Divar villagers reject Mangrove plantation project in Khazans

United Divarkars foiled bid to transform Khazan land under Pilot Project on Mangrove restoration
The villagers of Divar and in a special way the farming community were triggered by the Notice of Site Inspection issued by the Department of Environment & Climate Change (DE&CC), Government of Goa for August 28, 2024. The parties who were served the notice included the FORREST (Forest Regeneration & amp; Environmental Sustainability Trust), a Pune based NGO, The Secretary of Village Panchayat, Navelim, Tiswadi, The Administrator of Communidades, Central Zone, Panaji, The Executive Engineer, Water Resources Department (WRD), Mangroves Society of India, Goa Chapter, The Member-Secretary, Goa Biodiversity Board, Dr. Sushant Naik, Expert Member GCZMA, Margao, Attorney of Communidade of Malar, Divar and Miss Bhargavi Kelkar and Mr. Sakhil Naik of DE&CC.

The interested villagers gathered momentum through social media at a short notice of less than 24 hours. Farmers residing across the island who has agricultural land
holdings in Divar also made their presence felt.

When questions were posed to the officials of DE&CC during the site inspection conducted recently as to why the Secretary of Navelim
Panchayat was intimated and not the Sarpanch, so also the Attorney of Malar Communidade who has no jurisdiction in Navelim, and why the land owners were kept in the dark about this project, no answers were forthcoming from DE&CC.

The DE&CC also informed the villagers that the FORREST applied to their department to take up the Pilot Project for Mangrove restoration. When further questioned whether they have accepted their proposal, a member of the FORREST replied that it is
only in the nascent stage and that nothing has been approved as yet.

The villagers further grilled the inspection party about their intent to Mangrove restoration instead of getting rid of the menace of mangroves that is threatening their fertile Khazan lands thereby depriving them of bringing their agricultural lands under cultivation. Khazan land are reclaimed lands from the river for agriculture purposes several centuries ago with specialized community skills and collective expertise.

The villagers brought to the notice of the inspection party that no land in the whole of Divar is earmarked for Mangroves as can be verified from the old Survey Plans of the respective Communidades from the island and that mangroves existed only along river banks along the outer boundary of the island which acted as enforcement for the protection of bunds from soil erosion and prevent breaches in bunds. The mangroves that we see in the fields today is the fallout of ignorance, mismanagement and negligence on the part of the concerned Government agencies.

The FORREST officials tried to hoodwink the villagers that the land proposed by them for Mangrove restoration in actuality is across the road and not the Survey Numbers as mentioned in the Notice of Site Inspection. One of the farmer retorted saying even those lands are coming under khazan.

The Hon’ble MLA, Mr. Rajesh Faldessai who rushed to the site informed the inspection party not to interfere with the Khazan lands of Divar in the future and further assured the villagers that he would seek an appointment with the Chief Minister and Revenue Minister alongwith the villagers for a lasting solution towards the restoration of the Khazan lands of Divar.

Project proposal submitted to the Department of Environment, Government of Goa has pictures of paddy fields that were dried up under the directions of Goa Bench of Bombay High Court as a part of reclamation process for paddy cultivation near Divar-Old Goa Ferry crossings. While proposed Pilot Project for Mangrove cultivation are paddy fields near Divar-Ribandar ferry point. In both the instances paddy fields that are eyed for take over of transition from Paddy fields to Mangroves with community participation. Irony of the entire FORREST project is that it has planned without people thereby making mockery of premises of local people's participation proposed in the project.

The experience of this experiment has been bitter and disappointing precisely because they haven't cared to learn ecological history of Divar Island harvesting conflict.

It is indeed great that awakening has set on the island of Divar. We hope that the torch of awakening will spread to neighboring island of Vanxim and in Malar wherein few people are determined to destroy Vanxim by allowing themselves to be used as mouthpiece for bridge to Vanxim. It's first step to uproot houses in Vanxim by corporate predators like Ozone group. May people in Malar and Vanxim be inspired by heroic defence of paddy fields from the clutches of FORREST.

Goa Forest under development aggression

Stripped Tiger and two cubs are moving around in Tuem, Pernem as per information received 24 hours ago. Forests of Pernem are facing aggression from Mopa Airport, Tourism cum real estste projects and irresponsible Forest administration in Goa that engages in innumerable sabotage. The situation is moving into dangerous phase after India "annexed Goa through conquest" in 1961 as Supreme Court of India noted in Gosalia Judgement. Democracy has proved to be conduit to current state of affairs with buying and selling of votes.

However we are happy to note Ray of hope from Morjim youth to fight back and protect nature and indigenous people in Pernem. We express our support to Mayur Shedgaokar and his newly formed team in Morjim.

Will Egna Cleetus IAS give Justice to Caurem tribals?

Goa Governor yesterday has brought in young Ms. Egna Cleetus an officer of Indian Administrative Service (IAS) of

2020 batch as Deputy Collector and SDO, Quepem with additional charge as Forest Settlement Officer (South). As SDO she has power over Police functioning.

This posting aquires significance in the light of mysterious disappearance of file containing Collective Forest Rights claims of Tribal people from Caurem village over management of village Forests including survey no.19 filed in 2016. File it appears has gone missing from the office of Deputy Collector at Quepem.

In the meanwhile Survey no.19 has been placed for public hearing to commence mining even without settlement of Forest Rights claims. 


Last Sunday Caurem-Pirla Panchayat Gram Sabha has opposed diversion of village Forest for mining or any other industrial activity. Gram Sabha has also called for implementation of collective Forest Rights claims pending before the office of Deputy Collector, Quepem. Local MLA Subhas Faldessai too has supported Caurem villagers claims at the Gram Sabha. 

Yesterday group of Caurem villagers along with Gawda, Kunbi, Velip Dhangar (GAKEVED) Federation has approached Goa Bench of Bombay High calling for implementation of Collective Forest Rights claims under Forest Rights Act 2006 and cancelation of Sceduled Public Hearing for April 11, 2023.

It is learnt that a mining company is actually behind this conspiracy as the file for diversion of 70.20 hectares of  land is listed on the website of Regional Office of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) based in Bangalore without consent and even without consulting Caurem villagers. This is colonial style of functioning with might is right jungle rule, predator-prey relationship. This has to stop now!


First task before Ms. Egna Cleetus is clear: locate the Caurem Forest Rights claims that has gone missing for past seven years. Second task if the file is not traced then to file FIR against those responsible for making it untraceable under section 8 and section 9 of Public Records Act 1993 Goa being annexed territory of the Central Government or under section 201 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) or any other law. Third task is to process the Collective Forest Rights claims of Caurem tribal people by making alternate arrangements.

People of Goa observe her conduct in all her roles at Quepem posting.

Caurem-Pirla Panchayat Gram Sabha red flag to diversion of village Forest land for mining purpose

The gram sabha of village panchayat Caurem - Pirla today on 02.04.2023 passed an unanimous resolution to oppose any kind of diversion of forest land at Survey No. 19 of Caurem village. The resolution reads as follows.

 

‘The gram sabha of Village Panchayat resolves that there shall be no diversion of forest land at Sy. No. 19/0, Cavorem village, Quepem Taluka for mining or any other industrial purpose considering its ecological, cultural, religious importance and livelihood of the Scheduled Tribes and other traditional dwellers of Caurem village, who have filed their claims under Forest Rights Act, 2006 on the said land and are enjoying rights as enshrined under sub section 1 of Section 3 of the Forest Rights Act, 2006.’

 

The said resolution shall be communicated to

1) Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, New Delhi,

2) Ministry of Tribal affairs, New Delhi,

3) Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, Panaji Goa

4) The Chief Secretary and Chairperson of State Level Monitoring Committee under FRA, Govt of Goa, and

5) District Collector, South Goa

 

The above resolution was proposed by Shri. Surendra Velip was seconded by Shri. Sameer Gaonkar.

 

The villagers present for the gram sabha meeting in large numbers to oppose the proposed forest diversion of 70.20 hectares for the mining Lease bearing No. M.L.3/FeMn/79 - Zamblidadga Iron & Manganese Ore Mine, at Sy.No. 19/0 of Caurem village whose public hearing is scheduled to be held on 11.04.2023 at Maina.

 

The tribal villagers of Caurem who are mostly farmers and forest dwellers have their cultivation on the mountain of Sy.No. 19/0 and collect minor forest produce from the said forest land. The gram sabha members also raised serious concern about their tribal deities 'Bhageli Paik' and 'Galla Naas' who are Rakhandars or protectors, who live on this mountain if the said diversion is allowed. The members further raised concern over the seven perennial springs that originate from the bottom of this mountain.

 

The members also brought to the notice of the gram sabha through a report prepared by the elderly villagers, Committee's decision of Forest Rights Committee and Rule 4 (1) (e) committee constituted under FRA rules, that there are 149 Individual claims and one 'Community forest resource & rights claim' pending for settlement. The report also highlighted the ecological, cultural and religious importance of this mountain towards the existence of Caurem village. The gram sabha then discussed the restriction imposed by the Ministry of Tribal affairs and Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change for the diversion of forest land where there are such religious and forest rights claims.

 

MLA of Sanguem and Minister Shri. Subhash Phal Dessai who was also present for the meeting supported the gram sabha members in opposing the proposed diversion of forest land.

 

The Gram sabha was chaired by Smt. Vidhi Vinod Velip and Dy. Sarpanch Dattesh Gaonkar along with Panchayat members Ulhas Gaonkar, Sangeeta Velip, Dilip Dessai, Madhuri Mainkar were present.

 

Ex- Panchayat member Shri. Ravindra Velip, Nilesh Gaonkar and Chairman of Goa State Co-operative Bank - Shri. Ulhas Phaldessai also shared their views.

 

Padi RFO Pranay Naik harassing Goa's tribal People

Urgently call up Padi RFO Pranay Naik and lodge your protest. His mobile no: 7798986166.

According to reports one tribal person from Gokuldem, Quepem, Goa named Bhiva Kust Velip has been booked for trespass into forest and cutting of trees by Range Forest Officer (RFO), Padi, Goa. Moreover according to reports RFO has asked Velip to fill up self incriminating Affidavit admitting that Velip was involved in illegal cutting of tree and willing to pay whatsoever fines imposed by the Government according to law in force and to appear before RFO whenever called. When this Freemason law did came in force in Goa. There are already three Judgments of Supreme Court of India that has termed December 1961 armed entry into Goa ordered by Indian Congress Party’s Nehru as an act of Conquest. This means that act of Padi RFO is colonial in nature.The fact that RFO goes and penalizes tribal person Bhiva Kust Velip for cutting of 12 trees, trimming of 13 trees and burning the area of government forest of Gokuldem village of Quepem Taluka on July 20, 2018

.

Shifting cultivation in forest is well known practice of tribal people all over the world based on principle of regeneration of ecology as venues of cultivation is changed after every few years and forest is allowed to regenerate. If Goa’s own tribal people are harassed this way then where is Freedom we celebrate on August 15? Where is Liberation that we celebrate on December 19? Why government diverted large amount of forest land to mining? Mining companies not only cut down trees but entire mountains razed down exported.

Bharat Mukti Morcha, Goa Unit strongly condemns act of Padi RFO to use intimidation of law against tribal people of Goa and calls for immediate halt to ongoing harassment.

Urgently call up Padi RFO Pranay Naik and lodge your protest. His mobile no: 7798986166.

Cutting into sanctuary buffer zones to pamper mining industry

Bharat Mukti morcha strongly condemns the attempts by Goa government to reduce the buffer zone from 10 kilometers to zero kilometers. This is done in order to satisfy mining industry by sacrificing the entire life support systems including water and forest.


Bharat Mukti Morcha also condemns Goa Chief Town planner S.T.Puttaraju for his defense of 0 kilometer buffer zone saying that it is in the interest of the tribal people. For the protection of tribal people there is forest rights Act 200 in place. If this act is implemented then tribal people's rights are protected. Goa government have been causing innumerable delays in implementation of forest rights act. In fact the talukas of Sanguem, Darbandora, Pernem and Sattari are totally kept away from the implementation of Forest Rights Act 2005.


Chief town planner is bluffing and creating a shield to protect mining industry. This is a brahmanical plot to destroy Goa forever and make Goa's mulnivasi people homeless, vagabonds. Baman Raj of Raj is responsible for this state of affairs and it must be made to  came to an end.

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!