Thursday 31 July 2014

Government Employee enjoying corrupt way of practice

Manoj Parab, a Goa government employee of Electricity department today 29th July 2014 came to attack President, Bharat Mukti Morcha, Maggie Silveira at her residence in Vanxim. He was accompanied by two people from a private company surveying the land and roads. The incident that took place at around 1.00 pm was marked with tension as Manoj came to attack Maggie physically three times. As a woman there should be respect given by a man but with Mahendra Gaunekar intervening in the matter cops came immediately telling Maggie “Saiban apoilam” (Sir has called you). Maggie asked for call letter which they did not have. So they asked for Maggie’s mobile number which she shared. Maggie told them to serve call letter and then she will come. It looks that corporate bodies have right on the females living in Vanxim. They having their own identity to live on the island. Corporate and Mahendra Gaunekar troubling the villagers when they want to fight for truth and justice. Bharat Mukti Morcha condemns the high-handedness of police asking Maggie to come to police station without serving call letter.

The private surveyors looks on in Vanxim in the middle of resistence

Vanxim island in Mandovi river is at the threshold of major resistance to the Golf Course, 5 star hotel, Private villas etc. Goa’s Catholic Church has strangely involved in selling of land and paddy fields, bunds and water bodies etc. It is estimated that paddy fields sold by the Archbishop Felipe Neri Ferrao itself is amounting to 4,18,550 square meters at the rate of Rs.20/- per square meter. Besides there is more land sold by earlier Archbishop Raul Nicolau Gonsalves during his tenure as per records procured from the Registrar’s office in Panjim.

Today’s attempted attack was yet another episode in this respect. Manoj Parab hailing from Vanxim island itself looks to be working as hired hand of those wanting to grab the island. Maggie told Manoj Parab to get away and move off.

Yet he refused and went on to issue threats to her husband Sebastian Rodrigues for catching Manoj Parab-in-confrontation  on camera. For a minute he withdrew and walked 20 meters to consult his advisors Assis Furtado  then came charging and threatening Sebastian. He warned him that in case he wants to stay in Vanxim he should stay nicely. He also threatened him of smashing the camera. He was given fitting retorts by Maggie.

This Manoj Parab has his brother as a constable posted at Old Goa police station. And based on him and his connections in Police he has been using high handed language.

What is the interesting and serious implications of today’s confrontation in Vanxim has been the locus standi of Manoj Parab to engage in survey work of land that does not belonged to him. He does not work for the Land Survey department. He works for electricity department with duty to distribute the electricity bills but not in Vanxim. In Vanxim he has no official role. Then what was he doing? Why he has to visit Maggie’s house in Vanxim and engage in confrontation? Perhaps he was doing this on behalf of Ozone corporate and Mahendra Gaunekar.

Now in case of any assault or attack on Maggie Silveira and Sebastian Rodrigues the first suspect will be Manoj Parab and his associates – Mahendra Gaunekar, Ozone corporate, and Archbishop Felipe Neri Ferrao. It looked as if he was paid by Mahendra Gaunekar and Ozone corporate to do this very act as he came charging at Maggie. He gave a threat and he went by saying “Tucam Kitem tem dakoitam” (See what I’ll do to you). Is this the way the females are to be treated that too by government servant by dishing out threats? He should be terminated from his services for going about doing such activities which are ethically and morally wrong for which he must be terminated as the activities are in contravention of law.

Goa Chief Minister can take note of this report and arrest Manoj Parab.


At 2.30 pm police constable along with Manoj Parab’s wife visited Maggie’s house asking her to report to the Old Goa Police Station. Maggie asked police to serve call letter. What right police had to ask Maggie to come to police station without call letter when she herself is attacked by male government servant? Indeed a sorry state of affairs brought about by prevailing Bamon Raj in Goa.

Thursday 10 July 2014

Keep awake and Act with responsibility to trace Antonio Fernandes missing/kidnapped from Vanxim Ferry!



Three months has passed and Antonio Fernandes is still missing. He went missing on April 04, 2014 and search for Antonio has bothered public in Goa. Rosary procession was organized on Vanxim island in first fortnight of May 2014 with special prayer for his well being and early detection. Special Latin mass was offered in a Old Goa Church in May 2014 for this intention. Presently people are praying in different places and also deeply concerned about his well being wherever he is.

Some interests however are putting pressure on Maria, wife of Antonio to accept dead body found as that of Antonio and perform the funeral rites. The motive of these people needs to be investigated too. It looks like police department are involved in cover up operation for the reasons best known to them. If the dead body police claims is that of Antonio then it becomes duty of police to investigate as to who murdered him, trace the murderer and prosecute him/her/them. If the body is not that of Antonio then it becomes urgent that search be extended far and wide of Goa’s borders and beyond. For person just disappearing on sunny bright morning of April 04, 2014 is horrendous.

The behavior of the State government is rather strange in this matter. Its police force detected his bike in Dhargal but did not pressed dog squad on the spot. Why did police department have to do this act of omission? Is police department under pressure to cover up Antonio Fernandes missing/kidnapping case? Would police act in similar fashion if the missing person was nearer family relative etc of the Goa’s Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar who is also Home Minister of the State? If not, then why double standards in terms of investigations? Is it because CM is a bamon and Antonio is mulnivasi?

The moment it was decided that there  going to be public rosary in Vanxim island in May 2014- where Antonio Fernandes was working till last day of his visibility- on account of missing TV channel – HCN announced detection of dead body of Antonio Fernandes from the shrubs in Duler, Mapusa. On close examination of this body which has abdomen and legs missing, family members did not accept the body as that of missing Antonio. The forensic examination was proceeded with and report was to come from the laboratory in Hyderabad to check if the blood samples of Antonio’s brother and Son matches with the DNA of the found dead body. For two months now there is no sign of forensic report and tension of the Antonio’s family has only mounted further. On delegation to Superintendent of Police (North) family members were told that Goa police would forward priority letter to the forensic laboratory in Hyderabad for seeking the report on the dead body at the earliest. It is hoped that SP will keep up to her word and do all within her power to trace Antonio.

In the meanwhile discussions around missing of Antonio Fernandes have opened Pandora’s Box as it was revealed that Antonio Fernandes is not the first person to go missing from Vanxim. Almost 10 years ago in May 2005 two people – labourer Jamla Kujur and his son Ashok Kujur, tribals from Chhattisgarh working in Vanxim were kidnapped. They were abducted in the middle of the night from Vanxim where they were staying, put into canoe and moved to unknown destination. This happened on 19 May 2005. Maggie Silveira approached police but they refused to register kidnapping case and instead missing case was registered at Panjim police station. Even though it was clear from the early morning visit of Sadanand Bhosle to Maggie’s residence and his narrations to her that both Jamla and his Son Ashok were taken in his Canoe to Bicholim. Yet police never even interrogated Sadanand Bhosle. 

From this day Sadanand Bhosle never visited Maggie’s residence till date. After police case was registered at Panjim police station Mahendra Gaunekar who was then frequent visitor to Vanxim for he had an intention to take over the Vanxim island, phoned Maggie Silveira and asked whether his name was given to police as kidnapping suspect. Maggie replied in the negative. Yet in the hindsight now it is clear he was the master mind of 2005 kidnappings as this worker – Jamla Kujur- used to work diligently on Maggie’s horticultural farms and Maggie used to rely on his abilities and loyalty. It was intention of Mahendra Gaunekar that indirectly damage be inflicted on Maggie Silveira and that’s why her worker was kidnapped and till today not traceable. Prior to the kidnappings Maggie was threatened with dire consequences if she does not stop her opposition to permanent stationing of Children from Kashmir whose parents are killed through terrorists encounters. These two hundred children were to be stationed on Vanxim island by Adolf Rodricks from Ponda of ‘Full na Pakli’ initiative, a cruel collaborator of equally cruel Mahendra Gaunekar.  Yet Maggie Silveira refused to compromise and continued to stand in defence of Vanxim even at a time when entire Vanxim islanders were scarred due to Kidnappings of Jamla and Ashok Kujur. Navhind Times refused to publish Maggie’s statement against Adolf Rodricks’s project in Vanxim citing that Adolf Rodricks is their esteemed customer who fetches them large revenue due to his advertizing.

Antonio Fernandes kidnapping/missing must be viewed in this context as well and Mahendra Gaunekar need to be interrogated to check whether he has any role in Antonio’s case. Mahendra Gaunekar wants to take over entire island of Vanxim for golf course, five star hotel, spa, helipad, Villas etc construction and it could be well he and his Ozone collaborators intention that atmosphere of fear spreads in Vanxim and Antonio Fernandes might have been made scapegoat to effect their conspiracy. At this state police must not leave any stone unturned and must immediately proceed to interrogate Mahendra Gaunekar and top officials of Ozone Corporate. Considering that Gaunekar and his Ozone corporate has faced stiff opposition it is likely that they are going to resort to such dangerous fear generating tactics. But will police department do this? Or will it be bulldozed under the political pressure from the highest quarters? It is less likely that Police will function without pressure for stakes are too high as evident from the very first act of omission of withholding police dogs from the scene of Antonio Fernandes’ abandoned bike in Dhargal, Pernem. 

Yet it is a challenge before Goa police as they should not goof up for it is an issue of their prestige as well.

A committed, dedicated and highly responsible search must go in locating the kidnapped Antonio Fernandes’ whereabouts as three months has passed by.

Whenever any incident occurs it is spoken for a few days and then forgotten forever, this should not happen in the case of Antonio Fernandes as he got his three growing up children, wife, brother and sister who needs him. Whoever is involved in this kidnapping will not be at peace however big the money flow may be involved in closure of this case. Antonio’s family prayed at the holy cross at Vanxim plus brought the statue of Our Lady of Miraculous Medal, plus celebrated (offered) the Latin Mass. These prayers will all be answered. People should come out supporting tracing Antonio as today it is Antonio who is kidnapped tomorrow it could be you. 

This pamphlet will be distributed in different places of Goa explaining conspiracy behind the Antonio’s kidnapping/missing. Print this page and distribute for we at Bharat Mukti Morcha will not keep quite till Antonio is traced.

Wednesday 9 July 2014

Supreme Court of India declarations and directions for Goa mining

Extracted below are points 70 and 71 containing Declarations and Directions of the Supreme Court Judgment on Goa mining in Goa Foundation v. Union of India delivered on 21st April 2014. These are key basis for the future of mining in Goa.

71. In the result, we declare that:
(i) the deemed mining leases o the lessees in Goa expired on 22.11.1987 and the maximum of 20 years renewal period of the deemed mining leases in Goa expired on 22.11.2007 and consequently mining by the lessees after 22.11.2007 was illegal and hence the impunged order dated 10.09.2012 of Government of Goa and the impunged order dated 14.09.2012 of the MoEF, Government of India are not liable to be quashed;

(ii) dumping of minerals outside the leased area of the mining lessees is not permissible under the MMDR Act and the Rules made thereunder;

(iii) until the order dated 04.08.2006 of this Court is modified by this Court in I.A. No.1000 in T.N.Godavarman Thirululpad v. Union of India & Ors., there can be no mining activities within one kilometer from the boundaries of National Parks and Sanctuaries in Goa;

(iv) by the order dated 04.12.2006 in Writ Petition (C) No.460 of 2004 (Goa Foundation v. Union o India), this Court has not prohibited mining activities within 10 kilometers distance from the boundaries of the National Parks or Wildlife Sanctuaries;

(v) it is for the State Government to decide as a matter of policy in what manner mining leases are to be granted in future but the constitutionality re legality of the decision of the State Government can be examined by the Court in exercise of its power of judicial review.

And we direct that:
(i) MoEF will issue the notification of eco-sensitive zones around the National Park and Wildlife Sanctuaries in Goa after following the procedure discussed in this judgment within a period of six months from today;

(ii) the State Government will initiate action against those mining lessees who violate Rules 37 and 38 of the MC Rules;

(iii) the State Government will strictly enforce the Goa (Prevention of Illegal Mining, Storage and Tranportation of Minerals) Rules, 2013;

(iv) the State Government may grant mining leases of iron ores in Goa in accordance with its policy decision and in accordance with MMDR Act and  the rules made thereunder in consonance with the constitutional provisions;

(v) until the final report is submitted by the Expert Committee, the State Government will, in the interests of sustainable development and intergenerational equity, permit a maximum annual excavation of 20 million MT from the mining leases in the State of Goa other than from dump;

(vi) the Goa Pollution Control Board will strictly monitor the air and water pollution in the mining areas and exercise powers available to it under the 1974 Act and 1981 Act including the powers under Section 33A of the 1974 Act and Section 31A of the 1981 Act and furnish all relevant data to the Expert Committee;

(vii) the entire sale value of the e-auction of the inventorised ores will be forthwith realized and out of the total sale value, the Director of Mines and Geology, Government of Goa, under the supervision of the Monitoring Committee will make the following payments:
(a)    Average cost of excavation of iron ores to the mining lessees;
(b)   50% of the wages and dearness allowances to the workers in the muster rolls of the mining leases who have not been paid their wages during the period of suspension of mining operations;
(c)    50% of the claim towards storage charges of MPT.
Out of the balance, 10% will be appropriated towards the Goan Iron Ore Permanent Fund and the remaining amount will be appropriated by the State Government as the owner of the ores;
(viii) the Monitoring Committee will submit its final report on the utilization and appropriation of the sale proceeds of the inventorised ores in the manner directed in this judgment within six months from today;
(ix) henceforth, the mining lessees of iron ore will have to pay 10% of the sale price of the iron ore sold by them to the Goan Iron Ore Permanent Fund.
(x) the State Government will within six months from today frame a comprehensive scheme with regard to the Goan Iron Ore Permanent Fund in consultation with CEC for sustainable development and intergenerational equity and submit the same to this Court within six months from today; and
(xi) the Expert Committee will submit its report within six months from today on how the mining dumps in the State of Goa should be dealt with and will submit its final report within twelve months from today on the cap to be put on the annual excavation of iron ore in Goa.
70. With the aforesaid declarations and directions, Writ Petition (C) No. 435 of 2012 is allowed. The Transferred Cases and IA filed by MPT as well as other IAs also stand disposed of. The interim order dated 05.10.2012 of this Court is vacated. These matters will be listed as and when the Monitoring Committee and the Expert Committee submit their final reports and the State Government submits the scheme for the Goan Iron Ore Permanent Fund. The Parties shall bear their own costs.

A.K.Patnaik J.

Surinder Singh Nijjar J.

Fakkir Mohamed Ibrahim Kalifulla J

New Delhi
April 21, 2014

Tuesday 8 July 2014

Goa's Dhangars has no place for the final rest

Lack of crematorium forced Zore family to bury Bhagyashri’s body in jungle

by Rajendra Kerkar 

This TOI story is forwarded to this blog by Dr.Anthony Rodrigues who has expressed concern on this case and others, and currently litigating before Goa State Human Rights Commission seeking directions that there must be public crematoriums owned by the state and accessible to all. Matter is slotted to come up for hearing on July 21, 2014.

In many areas of Sattari, the public crematoriums are almost absent and this repeatedly forces the socially backward families to bury or burn their deceased relatives in the remote jungle or in the no man’s land of rivers.

When the dead body of Bhagyashree who had died on the evening of June 4, 2014 was handed over to the family members on June 5, after post mortem, they had to continue long search for a piece of land to bury the deceased body. The Dhangar, who are among the Other Backward Communities (OBC) of Goa’s society are landless since the generations and when a person is dead, it is difficult to get place in the crematorium maintained by the village community easily. “In Village Panchayat Keri, at Baherilwad under the Zilla Panchayat Fund, crematorium has been built. It is a public crematorium”, said Sameer Parrikar, the secretary of Village Panchayat. However, in this crematorium, a place for performing the last rites is not easily available and hence the corpse of Bhagyashree was taken 14km away and she was buried at the foot hill of the Vagheri far away from the human settlement.

“When a woman dies during the pregnancy, prevailing superstitions that her evil spirit will haunt and trouble the locality account to bury dead body outside the boundaries of village. Bhagyashree was buried at the foothill of Vagheri since there is no public crematorium nearby and she was four month pregnant when she was killed”, laments B.D. Mote, the social leader of the Dhangar community from Sattari.

He further said, “During the last week, the Deputy Sarpanch of Pissurle Vaibhavi Humane was died. Her body was cremated behind her residential house as no crematorium available for the Dhangar community in Sattari except Bhuipal. It is inhuman and painful that life after death of Dhangar too results in struggle.”

The Dhangar, being nomadic, never possessed land. They just roamed the mountains with no fixed home. Overwhelmingly today they are engaged in agriculture as landless cultivators and as casual labourers.

Director of Social Welfare Meena Naik Goltekar when contacted by TOI said, “In order to have funeral in decent manner of a deceased person belonging to the Dhangar we have introduced the Antya Sanskar Yojana and providing the financial assistance of Rs. 20,000 or actual cost whichever is less with the provision of essential certificates. We are also in process in solving various other issues of the community.”
In 2012, brother of Bhagyashree’s husband Baburao earlier died at Dhangarwada. While performing the last rites no crematorium or land was available. The deceased body was taken to Haddwada of Talekhol in Maharashtra where villagers too took objections when his body was cremated.

Dhaku Pavane, from Bhuipal of Sattari says, “The condition of our community, all over Goa is very pitiable, we are still landless. The area where our houses are situated is also not owned by us. So, we face lots of difficulties while doing the last rites of the deceased.”