Towards ressurecting civil society in Goa in support of Sao Jose de Areal

"A village whose protests against pollution have been forgotten by the government and civil society"

-Neshwin Almeida in the Goan, October 20, 2012

https://www.thegoan.net/goa-news/death-by-coal/1514.html

Forgot by Government and Civil society. This is how Neshwin Almeida dissected  the pollution issues in Sao Jose de Areal village in South Goa.

This is brilliant insight into politics of memory and memory of politics being pointed out as cause of suffering of People of Sao Jose de Areal.

Why did Government ignored protests of the villagers?

Why did Civil Society in Goa ignore protests against phenomenal so incivil and dark?

It's important to reflect here. What constitutes Government? What constitutes Civil society?

If both Government and Civil society has ignored pollution issue of Sao Jose de Areal it mean both want Sao Jose de Areal to continue in black misery.

Why there is no intervention around memory when it was identified as cause of daily death of the living in Sao Jose de Areal?

Lessons we get to learn are truly instructive. 

You are welcome to imagine powerful and vibrant Civil society that will generate sufficient Resilience to tackle and push out black reality of Sao Jose de Areal successfully.

Soa Jose de Areal has talented people and Pollution issue from Dempo owned Goa Carbons limited is daily menacing issue. Why people competent in writing haven't articulated it persistently over the years?

Conclusion is simple: the intelligentsia of the village are not interested in welfare of the village as far as pollution issues are concerned. They are busy in their project of diverting attention away through their writing. Not every one can be fooled every every time. Someday truth will escape through the cracks in the wall.

Its time now to put the issue of Sao Jose de Areal pollution on our minds. We may be affected directly, indirectly, remotely or not at all. This is clear case of social oppression primarily and environmental issue secondarily.

We need to build up Solidarity network with the villagers of Sao Jose de Areal as foundation of redress mechanism. Without strong social relations environmental interventions are not workable.

So my friends put up your thinking caps and come out with measures needed to take up:

1.

2.

3.

You will have your own ingenuity to fill up the above and share back.

Springtime of Arrests in Goa

Goa seems to have entered into spring season of arrests of those who express political dissent. Past few days have shown the glimpses of onset of emergency in Goa where Fundamental Rights are placed in suspension if not abrogated outright.

We have witnessed arrests of three lead political dissenters of Goa Adv.Pratima Coutinho, Sanjay Barde and Rama Kankonkar. The tyrannical state though is political, it's motives are econnomic terrorism, intention is psychological warfare.

Goa is headed straight into cesspool of diversity of stinking corruption both moral and economic, executed with brute accuracy by its politicians and their kin and kith.

In the process the stakes are huge. The battle for land is at hand. Battle for language in whatever script can be futile if it's not rooted in battle for land.

Filing of frivolous cases against Rama Kankonkar also attracts provisions section 3 of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, one of the least applied laws in Goa.

Long time ago there was regime in India that believed that Sun never sets on its rule. The rulers went on arresting those dissenting. One man that regime arrested multiple times. His name is M.K.Gandhi. Multiple arrests made him even greater than the greats, Mahatma. Goa Government has just embarked on innings to elevate few amongst the Commons to that status step by step. Arrests are magnificent propellers for greatness for the one in whose chest burns flame of freedom and love for Justice.  No Police arrests can doze off kindred spirit. Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison for the cause of freedom from apartheid policies in South Africa.

Bharat Mukti Morcha call upon Goa Government to stop police repression on those expressing dissent in the interests of Political sanity if any.

Repression on People can have unpredictable impacts considering the glimpses of evidence of law and order on Goa has gone for a mighty toss with people issuing threats to bury elected representative alive in Sancoale. Implication of such statements are severe with democracy and Constitution of India being the presitine casualties.

For Goa these spring time of arrests is yet another consequence being annexed through conquest in 1961. These cannot be fruits of Liberation. Wither Liberation? Truly, still Lambert Mascarenhas is valid: sorrowing lies my land.

Bharat Mukti Morcha express support and Solidarity with all the people actively pursuing cause of Justice in various forms in Goa against all kinds of vested interests.

Bharat Mukti Morcha call for quashing of criminal cases against Rama Kankonkar with immediate effect and he be set free from Police custody.

S.A.Rodrigues
Convenor
Bharat Mukti Morcha,
Goa State

After dozen years Sao Jose Areal Goa Carbon siege story still relevant

Dozen years ago Neshwin Almeida observed that village of Sao Jose de Areal is under siege in his investigative writings still available online:

https://www.thegoan.net/goa-news/death-by-coal/1514.html

Here is the team from Goa Carbons that operates behind the scenes to maintain the siege with its iron grip. They are currently board of directors of Goa Carbon Limited who operates three factories in India in Chattisgarh, Odisha and Goa. 

For some peculiar reasons board of directors still consider the lives of people residing in Sao Jose de Areal as dispensibe and their lungs and all other organs of their bodies can be stocked with that black nasty release from this red category factory in the middle of village.

And here we go enumerating these bunch of guys:

1. Shrinivas V. Dempo, Promoter and Chairman. He loves to promote pollution in Sao Jose de Areal. He is also heading Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), currently. His wife Pallavi Dempo contested last Parliamentary elections and did not spend single span of even 24 hours in Sao Jose de Areal to inhale black perfume released by their family enterprise.

2. Kiran Dhingra, Independent Director. She was Chief Secretary of Goa. We are not sure as to why she has to soil her hands in this crime in her retirement days.

3. Nagesh Pinge, Independent Director 

4. Subodh Nadkarni, Independent Director 

5. Subhrakant Panda, Independent Director

6. Rajesh S. Dempo, Non-Executive Director 

7. Jagmohan Chabbra, Non-Executive Director

8. Anupam Misra, Executive Director

This polluting company was founded by Vasantrao Dempo who is notirious for mining destruction of Goa. 

Let's keep this under scanner as this is amongst most dangerous consequences of Indian amnexure of Goa through conquest in 1961.

One year of Goa IT Department lethargy on cellular radiation assurances

It was on February 08, 2024 that Noryh Goa District Level Telecom Committee met in Panjim chaired by North Goa Collector Ms. Sneha Gitte in presence of Shri Pradeep Gaonkar, Assistant Director, Department of Information Technology, Electronics and Communications. Various people from North Goa with complaints against mobile towers were called at the meeting. Certain decisions were taken too like those recorded on minutes as follows:

1. With regard to complaint against mobile tower next to Government primary school at Morlem colony in Sattari it is recorded "The Collector assured that the complaints would be forwarded to the Department of Telecommunications, Government of India, for necessary action and report on the health effects of radiation." Nothing is known about the follow up on this from IT Department. RTI response reveal that Department has no information!

2. With regard to complaint against mobile tower at survey no.2/1, at Navelim, Divar minutes notes " The Collector suggested exploring options under the Goa Telecom Infrastructure Policy 2020 and involving Public Works Department (PWD) as permission issued by them". Again nothing is known about the follow up and IT Department of Goa has no information to share in response to RTI.

3. With regard to public opposition to mobile towers at Guirim and Kumbharjua that has halted construction work at both sites minutes notes "The Collector assured that all complaints regarding health hazards would be forwarded to the department of Telecommunications, Government of India, for necessary reports." Nothing is known as to what happened to the collector's assurance. How wise is the decision of Collector to approach Department of Telecommunications, Government of India instead of Ministry of Health, Government of Goa or Government of India?

4. With regard to Objections for Installation of Tower at Siridao, Palem by village Sarpanch herself minutes records "The Collector reiterated the plan to forward all health-related complaints to the Department of Telecommunications, Government of India, for appropriate action and reports." Nothin is known about this decision even after one year later.

5. North Goa Collector herself suggested at the meeting that "Infrastructure Providers (IPs) conduct awareness camps at the village Panchayat level to educate residents about radiation-related health effects." Nothing is know about the implementation of this decision so far and IT Department has no information to share as per RTI response.

6. RTI response referred here is addressed to Shri Ashok Bablo Gawas dated 20/11/2024 by Prajeet Chodankar, Public Information Officer and Dy. Director (Admn.), Department of Information Technology, Electronics and Communications, Government of Goa where reply is "NIL".

So one year later after the North Goa Telecom Committee meeting assurances of the Noth Goa Collector has remained without fulfilling. This indicated that there is crisis in Telecom governance in Goa and complete disregard to Public Health issues prompted by cellular ecosystem.

We need massive public involvement to set things right. You are encouraged to get involved to initiate grassroots moves at assert ourselves against being hoodwinked by cellular corporates. 

Ashok B. Gawas

Convenor, 

Goa Cellular Watch 

M: 9923272471