Call for comprehensive defence of Goa's rivers

Bharat Mukti Morcha (BMM) calls for comprehensive defence of all the Rivers of Goa, including Tributaries and Catchment areas, as their health is well being of fishermen. BMM notes trends threatening Goa’s rivers and fishing. Declaration of Goa’s six rivers as National Inland Waterways and Sagarmala project are the two major dangers confronting Goa. Both have their origin with Indian government’s Ministry of Shipping headed by Nitin Gadkari. BMM notes that what harm Indian government is intending to do to Goa is already been done by European colonisers in New Zealand towards the natives - the Maoris.

BMM calls upon Fisheries Minister Mr. Palyenkar and Ports Minister Jayesh Salgaonkar to get their mind on the March 2017 law in defence of river Whanaganui passed in the Parliament of New Zealand before major catastrophe unleashes on Goa. After battling for 140 years in March 2017 law known as Te Awa Tupua (Whanganui River Claims Settlement) Act 2017 was passed in which acknowledgment of damage to river and people included. Crown apology has been extended to erecting of Jetties, Clearing of River for Navigation purposes, Control and sale of river gravel and shingle, Acquisition of land on river bank and use of river as “highway”. The National Inland waterways status for Goa’s six rivers and Sagarmala project is a death warrant to fishermen and ecology of Goa through dredging and new Jetty constructions.

Further Goa Government and Central Government with Corporate nexus have colluded to shift Goa’s jurisdiction at National Green Tribunal (NGT) bench from Pune to Delhi. All these three combined coupled with State’s attempts to acquire land for Corporate benefits makes Goa a colony marked for massive intolerable abuse of people and ecology.

Nearly 200 years ago on 01^st January 1818 five hundred Indian Mahars soldiers in British Army pulled down rule of Peshwayee in Pune. BMM infers that this memory is the reason India and Goa Government has shifted NGT jurisdiction to Delhi lest it becomes inspiration for Goans to revolt. All this because anti-environment projects are getting stalled? This is cheating. This action will be continuously opposed by fishermen and others like Maoris did in New Zealand. 

Its victory for traditional fishermen in Zuari river!

Bharat Mukti Morcha (BMM) congratulates Goa Fisheries Minister Vinod Palyenkar on effective action taken  to crackdown on illegal fishing in Zuari river based on complaints from traditional fishermen. Mr. Palyenkar on September 08, 2017 acted efficiently and issued note threatening departmental action against the officer concerned and the Director of Fisheries.

This note was followed by recommendation to the State Government suspension of Director of Fisheries Shamila Monteiro on September 14, 2017. Fishermen on Zuari coast from Siridao, Bambolim, Nauxim, Cacra, and Odxel has been petitioning Department of Fisheries from 2013 onwards on various issues threatening Fishing in Zuari but department did not act. In fact Shamila Monteiro’s tenure as Director of Fisheries is marked with series of U-turns.  She worked very hard to cancel the fuel subsidies of traditional fishermen. Subsidies must be retained back. Her illegalities are huge and she should never be allowed back to harass the traditional fishermen as enough is enough for what she did from 2014 till her suspension in 2017.

She repeatedly played pranks on traditional fishermen with regard to Patrol boats to stop illegal fishing. It was on regular basis that Patrol boats from the Fisheries department as well as from marine police were highly irresponsible to function in spite of repeated phone calls from the traditional fishermen.

Mr.Vinod Palyekar, Minister for Fisheries and WRD has proved in action to understand the Zuari river. He has demonstrated that he is responsible to root out prevailing corruption from Fisheries department and provide Justice to traditional Fishermen. This trend of Mr. Vinod Palyenkar is highly appreciated by the traditional fishermen.

BMM maintains that performance of current Fisheries Minister Vinod Palyenkar is better than his predecessor Avertano Furtado who betrayed traditional fishermen in river Zuari.

"Vanxim sobit naum" konkani song that beautifies island

                 I

Amcho dactulo gaum Vanxim sobit naum,

Borla fulanim

Chedde-Chedvam distai attac-atu galun

Bossun dokeari.

          Chorus

April Mai moineant

Eat Vanxeri

Marta Xitol varem, eun thuim dokear bosxem

Saudico borem

          II

Sobit sundor Igorze Festo Janeran

Saiba Santus Cristachem

Milagrincho Khuris, Kortat Angouneo

Pettoun Vatti.

          III

Uzvad noketrancho, pormoll fulancho

Mog bhau-bhoinacho

Zantim-nentim poram khosen sartat horam

Corun gaenan

Composed by 

Late L.F. Silveira sometime before 1975. In 1975 January feast was shifted to May while dock was already constructed well before that time with shipping as travel medium to Panjim.

Goa's fishing dispute touches Agassaim MLA?

According to information just received large number of trawler owners have assembled today 20th September 2017 at from 11.30 am onward at the residence of Agassaim MLA Francis Silveira asking for his intervention to allow trawlers share in fishing in Zuari in violation of law. 

Francis Silveira called up one of the fishermen on Zuari coast to ask whether they are willing to share river to allow illegal trawler fishing in Zuari. Traditional Fishermen has strictly refused to let trawlers carry on illegal fishing in Zuari river. BMM appreciates MLA Silveira's decision to phone and consult traditional fishermen on this issue.

Bharat Mukti Morcha (BMM) calls upon Agassaim MLA Francis Silveira not to get carried away into supporting illegal and ecologically dangerous fishing in Zuari within 5 kilo meters from the coast as per existing law and ban on trawling in rivers of Goa including night fishing.

It may be recalled that earlier this month in rare and courageous act Goa Fisheries minister Vinod Paliekar cracked down on rampant illegal fishing in zuari and placed director of Fisheries Dr. Shamila Monteiro on suspension . Click here for links. BMM supports this action of Goa Fisheries Minister.

Trawling is well known for causing depletion of fishing grounds and wastage. This has been well captured by Bikram Dasgupta's poem "The Mackerel and the Sea Birds". Click here for links.

BMM is opposed to illegal fishing in Zuari violating existing laws that define the distance from the shore, technique of fishing and size of fishing nets with no compromise on long term sustainability of Zuari river as fishing venue for traditional fishing.

Call to uproot all Reliance Jio towers in Goa

Bharat Mukti Morcha (BMM), Goa Unit has taken note of disturbing behaviour of corportate entity Reliance Jio involved in installing mobile tower in Navelim, Salcete. BMM extends support and solidarity to People of Navelim and calls for the uprooting of all the mobile towers of Reliance JIO in Goa as they are installed with short circuited permissions from Goa State government without public consultation with affected population. Goa government has no facility to monitor radiation emissions from mobile towers. Reliance owned by Ambanis that own this corporate has acquired gross power over political system of India and that has led to the corroding of nation's soul. Lord Acton said more than century ago "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely." Reliance mobile towers are for the surveillance ends obsessed by control over public. We reproduce statement dated September 11, 2017 on this issue from Navelim Civic and Consumer Forum in public interest to combat current principle of ruling elites of India: Sab ke Sath Sab ka Vinash, सब के साथ सब का विनाश

: with every one destruction is a must! 

(For Flag icon thanks to Joules Themudo)


Navelim Civic & Consumer Forum condemns the action of Reliance Jio for filing false FIRs against respectable and diligent villagers of Navelim who have time and again objected to illegal digging of roads without proper permissions from Authorities and that too beyond midnight.

Reliance JIO is openly venting out their frustrations to blackmail the villagers, so that the villagers will fear and back out and they can go ahead to install their towers where ever they want. NCCF vehemently condemns the use of Police machinery to intimidate those who oppose the illegal Road digging. Government has banned road digging of any kind and is not allowed till the end of Monsoons. Even those seeking water connections are made to wait.

On the contrary Reliance JIO has trespassed into the tarred Parking Lot for the Rosary Higher Secondary School on many earlier occasions. Recently some Villagers, while returning home at about 1.30 am, noticed some workers digging on the road. When questioned, it was noticed that the workers are from Reliance JIO. They immediately dialed 100 and called the Police. The Police Patrolling Van which reached the site, instead of immediately arresting the Jio workers digging the road in the middle of the night, took the names of the villagers, including those that joined later, selectively. The area where they were digging the road, was just fortnight back tarred and soling was done. 

The blanket license which Jio produces in fact states that Jio has to approach the local bodies for local permission. In addition the statues committee on road digging under District Collector has to give permission and this committee has to monitor and prepare reports every fortnight. No such thing is done. A couple of years ago NCCF had complained against Jio for cutting and damaging a bridge at Aquem-Baixo, but no action was taken. NCCF wonders why this special treatment for Jio.

Recently to a query from Village Panchayat Navelim, the Dy. Town Planners has clarified that if work of installing towers involves concreting, than permission from TCP Dept. is also required. None of this is done by Jio. Also there were no signboards at the site, mentioning the name of the company doing the work nor any safety barricades even though it was done at night time. There was no police bandobast to regulate the traffic at the Junction where there is enough traffic even at night.

NCCF request that the Police do not succumb to political pressure and do justice to the Navelim villagers. If Jio wants to pursue with this false complaint, then the villagers will be compelled to start a campaign to boycott Jio.

Great action from Goa Fisheries Minister on Zuari illegal fishing

After repeated letters of complaints and direct phone calls Minister of Fisheries Vinod Palyekar cracked a whip against Director of Fisheries on September 08, 2017. Strangely one who was protecting illegal fishing is Director of Fisheries herself. Bharat Mukti Morcha (BMM) has spoken out consistently in defense of traditional fishermen on the banks of Zuari river. 

BMM appreciates this bold action of Goa Fisheries Minister that will go a long way towards retaining of sustainability of Zuari river ecology as well as fisheries. BMM also places on record gratitude to the Minister of Fisheries for this action.

There is a need for complete clean up of the Department of Fisheries with Judicial investigations as to why Director of Fisheries Dr. Shamila Monteiro was protecting illegal fishing over the past three years after identifying those involved in the transgressions. There is a need to asses damage caused to ecology of zuari by permitting illegal trawlers and costs must be recovered from her assets.

Flowing melodrama

Sebastian Rodrigues

Mobile rang, left pocket vibrating. Heart raced into river zuari and strife come alive. Zuari witnessed tensions and clashes of fishing technology and sustainability. Sanjay speaks. Body veins, Fish, Shell dredged. River bed screams. Depth in cry and crisis. 

Sanjay goes in fishing every morning for decade and a half. As a child and father cultivated vegetable in shrubs where today stands Goa University. For the sake of education Sanjay sacrificed living and livelihood. Now dives into Zuari to catch fish that eludes him for too many trawlers, mini-per seiners, casinos, marinas, coal, mining barges and water sports intruders.

Inside room
toddler runs amok 
with razor