Bharat Mukti Morcha congratulates Tiracol villagers for their
uncompromising stand on opposition to golf course and the land grab. The
villagers are united the banner of St.Anthony Tenant and Mundcar Association.
According to the information received from Tiracol promoter
of Leading hotels ltd Sandeep Ganguly who is hell bent on taking over land of
Tiracol people to set up golf course had a meeting with the villagers two days
ago. He had recently stirred up storm in the State of Goa by declaring to the
press that he would start up the work on golf course in Tiracol from October
2013 onwards. Local group of mulnivasis organised as St.Anthony Tenants and Mundkar
Association had waged strong criticism on this as it involved taking over of
large track of lands for the project. Already the State administration has been
transformed into bamon raj institution and 55 mulnivasi families of Tiracol has
been stripped off their land titles.
Sandeep Ganguly had called for the meeting in respect of
buying up of land for Golf Course in Tiracol. According to the reports
published in Marathi daily Goa doot (9th July 2013) Sandeep Ganguly
promised that he will give up the desire to buy up the land of the members of
the St.Anthony Tenant and Mundkar Association. Members of the Association then asked Ganguly
to give this in writing. Ganguly refused on the spot saying that he has to take
legal advise before giving anything in writing.
According to the published reports Leading hotels has
captured 1 lakh 75 thousand square meters of land in Tiracol but it is not in possession
of the company due to the fierce opposition of the villagers. The hidden motive
behind this meeting few days ago was to
initiate truce with the villagers in uproar so that company can take possession
of the land.
Villagers of Tiracol belonging to St.Anthony Tenant and
Mundcar Association retorted to Ganguly that in case he is serious about
returning the captured land back to the villagers then he must first get the
respective government officers involved in the matter.
Ganguly’s assertion that he will change the nature of the
project in the face of opposition from the villagers came up for criticism as
this means Ganguly is merely fooling the public of Tiracol as he has no real
intention to returned captured land back to the Tiracol villagers.
Villagers refused to accepts any of the propositions of
Ganguly till he does not withraw all the cases filed against them in Mamlatdar’s
court and legally return back their land. Further villagers declared that no company
official will be allowed entry into the village till the cases against them are
withdrawn.
According to the reports in press local catholic priest Fr.
Teo Jose Fernandes has declared his support to the agitating villagers two days
ago. He declared that under circumstance of gravest risks Tiracol must be saved
from the company preying on Tiracol. Press
report also observes that earlier priest in Tiracol was openly lobbying for the
company and was pressurizing the Tiracol villagers to sell their land to the
company wanting to set up golf course.
The earlier Catholic Priest Fr.Rocklyn D’costa compromised
with the company and accepted lakhs of rupees and caused grave set back to the
people agitating to protect Tiracol. Presently he is at Holy Trinity Parish
Church, Benualim as a Parish Priest. Be aware people of Benaulim when such a
person is serving a parish consisting of 5,550 parishioners. Tiracol was just
200 parishioners.
Bharat Mukti Morcha congratulates Fr. Teo Jose Fernades for
standing up in defense of Tiracol. Already battle against another golf course is
ongoing in Vanxim, Tiswadi where Bamon Archbishop Felipe Neri Ferrao himself
sold Vanxim and Court cases are going on in Deputy collector’s court, Mamlatdar’s
court and Administrative Tribunal Court to strip mulnivasis of their tenancy
rights. Both these projects are the
projects of Bamon raj to take away control of land from mulnivasis.
People of Tiracol has set a good example - even though they
are few in numbers – for the rest of Goa by coming forward to save Tiracol.
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