Text of the memorandum to North Goa Collector submitted after February 9, 2011 public rally in Panjim

Date: 09/02/2011

To,

The Collector,

North Goa,

Panaji- Goa

                                                                 Memorandum

Bharat Mukti Morcha today 9^th February 2011 organized the rally to protest the Government’s following decisions, actions and inactions:

1. To conduct census 2011 without caste enumeration of OBC communities in India. This is done ostensibly to subjugate Mulnivasis people of India.
2. To conduct biometric census and give UID cards to citizens that eliminates caste identity and infringes upon citizens right to privacy.
3. Failure to withdraw cases pending in Panjim deputy Collector’s Court against Vanxim Island residents filed with the intention to displace local mulnivasis by Mahendra Gaunekar to set up golf tourism, Luxury Villa, Spa and Private Marina in spite of written communications to your office from Bharat Mukti Morcha to do so.
4. Failure to stop open caste iron ore and manganese mining in Goa in spite of written communications to Department of mines and Geology for termination of mining leases.
5. Failure to revert back all the forest land of Goa diverted for mining purpose.
6. Failure to stop sand mining in Goa’s rivers such as in Mandovi river near Vanxim island in spite of written communications to Department of Mines and Geology by Bharat Mukti Morcha.
7. Failure to stop illegal mining in various parts of Goa such as Vathadev, Bicholim.
8. Failure to scrap SEZ Act that has spelled disaster for Goa in places like Keri, Ponda; Verna, Salcete; Sancoale, Murmogoa and the rest of India as the SEZs are treated as ‘foreign territories’.
9. Failure to protect coastal people’s housing and livelihood at Khareavaddo, Vasco.
10. Failure to protect the islands for the Mulnivasi people and insultingly taking them over for and Naval authorities off Vasco shore at Arabian Sea
11. Failure to implement Forest Rights Act 2006 in Goa by withholding the constitution of mandatory District level committees and Sub-divisional committees in North as well as South Goa district. Forest department has sealed the paths of tribal people to enter forest for the firewood collection and cattle grazing in places like Khotigao Wildlife sanctuary, Canacona.
12. Failure to identify and declare scheduled areas in Goa.
13. Failure to include Goa tribes in the Vth Schedule of the Constitution of India.
14. Failure to impose ban of acquisition of Agricultural and Forest land for industry, Housing, Golf Course, Cricket stadium at Thivim, sports city at Dhargal, Mopa airport in Pernem,   and commercial complexes, Fish Mill at Velim, Syngenta in Corlim etc.
15. Failure to implement Tenancy Act and Mundkar Act.
16. Failure to prevent open disposal of Garbage resulting in pollution of valleys such as Garbage disposal behind St. Xavier’s College, Mapusa and its resultant ill effect on Siolim-Marna.
17. Failure to cancel Environmental clearances to hazardous and polluting industries such as Syngenta at Corlim, Zuari Agro Chemicals at Vasco, and Sesa Goa at Naveli, Bicholim.
18. Failure to withdraw criminal cases against people all over Goa resisting mining industry. Particular villages includes Colamb in Sanguem, Advalpal in Bicholim, Naveli in Bicholim, Ambaulim in Quepem.
19. Failure to scrap sponge iron plants in various parts of Goa such as Pissurlem in Sattari and Mangado in Tiswadi.
20. Failure to scrap Jaitapur Nuclear Power plant that is threatening livelihood of Mulnivasis in Madban, Ratnagiri, Maharastra as well as Arabian Sea that is major source of fish in Goa.
21. Failure to control rising inflation in all sectors of economy.
22. Failure to solve the problems of hunger, poverty and unemployment in India. Ruling castes and classes are deliberately worsening this situation.
23. Failure to increase minimum wage rate from the current one at Rs.152/- per day in Goa. It is indeed shameful situation.
24. Failure to scrap contract labour system in Goa.
25. Failure to prevent the privatization of Health sector. It is utter disgust that Government district hospital in Mapusa is proposed to be privatized and luxury private hospital constructed on government land on Kadamba plateau, Tiswadi. 
26. Failure to lower the admission fees of Goa University and its affiliated colleges including professional colleges.
27. Failure to restore cultivation land inside Mhadei for the agriculture known as ‘Puran Shethi’.
28. Failure to scrap the Evacuee property department and handover land at Mayem, Bicholim to the local mulnivasi people.
29. Failure to protect the interest of the Mulnivasi people in the RP-2021. 
    
    
    
    
    Sd/-
    Sebastian Rodrigues
    Convenor
    Goa State
     

Awake and arise to fight the brahmanical conspiracy to evict people of Vanxim Island!

Bharat Mukti Morcha takes serious note of Brahmanical forces  at work with their plan of destruction in Vanxim island near Divar, Tiswadi, Goa. The entire island people are dragged to the deputy collector’s court, Panjim for the purpose of negative declarations of their land titles by a brahmin Mahendra Gaunekar. The land titles given to Vanxim islanders through mamlatdar’s order of 1995 is challenged in Deputy collector’s court in 2010 and 2011. Islanders are called for the hearing of the cases regularly for the past so many months.

Homeland of over 1000 people sold to Gaunekar by a brahmin Fr. Arlino de Mello, attorney of Patriarch of East indies on behalf of Archbishop of Goa Felipe Neri Ferrao, a brahmin on February 11, 2006. Sale deed is recorded at sub-registrar’s office, Ilhas. The total land amounts to 4,85,275 square meters. On record Archbishop has received total of Rs. 55,04,150/-. Records of sale claims land sold at the rate of Rs.20/- per square meter. The actual amount at this rate works out to be Rs. 97,05,500/-. In addition there are huge financial underhand transactions in this deal between Brahmins leading to eviction of the local people living on island for past many centuries.

Mahendra Gaunekar then sold this land to corporate – Ozone group from Chennai for Rs. 30 crores on record. Ozone group plans to set up Golf course, Casinos, Gambling, Spa, Private marina, Luxury villas etc after evicting all the local residents. Then the name of Vanxim island is proposed to be changed into Ozone island. Prostitution is synonymous with golf as in Philippines and Thailand. It is called ‘Sex tourism’. The entire village is objecting and by no means will allow Ozone project to materialize.

Brahmin Fr. Victor Rodrigues, Procurator, Archdiocese of Goa on 10^th November 2009 wrote a planned letter on Bishop’s house letterhead to Mahendra Gaunekar which is now used to evict islanders of Vanxim. The subject header of this mischievous letter is “immovable property - Vanxi at Capao”. And the text reads as follows:

"Dear Gaunekar,


As we were re-arranging our records, files and documents in our office, we came across some notices issued by the mamlatdar to us under the Goa Agricultural Tenancy Act in respect of the above mentioned property.


We immediately applied for the certified copies of the relevant papers to the mamlatdar which are received on 4th November, 2009.


Since the said property has already been sold to you we enclose herewith the said papers received by us to enable you to initiate appropriate steps if so desired."

On 16^th of May 2010 local MLA Pandurang Madkaikar visited Vanxim along with Mahendra Gaunekar, and had a meeting with all the islanders. The islanders objected to the entire project. The 109 page joint development agreement was reduced to 19 pages. Vanxim islanders approached various authorities of the State government – Revenue department, Revenue Minister, Revenue Secretary, Mamlatdar of Tiswadi, Collector (North), Chief Minister, Governor – but none has provided solution. Bharat Mukti Morcha retaliates against every one involved in promoting evictions. People of Goa are shocked with Archbishop Felipe Neri Ferrao. Mass of people participated in the mega protest meetings in Vanxim to condemn Archbishop.

Brahmanical conspiracy has already reduced 83 crore people of India into hunger and poverty. Vanxim islanders’ evictions are only going to add to these ongoing macro crimes. Vanxim island has been very prosperous with sustainable agriculture, horticulture, fishing and employment elsewhere.

As a pressure tactic Indira Bal Rath- a government free bus service to OBC, ST school children for Vanxim islanders was stopped by Cumbarjua MLA Pandurang Madkaikar. This is totally unethical and amounts to arms twisting by force. Bus service to children of Vanxim islanders is their right and they must get this from their island itself.

Bharat Mukti Morcha condemns Mahendra Gaunekar for filing cases against Vanxim islanders.  Bharat Mukti Morcha condemns Archbishop Felipe Neri Ferrao for promoting this highly corrupt and shady deal creating situation of eviction to Vanxim islanders. Bharat Mukti Morcha condemns Revenue department as well as Revenue Minister Jose Philip D’Souza for entertaining cases filed by Mahendra Gaunekar against people of Vanxim island. Bharat Mukti Morcha condemns Chief Minister of Goa brahmin Digambar Kamat for presiding over evictions of Vanxim islanders. Bharat Mutki Morcha condemns Governor of Goa S.S.Sidhu for not providing solution in spite of petitions to him. Bharat Mukti Morcha condemns Cumbarjua MLA Pandurang Madkaikar for his support to the eviction of Vanxim islanders.  Bharat Mukti Morcha condemns corporate Ozone group for promoting eviction of Vanxim islanders. Bharat Mukti Morcha holds Brahmanism responsible for creating this problem and calls upon all to fight for this cause.

Jai Bharat!                                                      Jai Mulnivasi!

Bharat Mukti Morcha condemns the Goa State Forest Policy

The Goa State Forest Policy-2009 is notified by the in the Official Gazette series III No.1 dated 7^th April 2011. Two months are given for the suggestions, not objections.  Public right to object is taken away subtly. This happens only in brahmanocracy and never in democracy.

One of the objectives of this policy is ‘reclamation of abandoned mining areas and forestation of mine dumps/rejects.’ This means Goa government is going to be using public money on abandoned mines and let all the wealth and profit to be siphoned off by mining companies.

As a strategy policy says ‘All the forest areas should be reflected in the land Index Form I & XIV by way of mutation in the land records. Priority should be given to permanently and correctly demarcating the forest boundaries and for maintenance to prevent ambiguity and encroachments.’  This means that forest department will intensify its efforts to fence off forest land and block access to the tribal people and other forest dwellers.

It refrains from even mentioning the existence of ‘The Scheduled Tribes and Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of forest rights) Act, 2006’ the law that is meant to protect tribal and other forest dwellers’ access to forest. Brahmanical Goa government has so far systematically blocked the implementation of this law. It has refrained from constituting mandatory district level and sub-divisional level committees. In a compliance report ending 31^st March 2011 filed with central ministry of tribal affairs Goa Government submitted that OBCs have objected implementation of this Act hence delay in implementation. This is a brahmanical conspiracy to create strife between tribal people and OBCs.

This policy further states that eco-tourism will be promoted by forest department and its ‘efforts should be aimed at creation of livelihood avenues for the local poor people’. It hides the fact that eco-tourism is essentially for profits of the brahmanical interest and so called poor are the mulnivasis who will be made to provide service in return of tips that depends upon whims and fancies of the tourists.  Brahmanical State of India and Goa is responsible for this poverty of mulnivasi people.

Policy aims at legitimizing rule of the forest department over mulnivasi in its forest management. It says ‘Degraded forest areas near habitations need to be regenerated with involvement of local communities through the Joint Forest Management principles.’ This is meant to neutralize the Forest Rights Acts 2006 that grants autonomy of forest management to tribal and other forest dwelling communities.

Mining is given green signal in this forest policy. It says ‘Mineral prospecting/exploration or mining (fresh or existing leases and/or their renewal) including extraction of minor minerals shall be regulated as per the existing legal provisions.’ This means existing diversion of forest land to mining will not be taken back nor will future diversion of forest for mining be banned. Our forest is being gifted on a platter for mining industry. Already 1282 hectares of Goa’s forest land has been diverted for mining purpose. Goa has no forest land left of mandatory compensatory afforestation to match cutting down of forest.

Medicinal plants are to be documented and then ‘enabling environment needs to be created to facilitate marketing of medicinal plants for the income generation of farmers’. Pharmaceutical industry is behind this move. Patents will follow and tribal and other mulnivasis will then be deprived of these medicinal plants. 

People staying and cultivating in forest has been legally registered as encroachers.  Intruder forest department has been legally recorded as owner. Now as per this policy ‘encroachment on forest lands should be monitored on periodic basis an effective punitive action against the encroachers should be taken in accordance with the Act/Rule.’ New phase of brahmanical domination to start.

Tribes and other will be deprived of cattle grazing in forest. The policy states that ‘Grazing on forest lands should be regulated and should not be encouraged.’ This means that entire control of forest will be resting with forest department who then will hand it over to mining companies at a mass scale as it is already being done. Buffer zone has been totally done away with for sanctuaries. It is not surprising therefore that the first priority of research of the forest department is “Technical know-how for the reclamation of mining areas and mine dumps/rejects with locally available natural forestry species’. This makes it very clear that intention of forest department of the Goa’s brahmanical State is that forest land be given for mining purpose. Reclamation can be thought of only after the forest is allowed to be destroyed by mining companies. This policy is a determined declaration for the destruction of Goa’s forest and further increase in loot and plunder of Goa.

Today iron ore mining has led Goa towards dangerous situation. Its water, soil, agriculture, forest, is being continuously destroyed. Villages and villages are going under the mining debris. Those which are protesting bravely like Colamb, Sirgao, Advalpal, Cavrem, Ambaulim, Sattari, Naveli, Morpirla, Pirna, Khola,  are time and again targeted with police repression, lathi charged and dragged in Court cases. Over 500 cases are filed against people protesting against mining industry in Goa. This industry earns huge amount of income from sale of iron ore, manganese and bauxite. In 2009-10 alone it exported approximately 46 million tones of iron ore earning 23 lakh crore rupees at the rate of Rs.5/- per kilo. India’s budget for 2011-12 is Rupees 12 lakh 58 thousand crore. Earnings of Goa’s mining industry are near double the budgets of India! Nearly 68,000 hectares of Goa’s land is under mining leases.

Goa is looser from mining. Handfuls of mining companies are robbing the people of Goa. Brahmanical State in Goa and India is actively promoting this robbery. Goa cannot afford this any more. Mining in entire State of Goa must be stopped immediately. Existing mining companies operating in Goa be nationalized. No new mining be allowed. The Goa State Forest Policy-2009 is one decision to inflict maximum damage to Goa and its mulnivasi people. Bharat Mukti Morcha strongly condemns The Goa State Forest Policy-2009. It must be scrapped!

Jai Bharat!                                                                             Jai Mulnivasi!

Goa DGP's objectionable comments deplored

Bharat Mukti Morcha expresses deep disapproval over his June 18 2011 statement of Director General of Police Aditya Arya that if he was present at the site in Balli on 25th May he would have ordered police firing on the protestors.

Bharat Mukti Morcha considers that this statement of DGP is a reflection of the cruel and colonial mindset aimed at further perpetuation of prevailing injustice. This also points out that tribes in Goa continue to be slaves of the prevailing system in which they have lost land as well as their rights.

Bharat Mukti Morcha considers murders of Manguesh Gaonkar and Dilip Velip as a henious crime against adivasis as well as the rest of mulnivasis by those who did it. Bharat Mukti Morcha treats both of them as Martyrs who died while fighting for the freedom of tribals.

Bharat Mukti Morcha stands in resolute support of tribes in Goa and advises administration to desist from any arm-twisting methods that will further aggravate historical injustice done to the tribes in Goa by snatching homeland.

Jai Mulnivasi!

Jai Mulnivasi!

Bharat Mukti Morcha since past few years is very active all over India that is Bharat. This blog is created to report about various activities, analysis with related to the concern of Bharat Mukti Morcha in the state of Goa. You are welcome to comment on each or any of the blog posts. If relevant they will be published as comments.

Jai Mulnivasi! Jai Bharat!