for the gram sabha, which was re-convened after it got adjourned on May 11.

The Benaulim gram sabha was once again adjourned for the second time till June 1 after the sarpanch failed to give satisfactory replies to many of the queries put forth by the people. The marathon gram sabha which lasted over five hours could take up only six issues for discussion as the villagers alleged that the panchayat is taking the people for granted and wasting their time.

Earlier, the villagers took serious exception to the absence of the Benaulim panchayat secretary, Mr Menino Carvalho. The villagers alleged that Mr Carvalho is avoiding the gram sabhas. However, it was informed that Mr Carvalho is on medical leave and that he had informed the BDO about the same.

The villagers alleged that the panchayat is bypassing procedures and that it has failed to curb irregularities because of their vested interests. They also asked the panchayat to discuss all mega projects with the villagers before issuing licences to them.

Heated arguments continued throughout the day as the panchas and the sarpanch traded allegations and counter-allegations against each other after irregularities in the procedures in issuing licences for the housing projects came to light.

As the people scrutinised the mass irregularities in the housing projects the sarpanch was in a fix as she failed to give proper replies to the queries posed by the villagers. The sarpanch and the stand-in secretary also had to face the ire of the villagers as they failed to take a resolution over a housing project in the village.

The villagers also demanded revocation of licences of all the housing projects which have come up after January 26, 2007. However, pancha, Ms Carmelina Fernandes informed that it would not be possible to revoke the licences of all projects, however, those who have violated the laws would be taken to task.

Ramesh Gauns

Ramesh Gauns, a citizen in Goa is fighting all odds to stop mining in the state. For 13 years, he has been trying to mobilise people into raising a voice against the devastation and asking the government to stop clearing mining licenses in Goa.

Watch the Video of about this ONE MAN ARMY- CNN IBN

State told to probe into Collem mine

State told to probe into Collem mine

HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, MAY 15 — The Central Empowerment Committee of the Supreme Court on Thursday asked the State Government to probe into the Prafulla Hede mines at Collem, which is allegedly operating on forest land.
The CEC today ordered a probe and in a letter to the Chief Secretary asked the State Government to respond in the matter. It has asked the Government to find whether the mine was operating in violation of forest conservation rules.
A second letter has been made to the Chief Conservator of Forests to know how Prafulla Hede mine had encroached upon 1,000 sq m of forestland.
Claude Alvares of Goa Foundation had filed an urgent petition in the apex court against the mine.
On May 8, a team of CNN-IBN, led by its environmental editor Bahar Dutt and Alvares, had to face the wrath of the mine’s manager and his staff when they had gone to shoot the illegal mining operation.
A crowd that gathered around the team that day tried to snatch the camera, but luckily it managed to come of the place under police protection and save the tape, which had the footage of the illegal mining.
The footage was shown on CNN-IBN today and a repeat telecast of the same is scheduled on Friday morning.

VIDEO SHOWING COMPLETE VIOLATION CAUGHT BY CNN IBN

De Souza Trust Goa Scholarship 2008

UK Scholarship for dynamic young Goan Indians
De Souza Trust Goa Scholarship 2008

The British Council invites young Indian men and women who are born of Goan parents or those who have been living and working in Goa for the past ten years to apply for the De Souza Trust Goa Scholarship for the forthcoming academic year. The Scholarship covers part or full tuition fees. The British Council arranges for a gratis UK visa for the duration of the course. All other costs are to be borne by the student.

The applicant should:

•be an Indian citizen
•be resident in Goa or born of Goan parents
•be not more than 35 years old
•have track record for excellence in academic or extra curricular achievement
•have confirmed admission for any technical/ vocational/ academic course of study in the UK for up to one year

Application forms can be downloaded from the website www.britishcouncil.org.in/scholarships

Completed forms must reach the British Council office in Mumbai (address below) by 30 June 2008.

De Souza Trust Goa Scholarships
British Council Division
British Deputy High Commission
Mittal Tower, C Wing, 2nd Floor,
Nariman Point, Mumbai 400 021

For further information about the scholarship call Mrinal on 022-22790149 or email desouza.scholarships@in.britishcouncil.org

Goa People Movement Update

Kalay locals upset over carbon project

SANGUEM, MAY 12 – Residents of Kalay-Sanguem are outraged over the proposed mega carbon project, which is likely to come in the village.
Speaking to Herald, a villager, Vinay Gaonkar, said a signature campaign is underway and the representations would be forwarded to the authorities.
The villagers are expected to gather in large numbers for the gram sabha, which is scheduled for May 25.
Villagers have claimed that the company, despite having large-scale mining operations in the village, has not paid any heed to grievances of the villagers.
“If the company sets up the project, the village would be destroyed on all fronts,” said one local.
“The site is near the Kalay River, which supplies water to Opa Water Treatment Plant. The water supply to Opa plant may be severely affected if the proposed plant is allowed,” added the local.
The villagers claimed that the site is also in close vicinity to the lone government-run agricultural farm in the village, which forms the basic source of fodder and fruit-bearing plants. To make matters worse, the veterinary hospital is also not far away from the proposed site.
The villagers have alleged that the company has started its process to approach the panchayat for NOC.
Claiming that Kalay village is already polluted due to activities of mining companies, besides an iron, sponge and steel manufacturing plants, villagers said they have hardly benefited from the operation of the mining companies.

Collem, Mollem locals threaten agitation

PANAJI, MAY 12 – Residents of Collem and Mollem (Sanguem) and Torsem (Pernem) have threatened to protest over different issues in their villages.
Collem correspondent adds: Residents of Collem and Mollem have threatened with protests of road blockade, if the authorities fail to start the hot mixing and widening of the remaining three-km stretch of the road between Godakawada-Bimbal and Mollem by May 31.
It may be recalled that the six-km stretch road from Mollem to Collem had been unattended by the authorities for more than six years. The road widening and hot mixing work, started in the last week of March and was completed upto Godakawada.

The contractor stopped the remaining work. The road has been largely used by buses, tipper trucks and others to ply along the Sanvordem, Margao, Ponda and Valpoi routes.
Pernem correspondent adds: Residents of Naik waddo and Katche temb of Torsem have threatened a morcha outside the Torsem panchayat on May 14.
The villagers are agitated over the panchayat’s failure to clear the illegal occupying and encroachment by some locals on the public road along the main road to Naika waddo-Torsem.
Locals have complained of traffic congestion due to illegal encroachments on the road. “We are demanding action for the last several months. We have now asked the sarpanch to act fast,” a local told Herald.

ENAULIM ROARS AGAIN

Dando meet vows to stop mega housing projects in State

BY HERALD REPORTER
MARGAO, MAY 12 –
The Dando grounds at Benaulim resounded with cries against mega housing projects along Salcete’s coastal belt, with the people vowing to fight till the end to stop housing projects which are not in the interest of Goa and Goans.
Speakers also questioned the government’s silence in not taking cognizance of the ongoing movement against mega housing projects and warned that the people would rise up and show the ruling dispensation its due place.
“We shall not rest till the government stops all mega housing projects in the State. The battle is not just to stop the sale of Goa, but to protect the land of our ancestors for posterity,” thundered Fr Maverick Fernandes at the huge and impressive public meeting held at the Dando grounds on Monday evening.
The meeting held under the banner of Ganv Ghor Rakhonn Manch resolved that all mega housing projects be kept on hold till the Regional Plan is finalised on the basis of the Village Development Plans.
The meeting set the agenda for housing projects and requirements, demanding that all proposals of gated communities and mega projects must be scrutinised and studied by the Gram Sabha and that panchaayts and government agencies must facilitate the process of creating need based Village Development Plans with the active involvement of villagers.

The meeting further resolved that all new buildings should have the mandatory provisions for rain water harvesting, garbage management sewage treatment plants, planting of trees etc.
“We will strive to connect to all village movements and work together to secure our right as enshrined in the 73rd Amendment to the Constituency,” stated another resolution, adding that the basic needs of water, electricity and other needs of affordable housing be addressed on an urgent and priority basis.
In his spirited address, Fr Maverick Feranndes said Goa should remain for Goans and called upon the people to protect the State at all cost. The huge crowd said a firm No when Fr Fernandes asked whether they can afford to buy flats and bungalows costing lakhs of rupees. “For whom are these projects meant for. Are they in the interest of Goa and Goans,” he demanded to know.
Saying that people are forced to come on the streets to seek justice, Fr Fernandes said people of Goa have the strength to take on the might of the lobbies working against the interest of Goa and Goans.
He underlined the need to formulate Village Development Plans to protect the scarce land for the villagers and to determine the development in the villages.
Activist Ramesh Gauns asked the government to stop all mega housing projects in villages till a policy regulating housing is put in place.
“The government has no policy to regulate housing. The government has to come out with a policy,” he demanded.
Gauns called upon people to participate in the Gram Sabhas to make sure that no decision on mega projects be taken without public approval. “Neither the Panchayat nor an MLA or Minister can bring any project against the wishes of the people,” he added.
Women activist, Sabina Martins expressed her happiness that the people from Salcete’s coastal belt have come out to determine the nature of development in their area.
”Only local people should determine the development they want in their neighbourhood. Builders and others cannot dictate terms to local people,” she said.
She wondered whether Goa required mega housing projects at al when the population growth is negligible. “These mega projects do not add to Goa’s development,” she added.
Martins called upon the people to insist on preparation of a village development plan to determine their future.
Goa Hitrakhan Manch President Serafino Cota said the mega housing projects would bring in hordes of outsiders to the State. “These projects are being built without any requirements,” he said, adding that Goan builders should build affordable and economical housing that meet the requirements of Goan families.

Minguel Braganza enlightened the huge gathering about the planning needs of the villages. He said mega housing projects are not in the interests of the people.
He reminded that it were the people of Salcete who gave statehood to Goa when attempts were made to merge the State with Maharashtra.
GBA member Pravin Sabnis, Ida Coutinho, Elvis Gomes, Casiano Fernandes and others also spoke on the occasion.
PEOPLE’S PROTEST: In wake of the protests from various villages against the mega housing projects, the South Goa MP Francisco Sardinha today stated that the government needs to decide on the matter at the earliest.
Sardinha said that the government has to hold a meeting with the various NGOs, sarpanches and other representatives and chalk out a future course of action.
“It is high time we decide what we want either development or not,” he said.

The people’s opposition is mainly due to the existing infrastructure like water, electricity and roads and it has to be sorted out, he said.

Jai Hind

Navendu Shirali

Citizens garner support to save villages in Goa

MARGAO, MAY 7 – These certainly are not political meetings as one would assume to be repeatedly taking place in Salcete’s coastal belt.

But, meetings of small groups of anxious and worried citizens garnering support to launch a sustained movement to preserve and protect their villages from being destroyed and degraded by builders with mega housing projects.
In a way, Salcete’s coastline – from Carmona to Varca, Benaulim and Colva – is playing host to meetings of local residents to take the ongoing disorganised battle against mega housing projects to its logical conclusion.
Herald understands that residents are being mobilised from village to village to bring them under one banner to save the villages from destruction.
Towards this end, the organisers are meeting in the villages with different groups working in the same direction and to organise a mammoth meeting at Dando ground Benaulim by next week.
Sources in the know say, the meeting will set out an agenda for the government and the local self-governing bodies on housing and the needs of local residents.
These meetings assumes significance given that state-level group titled Ganv Bachao Abhiyan is proposed to be launched shortly to save the villages for posterity.
“It is high time people opposing mega housing projects are being organized under one banner and fight the battle jointly”, remarked a prominent social activist, who has been actively involved in brining the various groups under one banner.
He observed that outside builders are slowly trying to set up projects along the state’s countryside, especially the coastal belt, taking advantage of the real estate boom.
“But, we local citizens are more worried about the existing infrastructure, which is pathetic and inadequate to meet the present requirements”, the activist said.
Meanwhile, the Vasvado ward of Benaulim saw residents of Tamdimati, Vasvado holding a meeting at Zarbo Khuris to object to a potential mega housing project in the area.
The meeting was addressed by Benaulim Villagers Action Committee (BVAC) activists, besides local citizens. A local residents, Michael Rodrigues set the ball rolling against the Panchayat body for keeping the concerned citizens in the dark about the construction projects.
BVAC Chairperson Geraldine Fernandes and Rudolf Baretto questioned the logic of the three Panchayat members for seeking explanation from a local Parish Priest.
The meeting also hold a meeting at Vaddie, Vaswaddo, Benaulim later this week. A meeting at Colva village was held this evening.

Chodan-Madel locals to revoke housing project licence

PANJIM, MAY 6 – The Gram Sabha of Chodan-Madel panchayat on Sunday resolved to revoke the licence granted to a plush housing project in the village.At a heated debate in the Community hall, residents demanded that Sarpanch Prasad Chodankar revoke the licence granted for a ‘gated project’ involving five villas along with five swimming pools, stated a press note issued by former sarpanch Shrikrishna Haldankar.Members raised queries as to how the Delhi-based promoter was given permission to convert a cultivated paddy field at Madel for the project, despite opposition from the local panch.Members have demanded that henceforth no major project should be passed without the approval of the Gram Sabha.The resolution, moved by former sarpanch Rama Kubal and seconded by Mr Haldankar, was unanimously passed at the meeting.Cutting of hills and illegal filling of marshy areas was vehemently objected, with villagers calling upon Mr Chodankar to initiate prompt action on the perpetrators.Poor ferry service along the Ribandar-Madel route also came to the fore, with the formation of a 10-member committee to take up the issue to the River and Navigation Minister, the press note added.Irregular water supply and water scarcity was brought to the notice of Mr Chodankar, who promised to look into the matter. Queries were also raised as to how the PWD disconnected the public taps, without providing free water supply to the poor families.The Panchayat-level Development Committee could not be constituted at the meeting and is likely to be constituted at a specially convened Gram Sabha on May 25.

Invitation to Participate in Youth Conference 1st June to 8 June

Hi,

It gives me great pleasure to invite you to participate in 'Lets Make A Difference' , the annual Youth Conference organized by IofC ('Initiatives of Change') at Asia Plateau, Panchgani, Maharashtra for the age group of 17 to 27 years. This is a 7 day residential conference which starts on the 1st of June 2008 and concludes on the 8th of June 2008. . Participants have to arrive before 3.00 p.m. on 1st June, those who are traveling long distance and convenient transport connections are not available, can arrive at Asia Plateau on 31st May, and can depart any time after lunch on 8th June.

During my graduation I was sent to this Conference by my Principal in 2002, ever since that I have been participating as it has helped me tremendously in my personal life, my family, my career and in my little contribution towards the society.

This conference aims to inspire and motivate youth to realize their inner strengths, to strengthen their value system and lead in their objectives contributing towards a cleaner, calmer and fairer world. To achieve this, we take the participants on an inward journey wherein they introspect and understand themselves better, thus helping them to initiate changes in their lives to make a difference. This would be done through various interactive and fun filled activities that would be conducted throughout the 7 days of the conference.

This Youth Conference is being conducted for over 10 years, attended by cross section of Indian Youth from various backgrounds and states. IofCis a non-profit organization which works for a better world by bringing out the best in people. It encourages every individual to find his or her unique contribution to the transformation needed in the world - starting with oneself.

I met young Indians, discussing and making road maps on how they can make a difference for making India a better Country. I saw young Journalism students choosing Rural Journalism from the comfortable metro stories; seen Harsh quitting his lucrative job for preparing for IAS. A young Goan, Dyson Misquita quitting his inherited restaurant business & placement job in National Aids Control Organization for working in Uttaranchal mountains for Health Programs. Deepa, an architect from Ankleshwar shared with audience that for many years she has never used a single plastic bag and she was instrumental in conducting moral value based Workshop for 75 school children. Zulfikar Khan a theatre artist, quit his mainstream work in Chandigarh and started night theatre schools for boys in slums, who would shoe shine or collect garbage. Next Generation of many businessmen committing to ethical standards in their business.

Each one asking themselves "How can I make the difference".

Dashmesh, from Nagpur who inherited his father's business empire had bought acres of land near wildlife sanctuary. It is in his introspection that he saw a power to transform the lives of youngsters in the nearby village who were glued to gambling, spurious liquor. He is now working towards rebuilding the schools, sponsoring the village youth to participate in Youth Conference.

Krishna Lohar, an young teacher from Jharkhand, decided to pursue his dream of building a school in an Adivasi area. In spite of all odds, he managed to make a school without paying a single bribe. A teacher from Panchgani spent a year teaching in Nagaland, as his contribution to bridge the gap between Nagas and Indians.

A young couple from IIM-A, gave up all their time for composing and singing songs that promote communal harmony. Power of inner voice is something special, my friend for example quit his corporate job in IBM Daksh to join Department of Agriculture in Karnataka. In last 6 months, he has been instrumental in building 85 greenhouses for farmers across North Karnataka.

It might sound as place for social realization. But that's incorrect, I have seen many siblings speaking and hugging to each other after many years. Relationships which were broken being bridged. Nuclear families coming together. I have seen a Hindu fundamentalist once arrested under TADA first time in his life hugging Muslim.

To quote my friend Bhanu " At a societal level, such individuals create an atmosphere of hope, honesty & healing which is essential for any development. Because they have taken steps of change in their own lives, they have faith that even others can change like their personal lives and their surroundings can become different. This empowerment is experiential and not just cerebral. They no longer feel cynical or apathetic, they become initiators of Change"

I urge you to participate in this year's 'Lets Make A Difference' Youth Conference, it truly will be amazing experience.

Let's Make A Difference - Brochure[http://www.dotsolhost.com/LMAD2008.doc]

Let's Make a Difference - Application Form [http://www.dotsolhost.com/LMADForm.pdf

For any queries please feel free to contact me, also inform your friends and relatives about this so they can join you.

Please read

Website : http://www.in.iofc.org/abt/faqs/

http://www.lifepositive.com/Mind/Spiritual-travel/Life-MRA.asp

Jai Hind

On behalf of the Youth Team,

Navendu Shirali

Mobile-9342593393

THE GOAN UPRISING

In this article I am not considering the presence of our Members of Legislative Assembly, their presence in our state is more focused on their survival of ministry and musical chairs. They will get their desired fate next elections. So this article is more focused on Government Employees and us, the citizens of Goa.

Once considered slow and peaceful Goans, are now showing signs of restlessness and relentless fight. Over last few months, I have met many Goans, who are restless with one question in their mind…“How can I contribute to make my state better”…it is this question that has realized into tremendous mass movements in pockets of Goa.

In the last few months, we have witnessed many mass movements in different parts of Goa,

• the perseverant struggle of Carmona Panchayat against the real estate lobby,
• Patient villagers in Siridao-Palem Panchayat now, expressing their voice
• Tired villagers of Mollem panch Panchayat who have been fighting for decades for protection of their habitat are now vocal till the capital
• Betul-Naqueri Canaguinim Citizens Action Committee (BNCCAC) and Nuem-Cola Bachao Andolan (NCBA) who are questioning the benefits of proposed Food Park.
• Villagers in Aldona Panchayat fighting against proposed housing project at Lankdem-Panth in Carona-Aldona
• the struggle of Cuncolim Citizens Action Committee against Delhi-based Vigneshwara Developwell Ltd
• Awareness campaign of Save Goa in amongst buyers in Delhi at “Goa Real Estate Show”
• the struggle of citizens in Colamb village, Sanguem Taluka led by Gawda, Kunbi, Velip & Dhangar Federation (GAKUVED) against mining company
• closer to capital the never ending issue of Bambolim Project, (Many confused whether it’s a private villas or private hotel)
• Lokancho Adhar – a non governmental organization, which has asked Chief Minister Digambar Kamat to immediately direct all the government departments and corporations to have a complete Citizens Charter within two months from now.
• Uproar in social circles about the Amendment of Section 16 ,Town and Country Planning Act, enabling the government with greater powers to fast track so called development projects

Behind all these movements and struggle don’t lye political interests but lye’s the struggle of the “AAM AADMI” now battling for his survival. AAM AADMI is now JAAM AADMI, as one Journalist confided. The AAM AADMI is becoming tired and angry from exploitation of his silence.

There are many citizen protests which never make it to the newspapers, they go on, without our support and notice, many fighting for their survival in this materialistic world. Editors of many newspapers are compelled not to publish some of these stories due to stakeholder interests.

This article might sound anti-development. But the word development is double edged sword, as it depends on the beneficiary of this development.The bigger Question that should be asked on every table in the Government, Panchayat, architects, Collectors, Town and Country Planning, GCZMA, Citizens Committee and homes of all citizens is “DEVELOPMENT FOR WHOM?” Does it make the rich richer, and make the poor poorer? Does it increase the gap of have’s and have not’s? Does it increase migration? Does it make us self sufficient? Why are there protests?

Somehow, many policies and actions of Government occur without prior intimation and taking citizen’s confidence. There is greater disconnect between the planned benefits and ground reality level benefits. It’s apt for Government agencies to grumble that if they start asking Citizens for before every project, then there will be no implementation but only discussions. But there are ways to make discussions time oriented and mechanisms to make policies citizen friendly.

Government Officers, I have interacted say bring me 2 NGOs who can come on consensus. From their lens NGOs / Environmentalists are their enemies, as they seem to oppose everything that has come from their table. Some of the Government Officers feel that job creation should help Indians and not specifically Goans. So now lies the blame game. The Government Offices on one side and NGOs/ Citizen Movements on the other. And in between this animosity is GOA ON SALE. There is no platform were collectively policy making, policy management and execution is done mutually. A project is planned not by interviewing the demands and skills of the citizens but assumed benefits by the bureaucrats based on their experience.

For last 3 years, there has been rampant real estate housing construction. Have the bureaucrats identified number of locals who are staying in rented homes and their per capita incomes. Then what economic sense is it making by clearing residential projects which are not affordable to them.

Many Bureaucrats might disagree with my suggestion of working together with NGOs and Citizen Committee as they create never ending discussions. But, if these discussions don’t happen, then protests which are so far non violent might become violent, and one of the causes would definitely be overlooking proactive involvement of citizens. The fire of mass movement is spreading, and spreading fast, if the government doesn’t listen to these protests, its just a matter of time to see Goa erupt as another Nandigram. With villagers, students and AAM AADMI blocking the roads, burning the state machinery, kidnapping project developers and more anarchy which this state doesn’t need.

It is not right to just discard revolt in today’s India as just something that is creation of political benefits or environmentalist’s ideology. Many of us make love to make candid statements that this protest is done by that political rivalry or branding an NGO as Anti-Development. But in most cases the protests that are sustained with mass participation are genuine.

I have met many Goans, who sit comfortably in their home and love labeling certain social citizens who are fighting in these protests, as “Church or RSS lobbied” or “anti-development” or “BJP man” or “Communist”, and this habit has made all of them a nice seasonal patriot. Who based on the season and mood of the society would choose to show patriotic feelings. But when it comes to doing something for his land, he would choose get back to his excuses and labeling the doers.

Then there is a second kind of Citizens, the traitor who rests in the comforts of struggle fought by fellow citizens, with mind filled with cynism and hopelessness, with stereotype statements “Kai zavuche na” or “kuch nahi hoga is desh mein”. I hate this kind of traitor, because all they can do while their motherland is being sold is discourage others.

There lies another problem that I have observed many of the organizations or citizen committees, though fighting for the same objective are divided. They have non-visible differences, which comes out in private personal talk, a difference based of community, religion or political alliance. Net result many Politicians; Real Estate Developers and Unethical Corporate use them against each other. Something similar to the failure of the Indian Rebellion of 1857.

There is some point that these protests are trying to make, many of them have hope that things will change for better. Its highlight of this state, that these protests have not become violent yet. Citizens still trust the government, judiciary, and their fellow citizens understand their struggle. They go to sleep, thinking someday this struggle might pay dividends. It is this hope that makes society change and evolves. Soon this society will evolve to extent that it will vote out any non performing government, Panchayat or MLA.

If this hope fades, it would become another Bihar, where mob justice is accepted. Where citizens collectively under rage and insanity triggered by frustration, income inequality and helplessness resort to violent means to punish.

A time has come, when we cannot just sit in with newspapers and reflect to our family that politicians have put this state on sale. No, time has changed, we as a society must adapt, we must as a family take some time off from our favorite TV programs and Sunday siesta to network with families and people fighting for a cause. We must spare some talk time of our mobile for not cricket & TV serials chatter, but something more meaningful. If we are aligned to political party, we must question our party workers, about what role can we play.

The politician sitting on opposition, must not wait for his chance to be in power. He must be out there without any political ideology supporting citizens in his area, giving them crucial information, inspiring them, not as a politician but just as another citizen or common man. But somehow, many citizens don’t trust any politician these days, they prefer them to be out of the frame. Especially after a South Goa based MLA hijacked the SAVE GOA purpose for political benefits.

Citizens I have met in Goa, make me realize that, they are now well aware, that this is their home, their country and they only must fix it.

In political theory, there are different forms of ideology, somehow the policies for the last 10 years, represent what happened in US. A free economy, making the rich, richer and poorer homeless; encouragement for companies to drift away from social obligation but profit motive.

Dear Bureaucrats, Civil Servants and Panchyats, and sensible MLAs:

I admire leadership style of personally visiting the problem area and interacting with masses as a common man, to get real ground situation. I am not aware whether the Judiciary or Administration is able to do this. If all decisions are based on just documents provided in the closed room, then many of these documents could mean something far away from the ground reality. I hope that the decision makers do visit the controversial sites just as ordinary citizens to witness the reality. I recollect a dialogue from the Movie Superman, “with greater powers come greater responsibilities”. In the corporate organization I work, I see more and more senior leaders defying their sleep limits to 4 / 5 hours, not for a higher pay but to beat the foreign competitor. I am aware of very few people in Government and Judiciary who practice selflessness. And I wonder, that perhaps it’s an individual choice.

To end, I would reiterate that we must find answers to, “How can I contribute to make my state better”… The initiative taken by every citizen can make a slow and strong mass movement, there is hope because the power is residing in every individual,
if one priest in church or temple discourses and guides the worshippers to take initiative, if one teacher guides students not only to be exam oriented but socially sensitive, if one journalist does investigative journalism exposing corruption, if one parent spends more time educating his family about the mass reality, if one citizen chooses not to bribe and be honest, if one of us stand up against injustice and illegality, then we can make a difference.
All we need to do is to introspect, on "how can I contribute".

I read this line from Frank Buchman,
"When man listens, God speaks,
When man obeys, God Acts,
When men change, nation change"

My message to the youth is from the movie Range de Basanti,

“Ab joh khun, na khola who paani hai,

Joh desh ke kaam na aye woh bekaar jawani hai….”

Choice is ours, to be a seasonal patriot, a traitor or take to initiative,

Jai Hind,

Navendu Shirali,

Email: navendu.shirali@gmail.com

(Consultant based in Bangalore, and Youth Coordinator of Initiatives of Change)

Complaint against Oceanic Bliss-Possible TCP Violation

To                                         9 April 2008

Ms. Varthika

Town and Country Planning Department,

Government Office Bldg, 2^nd Floor,
Mapusa, Bardez - Goa.

Dear Madam

 

Subject- Possible breach of CRZ and Hill Cutting under TCP at Ozran -Little Vagator Beach

 

Respected Madam,

 

Enclosed herewith please find pictures of Oceanic Bliss, a shack hotel on hill of Ozran Beach-Little Vagator Beach (Hotel Telephone: 0832-645463)

On 25^th Jan 2008, I had personally met Mr. Morad Ahmed and informed him about this site. Urge to kindly inspect the site and investigate a possible violation of hill cutting and tree felling. On 12 March 2008, I had sent a similar complaint to Mr. Morad Ahmed but no action was taken.

I would like to personally follow up this, as this place has been extremely serene for all these decades and I am indebted towards its preservation. I request you to kindly investigate this site.

Kindly do the needful,

Jai Hind,

 

Navendu Shirali

T2 Primavera,

Dr AB Road,

Panaji-Goa.

403001

Preferred Correspondence: navendu.shirali@gmail.com

Is Kadamba, missing the Bus?

Article Published in Navhind Times

Saturday and Sunday are business holidays for the employees of Information Technology & Information Technology Enabled Services Industry. 600 kms from Bangalore, so called Silicon Valley of India is Goa, a suitable destination for a weekend escape. There are no official data available about the number of Goans working in Bangalore, but it is assumed that there are thousands of Goans working in Bangalore. During peak seasons such as Christmas, Diwali and Ganesh Chaturthi, all possible transportation means are flooded. Private buses sub contract new buses, trains add more compartments, Flights hike prices. Then begins the uncontrolled price discrimination.

On every Friday, there is only one train to Goa that too starts from Chennai via Bangalore to Margao, a journey that takes 15-16 hours from Bangalore. With irregular train service and expensive flights the largely middle class also known these days as "Aam Aadmi" is compelled to travel by Road Transport.

Now let us look at some facts about Road Transport from Bangalore to Goa:

Transport Name	No of Buses		Average Price		Seats	Daily Revenue	Season Buses Revenue
KSRTC Non AC-RAJAHAMSA	1		350		32	11200	0
KSRTC AC VOLVO	2 (+ 1 During Season)		803		25	40150	30000
Paulo Non AC	3(+ 1 During Season)		450		32	43200	14400
Paulo AC Volvo	2(+ 1 During Season)		800		25	40000	30000
Seabird	3(+ 1 During Season)		550		32	52800	24000
Sharma	2(+ 1 During Season)		450		32	28800	19200
Raj Travels	1		800		25	20000	0
	Total Buses=14 (+5 During Season)		630			236,150	117,600
Market Potential		Revenue in Rs.
Daily Revenue		353,750
Monthly Revenue		10,612,500
Yearly Revenue		127,350,000

These figures are based on assumption of a) full capacity, b) considering total revenue during season as base for yearly revenue. Figures need to be verified by respective private players.

So every day there at least 14 buses running and during season over 19 buses in this route. This route also has market potential of Rs. 10,612,500 per month in the next fiscal year..

Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) during the peak season prioritizes its capacity, by adding another Volvo Bus and hikes the price to Rs.1200 per seat! To add to the competition, KSRTC has an online internet booking website and all private buses are available for online booking as well on www.redbus.in One thing that remains unchanged during this gold rush is the approach of KADAMBA TRANSPORT CORPORATION LIMITED on this route.

Forget about online booking, it doesn't even have a website. Forget about website, total buses during peak season on this route go over 19, any guesses on how many buses KADAMBA TRANSPORT CORPORATION LIMITED runs on this route…?

Shockingly one, yes one and that too is a Non AC Bus taking grueling minimum of 16 hours. Kadamba doesn't even have Volvo Bus running on this route unlike its counter part KSRTC. The KSRTC Volvo bus which leaves after an hour from Bangalore overtakes Kadamba even before getting out of Bangalore. Hopefully after reading this article someone in Ministry of Road & Transport or KADAMBA TRANSPORT CORPORATION LIMITED might realize the business potential or opportunity cost. Perhaps they might add to their demand of additional buses. But that's not the point I am trying to make.

Ministry of Road & Transport & KADAMBA TRANSPORT CORPORATION LIMITED needs to be more proactive in its planning and execution. It has to realize that majority tourists and Goans come to Goa by road and it should maximize its revenue which it loses to private and other efficient state transports such as KSRTC. All private buses and KSRTC not only bring passengers to Goa, their roof tops are laden with agriculture produce, flowers, fruits, vegetables, furniture from South East Asia, Movie CDs, and many unchecked containers.

I realize there that our State Goa is not self sufficient, but is Government getting its required share of revenue through taxes. Why there is no Government Officer periodically deployed while unloading these large cargo. If all road transports are getting creative to make more money, what is the Government of Goa waiting for? Other State Transports run into loss because there few high traffic routes, where as Goa is lucky, Ministry of Road & Transport & KADAMBA TRANSPORT CORPORATION LIMITED need to cash in.

How much money does the Home State make out of this? For which I might have to apply for RTI Application and wait for 30 days.

I might be taking a random example of one particular route. But with my travelling experience Inter & Intra State, this complacency of Ministry of Road & Transport & KADAMBA TRANSPORT CORPORATION LIMITED can be extrapolated. If KSRTC can be profitable, competitive and bring value to its commuters by offering value added services, then why can't Kadamba? They even have a travel magazine, mentioning places to explore, cross selling Tourism Products and Jungle Lodges.

Goa can be the first developed state of India by 2015. And one of the key drivers is better infrastructure and transport facilities. As we are on international circuit, we must have better roads and we can push neighboring states to improve their road conditions such as Dharwad Mollem road, so called National Highway still a mud road for over a decade. With no contractor assigned as per the NHAI website. Let's forget about pushing other states, how much time does the much concerned "Aam Admi" take to travel from Panaji-Mapusa, Panaji-Goa University, Kalem-GMC, Valpoi-GMC etc. Even in 2008, the entire rural side of Goa remains in contact with irregular bus service.

I remember how the Aam Aadmi was treated like cattle during the Zuari Bridge Repairs. He had to get down in the rain from bigger bus to smaller shuttle and then cross the bridge and board another bus. In the race to get a better seat, the women and old would always loose. The affluent, including the politicians and bureaucrats would just have to zip his car across the bridge admiring the river. (Hope this sentence doesn't inspire some builder to start an apartment for some "stressed" metro dwellers). I remember my heated debate with police stationed by Government to discipline the Aam Aadmi at Zuari Bridge with Lathis, I asked them how their conscious can allow them to sit comfortably in their police cars when their own citizens cramped into buses, requesting to at least help the old and pregnant women.

49.1% of Government employees have incomes below Rs. 7000 per month. One return bus trip for this employee will cost him 15%-20% of his monthly salary. How should this Aam Aadmi survive? Coming to the point, Are the public service providers creating a competitive scenario for better service? The role of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India in policy making and execution is remarkable. Even BSNL is doing a good job, by forcing its telecom competitors to provide better value... Why can't Goa achieve this, do we lack the intellect or the will to change?

In my visit to Rural Goa, I have met many unemployed youth. As per the Directorate of Planning, Statistics & Evaluation which conducts the Census of Government Employees there are 1849 employees in Kadamba Transport Corporation. My question is with over a million tourists, and a million locals in the state, is that all the employment we can generate? As per Directorate of Planning, Statistics & Evaluation for a population of 13.48 lakh, about 1,01,847 persons remained on live register of Employment Exchange at the end of this fiscal year.

Out of 1200 Crores spent by Government in last year, only 2.25 % was spent on "Aam Aadmi" i.e. Rural Development, where as 10.25 % was spent on Transport. In the same statistics the length of road remained 9658.35 kms in 2005-06 and 2006-07. Now I don't know where those Rs. 123.58 Crores were spent in Transport Development. To seek the answer, I might have to travel to Goa and file another RTI Application for spend allocation.

Officers of Ministry of Road & Transport & KADAMBA TRANSPORT CORPORATION LIMITED, have to really introspect, and move towards agility and adaptation to competition, opportunity costs and calculate loss of revenue by running sub standardized buses, old technology and old processes. Kadamba name belongs to an empire that remains in history of India, as an age of efficient governance and where satisfied citizens lived. It's a prestigious and visionary brand name which needs the desired sanctity. Are the present Minister, Bureaucrats, stake holders doing justice to this prestigious brand name Kadamba, if not it must be renamed to Siesta Travels? The least the Chief Minister can do is a surprise visit to the KTC Bus Stand and experience the urinal & garbage aroma that welcomes the Aam Admi every morning in his capital.

I remember one incident while travelling in Private Bus to Goa from Bangalore. The driver was compelled by the operator to delay the bus for 3 hours for 5 late passengers. The existing punctual passengers made repeated requests to proceed which turned to deaf ears. The same patient passengers became violent and took control over the bus. The mob confiscated bus driver's mobile and switched it off, and the mob told the operator that if the bus did not move the bus would be history.

Public patience is like that of a mother to a child. It is quiet, tolerant and humble, but someday the when the child, loses his moral values, brings bad name to the family, the mother holds the ear of the child and twists it till the child realizes its mistake.

Jai Hind,

Navendu Shirali

(Writer is Consultant based in Bangalore)

Preferred Correspondence: navendu.shirali@gmail.com

Reply to Readers of Newspapers

Due to shortage of time, i was not able to reply personally for every mail, so had to send this mail to all of them, my apologies.

"Hi,
Thanks for your feedback,
I strongly believe that "As I am, so is my nation"
it is upto us to rebuild a new Goa, a benchmark state for governance and citizen movement,

somehow in my introspection, i realized that there is no need for me to blame the government, the politicians, the society, i realized that before i expect the world to change, i need to change first, and hence i have tried in my small way to fight back. I have personaly taken interest to learn Right to Information Act, under which i have asked & presently fighting for information to show illegality, urge you to take intiative amongst your network of friends and relatives to make change,

The ripple effect has started, i read today that Gram Panchayat in Carmona, is up in chaos against a real estate project in their village,

In this journey, i have met many Indians anf Goans, who have fight alone, and unknown,

The intaitive taken by every citizen can make a slow and strong mass movement, there is hope because the power is residing in every individual,
if every priest in church or temple discourses and guides the worshippers to take intiaitive, if every teacher guides students not only to be exam oriented but socialy concious, if every journalist does investigative journalism exposing corruption, if every parent spends more time educating his family about the mass reality,
all we need to do is to introspect, on "how can i contribute",

I read this line from Frank Buchman,

"When man listens, God speaks,
When man obeys, God Acts,
When men change, nation change"


Wishing you the best,

Jai Hind,
Navendu Shirali
http://navendushirali.blogspot.com/

Goa on Sale Article published

On 30 March 2008, both leading English newspapers of Goa, The Navhind Times and Oherald published my article .

The response of the article was tremendous than i expected, recieved many phone calls and sms from Goa. After my visit to Delhi, a strong inner voice on an early morning after a restless sleep made me type this article. I intially thought of mailing this article, exhibition collaterals, SAVE GOA flier to Goa Bachao Abhiyan, but was in 2 minds whether it will go to masses.
Then i thought of mailing it to Mathany Saldhana or Manohar Parrikar in Goa. Amidst dilemna i spoke to my close pal of Intiaitves of Change, Aswinikumar Mohapatra and Dr. Dyson Misquita.

Dr Dyson told me not to make it a political issue but make it a mass issue. As he gave up his trust on politicians. Aswinikumar kept aggressively convicing me that i must send it all influence makers in Goa, from newspapers, NGOs, politicians etc.
And thats what i did, made 15 envelopes with all awareness materials and couriered it to Goa.
Within a span of 2 days, it reached across many readers.



Here are some emails responses i got,

Elvira Alvares replies that

"Read the below article written, by you. Have read articles such as these…..not only on destruction of 'Goa' but many other places as well and I do get the feeling that there may be many people who want to do something about it, but what? And by the time we think of the answer, we've {or at least I... have moved to the next day and the next….}. I feel we need to find solutions to issues that are close to us, in terms of, those perhaps residing at Vagator, need to find solutions for that area {for a start!}. This however is my suggestion. What is your solution for your below note? "

Shaun Lobo replies that
"your article on the Goa Land Sale in Delhi was a great read. We need more people like you to stand up against the atrocious 'land grabbing' mentality of people who want to ruin and sell Goa for a price. May God always preserve his paradise - Goa and may man never ever come close to destroying it"

Vito Oliveira, President of Goan Association Germany replies that"really appriciate your time and effort for writing about Goas real estate market exhibition held in delhi.All what you said is absolutely true, Some of theseDelhietes have created a situation in Goa ,where owning a home for common man is a thing of the past.Thank you very much"

Ronita Torcato replies that

"Thank you for your insightful piece on Goa. The thing is Bombay used to be a clutch of seven islands, not too different, I would imagine, from Goa. The sepia toned pics that I have seen show a verdant place of coconut and banyan trees, and green hillocks and clean beaches. It's obvious Goa is going Mumbai's way. A concrete jungle. of matchbox apartments and slums. Thank goodness for small mercies, things haven't touched rock bottom and while there's life there's hope. Did you get the name or contact details of the activist by any chance? Best wishes"

Respected Architect Dean Dcruz replied that
"Appreciate your article in the Herald Mirror of Sunday, 30th Mar 08. It is really sad to see Goa become this commodity and Goans selling out for a few pieces of silver. Appreciate your concern and support. Kind regards, Dean "

Special thanks to editors of all newspapers for publishing this article, and above all thanks to the readers of this newspapers for replying.

Jai Hind,
Navendu Shirali

Obama Epic Speech 'A More Perfect Union'

Philadelphia, PA | March 18, 2008
As Prepared for Delivery

"We the people, in order to form a more perfect union."

Two hundred and twenty one years ago, in a hall that still stands across the street, a group of men gathered and, with these simple words, launched America's improbable experiment in democracy. Farmers and scholars; statesmen and patriots who had traveled across an ocean to escape tyranny and persecution finally made real their declaration of independence at a Philadelphia convention that lasted through the spring of 1787.

The document they produced was eventually signed but ultimately unfinished. It was stained by this nation's original sin of slavery, a question that divided the colonies and brought the convention to a stalemate until the founders chose to allow the slave trade to continue for at least twenty more years, and to leave any final resolution to future generations.

Of course, the answer to the slavery question was already embedded within our Constitution - a Constitution that had at its very core the ideal of equal citizenship under the law; a Constitution that promised its people liberty, and justice, and a union that could be and should be perfected over time.

And yet words on a parchment would not be enough to deliver slaves from bondage, or provide men and women of every color and creed their full rights and obligations as citizens of the United States. What would be needed were Americans in successive generations who were willing to do their part - through protests and struggle, on the streets and in the courts, through a civil war and civil disobedience and always at great risk - to narrow that gap between the promise of our ideals and the reality of their time.

This was one of the tasks we set forth at the beginning of this campaign - to continue the long march of those who came before us, a march for a more just, more equal, more free, more caring and more prosperous America. I chose to run for the presidency at this moment in history because I believe deeply that we cannot solve the challenges of our time unless we solve them together - unless we perfect our union by understanding that we may have different stories, but we hold common hopes; that we may not look the same and we may not have come from the same place, but we all want to move in the same direction - towards a better future for our children and our grandchildren.

This belief comes from my unyielding faith in the decency and generosity of the American people. But it also comes from my own American story.

I am the son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas. I was raised with the help of a white grandfather who survived a Depression to serve in Patton's Army during World War II and a white grandmother who worked on a bomber assembly line at Fort Leavenworth while he was overseas. I've gone to some of the best schools in America and lived in one of the world's poorest nations. I am married to a black American who carries within her the blood of slaves and slaveowners - an inheritance we pass on to our two precious daughters. I have brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, uncles and cousins, of every race and every hue, scattered across three continents, and for as long as I live, I will never forget that in no other country on Earth is my story even possible.

It's a story that hasn't made me the most conventional candidate. But it is a story that has seared into my genetic makeup the idea that this nation is more than the sum of its parts - that out of many, we are truly one.

Throughout the first year of this campaign, against all predictions to the contrary, we saw how hungry the American people were for this message of unity. Despite the temptation to view my candidacy through a purely racial lens, we won commanding victories in states with some of the whitest populations in the country. In South Carolina, where the Confederate Flag still flies, we built a powerful coalition of African Americans and white Americans.

This is not to say that race has not been an issue in the campaign. At various stages in the campaign, some commentators have deemed me either "too black" or "not black enough." We saw racial tensions bubble to the surface during the week before the South Carolina primary. The press has scoured every exit poll for the latest evidence of racial polarization, not just in terms of white and black, but black and brown as well.

And yet, it has only been in the last couple of weeks that the discussion of race in this campaign has taken a particularly divisive turn.

On one end of the spectrum, we've heard the implication that my candidacy is somehow an exercise in affirmative action; that it's based solely on the desire of wide-eyed liberals to purchase racial reconciliation on the cheap. On the other end, we've heard my former pastor, Reverend Jeremiah Wright, use incendiary language to express views that have the potential not only to widen the racial divide, but views that denigrate both the greatness and the goodness of our nation; that rightly offend white and black alike.

I have already condemned, in unequivocal terms, the statements of Reverend Wright that have caused such controversy. For some, nagging questions remain. Did I know him to be an occasionally fierce critic of American domestic and foreign policy? Of course. Did I ever hear him make remarks that could be considered controversial while I sat in church? Yes. Did I strongly disagree with many of his political views? Absolutely - just as I'm sure many of you have heard remarks from your pastors, priests, or rabbis with which you strongly disagreed.

But the remarks that have caused this recent firestorm weren't simply controversial. They weren't simply a religious leader's effort to speak out against perceived injustice. Instead, they expressed a profoundly distorted view of this country - a view that sees white racism as endemic, and that elevates what is wrong with America above all that we know is right with America; a view that sees the conflicts in the Middle East as rooted primarily in the actions of stalwart allies like Israel, instead of emanating from the perverse and hateful ideologies of radical Islam.

As such, Reverend Wright's comments were not only wrong but divisive, divisive at a time when we need unity; racially charged at a time when we need to come together to solve a set of monumental problems - two wars, a terrorist threat, a falling economy, a chronic health care crisis and potentially devastating climate change; problems that are neither black or white or Latino or Asian, but rather problems that confront us all.

Given my background, my politics, and my professed values and ideals, there will no doubt be those for whom my statements of condemnation are not enough. Why associate myself with Reverend Wright in the first place, they may ask? Why not join another church? And I confess that if all that I knew of Reverend Wright were the snippets of those sermons that have run in an endless loop on the television and You Tube, or if Trinity United Church of Christ conformed to the caricatures being peddled by some commentators, there is no doubt that I would react in much the same way

But the truth is, that isn't all that I know of the man. The man I met more than twenty years ago is a man who helped introduce me to my Christian faith, a man who spoke to me about our obligations to love one another; to care for the sick and lift up the poor. He is a man who served his country as a U.S. Marine; who has studied and lectured at some of the finest universities and seminaries in the country, and who for over thirty years led a church that serves the community by doing God's work here on Earth - by housing the homeless, ministering to the needy, providing day care services and scholarships and prison ministries, and reaching out to those suffering from HIV/AIDS.

In my first book, Dreams From My Father, I described the experience of my first service at Trinity:

"People began to shout, to rise from their seats and clap and cry out, a forceful wind carrying the reverend's voice up into the rafters....And in that single note - hope! - I heard something else; at the foot of that cross, inside the thousands of churches across the city, I imagined the stories of ordinary black people merging with the stories of David and Goliath, Moses and Pharaoh, the Christians in the lion's den, Ezekiel's field of dry bones. Those stories - of survival, and freedom, and hope - became our story, my story; the blood that had spilled was our blood, the tears our tears; until this black church, on this bright day, seemed once more a vessel carrying the story of a people into future generations and into a larger world. Our trials and triumphs became at once unique and universal, black and more than black; in chronicling our journey, the stories and songs gave us a means to reclaim memories that we didn't need to feel shame about...memories that all people might study and cherish - and with which we could start to rebuild."

That has been my experience at Trinity. Like other predominantly black churches across the country, Trinity embodies the black community in its entirety - the doctor and the welfare mom, the model student and the former gang-banger. Like other black churches, Trinity's services are full of raucous laughter and sometimes bawdy humor. They are full of dancing, clapping, screaming and shouting that may seem jarring to the untrained ear. The church contains in full the kindness and cruelty, the fierce intelligence and the shocking ignorance, the struggles and successes, the love and yes, the bitterness and bias that make up the black experience in America.

And this helps explain, perhaps, my relationship with Reverend Wright. As imperfect as he may be, he has been like family to me. He strengthened my faith, officiated my wedding, and baptized my children. Not once in my conversations with him have I heard him talk about any ethnic group in derogatory terms, or treat whites with whom he interacted with anything but courtesy and respect. He contains within him the contradictions - the good and the bad - of the community that he has served diligently for so many years.

I can no more disown him than I can disown the black community. I can no more disown him than I can my white grandmother - a woman who helped raise me, a woman who sacrificed again and again for me, a woman who loves me as much as she loves anything in this world, but a woman who once confessed her fear of black men who passed by her on the street, and who on more than one occasion has uttered racial or ethnic stereotypes that made me cringe.

These people are a part of me. And they are a part of America, this country that I love.

Some will see this as an attempt to justify or excuse comments that are simply inexcusable. I can assure you it is not. I suppose the politically safe thing would be to move on from this episode and just hope that it fades into the woodwork. We can dismiss Reverend Wright as a crank or a demagogue, just as some have dismissed Geraldine Ferraro, in the aftermath of her recent statements, as harboring some deep-seated racial bias.

But race is an issue that I believe this nation cannot afford to ignore right now. We would be making the same mistake that Reverend Wright made in his offending sermons about America - to simplify and stereotype and amplify the negative to the point that it distorts reality.

The fact is that the comments that have been made and the issues that have surfaced over the last few weeks reflect the complexities of race in this country that we've never really worked through - a part of our union that we have yet to perfect. And if we walk away now, if we simply retreat into our respective corners, we will never be able to come together and solve challenges like health care, or education, or the need to find good jobs for every American.

Understanding this reality requires a reminder of how we arrived at this point. As William Faulkner once wrote, "The past isn't dead and buried. In fact, it isn't even past." We do not need to recite here the history of racial injustice in this country. But we do need to remind ourselves that so many of the disparities that exist in the African-American community today can be directly traced to inequalities passed on from an earlier generation that suffered under the brutal legacy of slavery and Jim Crow.

Segregated schools were, and are, inferior schools; we still haven't fixed them, fifty years after Brown v. Board of Education, and the inferior education they provided, then and now, helps explain the pervasive achievement gap between today's black and white students.

Legalized discrimination - where blacks were prevented, often through violence, from owning property, or loans were not granted to African-American business owners, or black homeowners could not access FHA mortgages, or blacks were excluded from unions, or the police force, or fire departments - meant that black families could not amass any meaningful wealth to bequeath to future generations. That history helps explain the wealth and income gap between black and white, and the concentrated pockets of poverty that persists in so many of today's urban and rural communities.

A lack of economic opportunity among black men, and the shame and frustration that came from not being able to provide for one's family, contributed to the erosion of black families - a problem that welfare policies for many years may have worsened. And the lack of basic services in so many urban black neighborhoods - parks for kids to play in, police walking the beat, regular garbage pick-up and building code enforcement - all helped create a cycle of violence, blight and neglect that continue to haunt us.

This is the reality in which Reverend Wright and other African-Americans of his generation grew up. They came of age in the late fifties and early sixties, a time when segregation was still the law of the land and opportunity was systematically constricted. What's remarkable is not how many failed in the face of discrimination, but rather how many men and women overcame the odds; how many were able to make a way out of no way for those like me who would come after them.

But for all those who scratched and clawed their way to get a piece of the American Dream, there were many who didn't make it - those who were ultimately defeated, in one way or another, by discrimination. That legacy of defeat was passed on to future generations - those young men and increasingly young women who we see standing on street corners or languishing in our prisons, without hope or prospects for the future. Even for those blacks who did make it, questions of race, and racism, continue to define their worldview in fundamental ways. For the men and women of Reverend Wright's generation, the memories of humiliation and doubt and fear have not gone away; nor has the anger and the bitterness of those years. That anger may not get expressed in public, in front of white co-workers or white friends. But it does find voice in the barbershop or around the kitchen table. At times, that anger is exploited by politicians, to gin up votes along racial lines, or to make up for a politician's own failings.

And occasionally it finds voice in the church on Sunday morning, in the pulpit and in the pews. The fact that so many people are surprised to hear that anger in some of Reverend Wright's sermons simply reminds us of the old truism that the most segregated hour in American life occurs on Sunday morning. That anger is not always productive; indeed, all too often it distracts attention from solving real problems; it keeps us from squarely facing our own complicity in our condition, and prevents the African-American community from forging the alliances it needs to bring about real change. But the anger is real; it is powerful; and to simply wish it away, to condemn it without understanding its roots, only serves to widen the chasm of misunderstanding that exists between the races.

In fact, a similar anger exists within segments of the white community. Most working- and middle-class white Americans don't feel that they have been particularly privileged by their race. Their experience is the immigrant experience - as far as they're concerned, no one's handed them anything, they've built it from scratch. They've worked hard all their lives, many times only to see their jobs shipped overseas or their pension dumped after a lifetime of labor. They are anxious about their futures, and feel their dreams slipping away; in an era of stagnant wages and global competition, opportunity comes to be seen as a zero sum game, in which your dreams come at my expense. So when they are told to bus their children to a school across town; when they hear that an African American is getting an advantage in landing a good job or a spot in a good college because of an injustice that they themselves never committed; when they're told that their fears about crime in urban neighborhoods are somehow prejudiced, resentment builds over time.

Like the anger within the black community, these resentments aren't always expressed in polite company. But they have helped shape the political landscape for at least a generation. Anger over welfare and affirmative action helped forge the Reagan Coalition. Politicians routinely exploited fears of crime for their own electoral ends. Talk show hosts and conservative commentators built entire careers unmasking bogus claims of racism while dismissing legitimate discussions of racial injustice and inequality as mere political correctness or reverse racism.

Just as black anger often proved counterproductive, so have these white resentments distracted attention from the real culprits of the middle class squeeze - a corporate culture rife with inside dealing, questionable accounting practices, and short-term greed; a Washington dominated by lobbyists and special interests; economic policies that favor the few over the many. And yet, to wish away the resentments of white Americans, to label them as misguided or even racist, without recognizing they are grounded in legitimate concerns - this too widens the racial divide, and blocks the path to understanding.

This is where we are right now. It's a racial stalemate we've been stuck in for years. Contrary to the claims of some of my critics, black and white, I have never been so naïve as to believe that we can get beyond our racial divisions in a single election cycle, or with a single candidacy - particularly a candidacy as imperfect as my own.

But I have asserted a firm conviction - a conviction rooted in my faith in God and my faith in the American people - that working together we can move beyond some of our old racial wounds, and that in fact we have no choice if we are to continue on the path of a more perfect union.

For the African-American community, that path means embracing the burdens of our past without becoming victims of our past. It means continuing to insist on a full measure of justice in every aspect of American life. But it also means binding our particular grievances - for better health care, and better schools, and better jobs - to the larger aspirations of all Americans -- the white woman struggling to break the glass ceiling, the white man whose been laid off, the immigrant trying to feed his family. And it means taking full responsibility for own lives - by demanding more from our fathers, and spending more time with our children, and reading to them, and teaching them that while they may face challenges and discrimination in their own lives, they must never succumb to despair or cynicism; they must always believe that they can write their own destiny.

Ironically, this quintessentially American - and yes, conservative - notion of self-help found frequent expression in Reverend Wright's sermons. But what my former pastor too often failed to understand is that embarking on a program of self-help also requires a belief that society can change.

The profound mistake of Reverend Wright's sermons is not that he spoke about racism in our society. It's that he spoke as if our society was static; as if no progress has been made; as if this country - a country that has made it possible for one of his own members to run for the highest office in the land and build a coalition of white and black; Latino and Asian, rich and poor, young and old -- is still irrevocably bound to a tragic past. But what we know -- what we have seen - is that America can change. That is the true genius of this nation. What we have already achieved gives us hope - the audacity to hope - for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

In the white community, the path to a more perfect union means acknowledging that what ails the African-American community does not just exist in the minds of black people; that the legacy of discrimination - and current incidents of discrimination, while less overt than in the past - are real and must be addressed. Not just with words, but with deeds - by investing in our schools and our communities; by enforcing our civil rights laws and ensuring fairness in our criminal justice system; by providing this generation with ladders of opportunity that were unavailable for previous generations. It requires all Americans to realize that your dreams do not have to come at the expense of my dreams; that investing in the health, welfare, and education of black and brown and white children will ultimately help all of America prosper.

In the end, then, what is called for is nothing more, and nothing less, than what all the world's great religions demand - that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us. Let us be our brother's keeper, Scripture tells us. Let us be our sister's keeper. Let us find that common stake we all have in one another, and let our politics reflect that spirit as well.

For we have a choice in this country. We can accept a politics that breeds division, and conflict, and cynicism. We can tackle race only as spectacle - as we did in the OJ trial - or in the wake of tragedy, as we did in the aftermath of Katrina - or as fodder for the nightly news. We can play Reverend Wright's sermons on every channel, every day and talk about them from now until the election, and make the only question in this campaign whether or not the American people think that I somehow believe or sympathize with his most offensive words. We can pounce on some gaffe by a Hillary supporter as evidence that she's playing the race card, or we can speculate on whether white men will all flock to John McCain in the general election regardless of his policies.

We can do that.

But if we do, I can tell you that in the next election, we'll be talking about some other distraction. And then another one. And then another one. And nothing will change.

That is one option. Or, at this moment, in this election, we can come together and say, "Not this time." This time we want to talk about the crumbling schools that are stealing the future of black children and white children and Asian children and Hispanic children and Native American children. This time we want to reject the cynicism that tells us that these kids can't learn; that those kids who don't look like us are somebody else's problem. The children of America are not those kids, they are our kids, and we will not let them fall behind in a 21st century economy. Not this time.

This time we want to talk about how the lines in the Emergency Room are filled with whites and blacks and Hispanics who do not have health care; who don't have the power on their own to overcome the special interests in Washington, but who can take them on if we do it together.

This time we want to talk about the shuttered mills that once provided a decent life for men and women of every race, and the homes for sale that once belonged to Americans from every religion, every region, every walk of life. This time we want to talk about the fact that the real problem is not that someone who doesn't look like you might take your job; it's that the corporation you work for will ship it overseas for nothing more than a profit.

This time we want to talk about the men and women of every color and creed who serve together, and fight together, and bleed together under the same proud flag. We want to talk about how to bring them home from a war that never should've been authorized and never should've been waged, and we want to talk about how we'll show our patriotism by caring for them, and their families, and giving them the benefits they have earned.

I would not be running for President if I didn't believe with all my heart that this is what the vast majority of Americans want for this country. This union may never be perfect, but generation after generation has shown that it can always be perfected. And today, whenever I find myself feeling doubtful or cynical about this possibility, what gives me the most hope is the next generation - the young people whose attitudes and beliefs and openness to change have already made history in this election.

There is one story in particularly that I'd like to leave you with today - a story I told when I had the great honor of speaking on Dr. King's birthday at his home church, Ebenezer Baptist, in Atlanta.

There is a young, twenty-three year old white woman named Ashley Baia who organized for our campaign in Florence, South Carolina. She had been working to organize a mostly African-American community since the beginning of this campaign, and one day she was at a roundtable discussion where everyone went around telling their story and why they were there.

And Ashley said that when she was nine years old, her mother got cancer. And because she had to miss days of work, she was let go and lost her health care. They had to file for bankruptcy, and that's when Ashley decided that she had to do something to help her mom.

She knew that food was one of their most expensive costs, and so Ashley convinced her mother that what she really liked and really wanted to eat more than anything else was mustard and relish sandwiches. Because that was the cheapest way to eat.

She did this for a year until her mom got better, and she told everyone at the roundtable that the reason she joined our campaign was so that she could help the millions of other children in the country who want and need to help their parents too.

Now Ashley might have made a different choice. Perhaps somebody told her along the way that the source of her mother's problems were blacks who were on welfare and too lazy to work, or Hispanics who were coming into the country illegally. But she didn't. She sought out allies in her fight against injustice.

Anyway, Ashley finishes her story and then goes around the room and asks everyone else why they're supporting the campaign. They all have different stories and reasons. Many bring up a specific issue. And finally they come to this elderly black man who's been sitting there quietly the entire time. And Ashley asks him why he's there. And he does not bring up a specific issue. He does not say health care or the economy. He does not say education or the war. He does not say that he was there because of Barack Obama. He simply says to everyone in the room, "I am here because of Ashley."

"I'm here because of Ashley." By itself, that single moment of recognition between that young white girl and that old black man is not enough. It is not enough to give health care to the sick, or jobs to the jobless, or education to our children.

But it is where we start. It is where our union grows stronger. And as so many generations have come to realize over the course of the two-hundred and twenty one years since a band of patriots signed that document in Philadelphia, that is where the perfection begins.