Elections 2024 and mining implications for Goa

Let's accelerate sound utilization of District Mineral Trust Fund for the support of mining affected People

Electoral system in India is currently facing formidable challenge of electronic rigging with the way Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) are deployed to almost de-franchise people of India and usher in dictatorial system. Free and Fair elections might have been feasible to some extent with paper ballots. Indian current ethical system transmitted through Election Commision of India (ECI) did not allow any of these possibilities. Even Judiciary has betrayed people of India on this count. The consequences of such situation is the collosal collapse of voter trust in electoral system of EVM. The era of Guaratees is founded upon subtracting the basic guarantee of vote being registered in favour of candidate to whom voter votes. There is such a lot of evidence to this fact in India including latest proofs pointed out by Advocate Sadanand Vaingankar of Corruption Abolution Party in Margao for which he was criminally charged and detained for four hours under arrest past week.

This is an eco-system of Electronic corruption that jostled confidence of ruling political party to win election by winning over 400 seats in Lok Sabha.

Along side planned Electronic rigging of democratic mandate must be viewed something related: Electoral bonds. Electoral bonds to the Political Parties is brute camafulage of corporate hijacking of agendas as well as purchase of political candidature. It's a dramatic transition of democracy into corporate prey garden.

Implication of the above political cocktail is indeed highly threatening and we need to take steps to counter its dangerous implications immidiately through Resilience. While entire Country is facing perilous situation over increasingly corrupt and sophisticated polity Goa stands to loose the most.

These elections being that of Central government it has direct Implications to mining in Goa. Mining has unfolded biggest scam of Rs.35,000 crore in Goa and recovery of this amount is still pending due to various political reasons and power dynamics.

Mining industry has fielded Pallavi Dempo on BJP ticket in South Goa. Pallavi was born in family involved in Mining - Timblos of Margao and married in Mining family - Dempos of Panaji. Both these families are involved in eco-criminal activities through open cast iron ore Mining for past three generations and accumulated wealth sufficient for next 30 generations. In fact the election affidavit of Pallavi Dempo records her spouse Srinivas Dempo currently having mining lease in Sindadurg, Maharashtra worth several crores of Rupees. Dempo Family is responsible to getting globally notorious mining company Vandata Limited and its subsidiaries in Goa. The call for CBI investigations in the Mines transfer was never agreed to even though there are grounds for such investigations. 

Pallavi Dempo has disclosed assets worth more than 1000 crore in election affidavit and one can only guess as to how much might have remained undisclosed and off the record.

Fielding of Pallavi Dempo is significant indicator of both dissatisfaction with politicians to cover up and lobby for mining industry in Goa as well as desire for accelerating corporate take over of polity at the highest level in India.

All over Goa both Timblos as well as Dempos - like other mining companies - has profited from mining aggression of Goa's ecology, land, ground water, springs, lakes, water wells, agriculture, horticulture, forest, rivers. These families has been outstanding predators as well as parasites that has sucked out Goa economically as well as ecologically.

Crores of royalty collected by Goa State from the sale of minerals is stored in District Mineral Trust Fund (DMTF) without disbursing to mining affected areas. These funds should have been utilized for the people in mining belt that have been victims of mineral wounds to their geographies.

Candidates contesting Lok Sabha Elections in North as well as South Goa has to put this issue on agenda and get DMTF funds dispersed towards restoration of minerals wounded geographies of Goa in North as well as South Goa.

It is an irony that while mining industry is eager to take off yet again but it has paid no attention to the disbursement of DMTF to mining affected areas. Srinivas Dempo headed Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) has been vocal in demanding dredging and deepening of Mandovi, Zuari and Cumbharjua Canal but it is not bothered about disbursement of DMTF to mining ravaged localities in Goa.

Politicians at all levels have been a failure to call for disbursement DMTF to mining affected people proving that they care a dam for Goa's minerally affected livelihoods.

It is rather strange that no political party thought it fit to speak up for the sound utilization of DMTF considering mining is so often being reffered to as backbone of Goa's economy. No Candidates of any Political Party or Independents thought it important to care for the mining affected people by pushing the DMTF issue on the election agenda even as Goa goes for the polls on May 06, 2024.

It is absolutely important to make DMTF functional and we need political parties to support and care for this.

Those who agree and willing to collaborate to make DMTF functional reach out to the author at 9923336347 or on email sebydesiolim@gmail.com


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

The fraud rule of EVM government in India

Bharat Mukti Morcha protests against the Electronic Voting machines (EVMs). They are hindrance to free, fair and impartial elections. Last Assembly Elections as well as Parliamentary election conducted through EVM are neither free nor fair but they are great orgies of manipulation through IT skills. We also protest against Election Commission of India for allowing EVM scandal to unfold in India including Goa.

Dr. Subramanium Swamy alleged scandal in the 2009 elections by way of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) by which Congress won the elections. He filed cases on this issue first in Delhi High court and then in Supreme Court of India at Delhi. Before the cases were filed there were public criticisms of the EVM by Lal Krishna Advani, Chandrababu Naidu, Omesh Saigal, Gulam Nabi Azad, Mamta Bannerjee,  Jaylalita, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Ram Vilas Paswan, V.V.Rao, Hariprasad (Expert Technologist), Sitaram Yechuri and Prakash Kharat. Leaders of that time were angry that by manipulating EVMs Congress has won the elections. 

Dr. Subramanium Swamy – with full preparation and evidence filed the cases in Delhi High Court and Supreme Court. For this Dr.Swamy deserves praise.  His study on EVM forced Supreme Court of India to take note and on October 8^th 2013 delivered judgment against EVMs in India. In this judgment Supreme Court held in para 29 “From the materials placed by both the sides, we are satisfied that the paper trail is an indispensable requirement of free and fair elections.” From this it is clear that Supreme Court, Election Commission, and the one who filed the case in Supreme Court – Dr. Subramanium Swamy – is unanimous that without paper trail elections cannot be free, fair and impartial.  

In face of this judgment it was necessary to introduce paper trail for 2014 Lok Sabha Elections. Paper trail means evidence on paper that a person has voted. If any voters ask for the proof it can be produced. 

Along with this it is compulsory to do paper counting of the candidates as per 8^th October 2013 judgment of the Supreme Court. But since it would need 10 lakh machines and these numbers of machines cannot be arranged on time Supreme Court allowed the use of phase-wise paper trails.

Taking advantage of this permission Election Commission of India installed paper trail machines in only 338 locations. From this fact it is clear that Election Commission of India made a mockery of the Supreme Court permission and violated its judgment.  Election commission has misused the permissions granted by Supreme Court and for this reason there need to be contempt of court petition filed against Election of India. The conduct of the Election Commission of India is against the Constitution of India. This is clear from the way Election Commission of India has been conducting its affairs.

EVM scandal ridden government is taking decision against Constitution of India and in the absence of genuine representation in the Parliament problems of Indians are multiplying. 

1. EVM government now does not pass laws after discussion in the Parliament. It makes laws through Ordinances. In Ordinance on Land acquisition there is no thought given to those whom the land belongs. Therefore already impoverished farmers are on the way to streets by turning into landless labourers.
2. Ministers themselves in this EVM government are creating atmosphere of Superstitions, Hatred and Violence.
3. EVM government has increased taxed on petrol and diesel. Due to this in spite of the lowered costs in international market the petrol and diesel rates continues to be higher.
4. EVM government has withheld the scholarship of the studios students; they are pushed to abandon their education program.
5. As this EVM government has not taken any firm stand on agriculture and co-operatives, farmers and those co-operatives businesses are on the path towards ruin.
6. EVM government has made mockery of the Indian who live hand-to-mouth by increasing rate of cooking gas cylinder and enforcing pretenses of bank account deposits for subsidies.
7. In Goa EVM government has granted 29 mining leases for 20 years so that Goa is totally looted to the core. Rs.35,000 crores looted by mining companies are not recovered nor miners sent to jail. Manohar Parrikar’s promise to file FIR against Pratapsingh Rane and Digambar Kamat still remains unfulfilled.
8.  EVM Government has turned Goa Legislative Assembly into cemetery by passing amendment to the tenancy law and taking control over land away from mulnivasis and handing control to the Landlords who are mostly Eurasian Bamons. In our land Eurasian Bamons are land lords. In our own land we are slaves. This was done when Manhar Parrikkar was the Chief Minister. For us mulnivasis, are a conquered people. We are slaves in our own country. We are tenants on our own soil. We have no strength, no power, and no control over our own destiny in the land of birth. They (Eurasian Bamons) live a life of unequaled prosperity.
9. EVM government has not initiated action against Swiss government that prevented submission of Swiss account holders list to the Supreme court of India. Radha Timblo has staked money in Swiss Bank as per Government of India submission to the Supreme Court, while Sulcorna, Muscavrem, Rivona dried up, and paddy field gone forever; forest and springs only a memory.  This is our land. This is a land of Goa. This is mining plunder of Goa. Mulnivasis from all over India cough their lungs out in the bowels of Radha Timblo’s and others’ mines, destroying their health.
10. EVM government has encouraged illegal fishing in Zuari River and also aggressive incursions by Hotel Grand Hyatt in Zuari River causing disruption of fishing activities of those already disrupted due to sale of their land by Eurasian bamons Sinari, Kamat and Mhambrey in Bambolim and Nauxim.  In spite of so many complaints there is no arrest of single Trawler owner. EVM government is committed in fostering illegalities and sky is the limit.
11. EVM government in Goa not investigating Vanxim island scandal. Instead has encouraged criminal prosecution of Bharat Mukti Morcha President Maggie Silveira and three other women for defending Vanxim Island in Mandovi River. 
12. EVM government has turned Goa into gambling den with Casinos flourishing in Mandovi River causing enormous harm to the fisheries. Already report prepared by experts for National Green Tribunal and reported in today’s Lokmat daily  indicate high level of Fecal Colifom exceeding the prescribed limits for Rivers. Fecal Colifom causes Gastro, ear infection, typhoid, dysentery etc.
13. EVM government is attempting to snatch away the lives and livelihoods of the mulnivasi people by imposing Airport at Mopa.