Chief Minister of Goa Manohar Parrikar has made some remarks about mining in his budget 2012-13 speech in Goa legislative Assembly in paragraphs 133, 134, 135 on pages 42, 43 and 44. He also remarked on barges in paragraph 151 on page 48, and paragraphs 233 on page 70. He also remarked on fees on handling of mineral dumps in paragraphs 235 and 236 on page 71. It is important to subject his remarks to the test of scrutiny at this juncture.
Let’s start with paragraph 133. It starts ‘I am personally aware of the fact that the rural Goa is suffering on account of rampant mining activity. With this he admits that mining per se has caused damage and legal status of the mining operations are of no consequence. This is an important admission from the Chief Minister himself. However his future course of event is illogical. Instead of assessing how much damage mining has done to Goa for the past over 50 years he takes flight into something else all together. If he was serious about the calculation of damage that mining had caused to Goa it would have been in fitness of things that he goes about assessing this damage. This he has not opted to do. That is his politics, his choice. The choice not to asses the quantum of damage caused to Goa because of the open cast mining is choice of Goa’s saraswat bamon Chief minister. If careful assessment was resorted to then CM would have realized that damage has longer restricted to rural Goa. Since he does not plan to go into all this we expect reality as pointed out by famous revolutionary philosopher of French Revolution Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s famous statement to come true: ‘in the land of blind one eyed man is a king.’
His first statement admitted mining caused damage to rural Goa. We know mining industry has been controlled by Saraswat Brahmins. It is then matter logic to deduce that it is the Saraswats that damaged Goa through mining. Manohar Parrikar is a Saraswats bamon. His caste in collusion with others has damaged Goa specially mulnivasi people. How can one expect Parrikar to measure and calculate how much Saraswats has damaged Goa? If he does this then it would be suicidal for his Saraswats. He is only showing great bravado to hoodwink public opinion in his favor. Truth is never gets buried under public opinion or by majority. It is like a drop of oil that always stays above the sea of falsehood.
The second statement he makes ‘I reiterate the commitment of my government to forthwith stop all forms of illegal mining’. If Chief Minister was serious of stopping of the illegal mining then he would have declared to launch website for the department of mines and geology and list out all the legal and illegal mines that are in operation in Goa. To what extend the mines are legal and to what extend mines are illegal. Data with regard to T.C number, owner, operator, dates of licenses, and quantum of exports of each of the mines would have been made public on website. Not doing this leads to serious doubts about the transparency of his action against illegal mining. Also what action has been taken on illegal mines would have been made public. Nothing of this sort has been resorted to. This is serious matter and there is every possibility that illegal mine can become legal due to pecuniary favor to the ruling political parties or their members. The damage to Goa that he admitted will continue.
While his first two statements are meant for attaining public sympathy, his third statement is tongue with taste for and from the mining industry that is controlled by Saraswats. He says ‘It will be the endeavor of my Government to regulate the legal operations in such a manner that these operations are socially responsive and environmentally sustainable, without allowing them to aggravate the suffering of the people further.’ What social responsiveness of mining then Chief Minister is talking about? Socially mining is controlled and promoted by saraswats and Brahmins in Goa as well as at central government level. They are either directly involved in mining or are facilitating granting of mining permissions through government offices for Brahmins ruled India since 1947 when transfer of power took place from British to Brahmins. No nationwide revolutionary movement so far has succeeded in identifying oppression of brahmin rule except Bharat Mukti Morcha. As a result there is complete hijacking of the system towards racists ends via systematic sabotage of Indian constitution so ardently written by Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar. The damage that CM admits is a manifestation of social reality of saraswat aggression against bhahujan samaj. Aggression through mining has been social response from the Saraswats in Goa and Brahmins in India. Mining industry has been already socially responsive and aggression has been their response. If Chief Minister believes that mining industry has not been socially responsive he is wrong. Any ecological crime cannot be committed without first committing a social crime. Leonardo Boff has elucidated this principle so well in his book titled ‘Ecology and liberation’. Mining damage in Goa is first and foremost result of social aggression of Saraswats, Bamans that gets visibly manifested into ecological damage. The second assertion in this statement CM makes is about environment sustainability of the mining industry. Now he admits that mining in Goa is environmentally unsustainable and he pledges to make it environmentally sustainable. However nowhere has he explained what he means by it; forget about achieving the same. Is he going to review water table of all the mines operating in Goa? Few years ago scientist from Ministry of Environment and forest from western regional office located in Bangalore made the statement that over 70% of Goa’s mines are operating below ground water table. Is he going to shut these mines even though they are legal? Or is he giving some monkey nuts for public pleasing? Sustainable mining is a myth. Mines have to be closed down the moment they reach ground water table. If not entire Goa will turn into what has become of Sirgaon village in Bicholim taluka or Pissurlem in Sattari taluka? Lush green western ghats tropical forest and villages being turned into desert thirsting for water. Chief minister maintained studied silence on this point and yet he speaks about environmental sustainability.
His fourth statement reads as ‘Incessant operations of illegal mining in the State of has a tremendous negative impact on the environment, health of the people living in the mining belt, valuable loss to the Exchequer, as the operators do not pay the due royalty on the ore exploration.’ This statement clearly indicates that CM is aware of various mining related issues. He however does not mention the actual earnings of the mining companies through exports. He restricts himself only royalty. One is left to only guess as to what could be the reason for this deception trick. If one calculates earning from mining exports one realizes that mining companies earning from Goa has been double the size of India’s budget. For the past few years what Manohar Parrikar is doing is playing with numbers by carefully avoiding discussion on it. This goes very well to benefit mining companies. It is well known fact that mining companies fund every political party including BJP. In fact Vedanta put it on record few years ago in London. When mining companies fund political parties legally or otherwise how can impartial assessment of what the mining has done to Goa and how brutally cheating is going on can be brought up on the table? How can sincere action be expected? Only manipulation to benefit mining companies can be expected.
CM’s fifth statement reads ‘Historically mining has been a cornerstone in the Goa’s economy as it had provided livelihood to a large number of people in the rural areas, when there were very few jobs available in the private sector’. Like well oiled justification for mining this statement provides paternalistic cover up for the industry. But here again there is historical blunder that he has deliberately committed to suit the vested interests. He omits to admit that agriculture was source of employment then and mining has destroyed it. If he was sincere then he should have accepted to calculate as to how many jobs mining has destroyed by destroying natural economies. If from 1961 if the mining industry in Goa was nationalized several times more secure jobs would have been created. What is the historical reason as to why mining remained private predatory enterprise? What was the role of Saraswats in all this?
CM’s sixth statement is ‘Having said that, I am not advocating incessant, uncontrolled, and unregulated illegal mining in the State.’ No Chief Minister in the past advocated this. Digambar Kamat did not advocate this either. He just did it. This statement is of merely entropy value: wastage.
His seventh statement ‘It will not be a misplaced exaggeration, if I point at the ill effects of the mining on health, environmental, and revenue aspect.’ One can only expect him to say ‘if I point at ill effects’ and then stop. Never actually to point out! He cannot speak as that would hurt his saraswat blood brothers so proud of him. With this approach one can clearly see through things to come up in the times ahead of us.
His last statement in this paragraph reads as ‘However, I am certainly advocating, in unequivocal terms for a sustainable mining under a controlled and well regulated regime.’ This statement is a repackaging of the mining industry. It is like changing wrapper of the chocolate because it is no longer attractive, hence a new wrapper. CM along with mining industry must have hoped that with these re-packaging protests around mining would stop. This re-packaging if widely accepted only will take us into disaster.
Now let us examine paragraph 134 on page 43. The first sentence starts ‘My Government, therefore, subscribes for such a policy framework so as to bring about the virtues of natural wealth in improving the lives of the people at large.’ To translate into action would require nationalization of mining in Goa which Goa Chief minister is not willing to do. This sentence is mere bluff.
The second sentence facilitates total surrender to the mining companies. It is long 64 words sentence. It reads ‘As resolved in the Manifesto of my party, I propose to allocate 60% of the revenue generated through mining royalty for the constructing a dedicated corridor for ensuring a safer and trouble free transportation of iron ore, development and creation of appropriate infrastructure to act as a catalyst for growth and development of the mining area, and revitalize the adversely affected agriculture land and environment.’ This has been the demand of the mining industry ever since past three years after tribal people in mining belt became increasingly assertive and sensitive to the mining brutalities. The separate roads exclusively for mining in no way benefits the people of the state. In fact they totally benefit the mining industry. These roads would have made sense if this decision were matched with another decision to nationalize mining industry. Then entire earning of the mining industry would have come into State treasury. Currently is going in the pockets of mining companies and most of it do even stay in India. It goes to England with Vendanta (and to its share holders world over) that owns over 33 mines belonging to Sesa Goa and Dempos. Last year mining companies earned over 27 lakh crore rupees. Year before last it was over 23 lakh crore rupees. Vedanta that owns Sesa Goa and Dempos, Timblos, Fomentos, Salgaonkars, Chowgules, Damodar Mangalji , Tarcars etc are other big time beneficiaries that Goa CM is protecting through this budget.
The third sentence of this paragraph reads ‘The proposed mining corridor at Sanguem, Quepem and Curchorem will be fast tracked to be completed within thirty months.’ People of Goa are going to be loosers with speedy draining out of the Goa’s wealth for the exclusive benefit of the mining companies. Only Saraswats and few other contractors (few of them are elected to the State Assembly as MLAs) will be the beneficiaries with these exclusive roads for mining. The central theme of the entire budget is to sincerely clear the roads for sale of Goa’s mineral wealth. This action is the most condemnable one.
Paragraph 135 has five sections from (a) to (f). Let’s examine each of them.
(a) De-novo review all the mining licenses/leases issued during last 10 years.
(b) Review of all licenses and carry out compliance audit, and if found necessary shall be referred to CAG for a Review Audit;
(c) Use of e-governance platform through ICT for aiding operational audit, royalty declaration, collections and monitoring;
(d) Use GIS based monitoring and surveillance system to map the mining exploration and transportation of the iron-ore export or other purposes out of State.
(e) Set out parameters for environmental compliance and set up monitoring stations on transportation routes and at source to check for pollution related compliances; and
(f) The principle of “polluter must pay” would be employed to recover these costs for monitoring compliances and all such other measures the Government takes.
Three important points are missing here. The first one is website of the department to share information with public on action taken reports on various mines in Goa with their T/C numbers. Monthly report on what has been the compliance of the mining industry. Otherwise promises remain promises without any information to public.
Secondly nationalization of mining industry would be hugely beneficial to the people of Goa both in terms of jobs, its security and well as export earnings. Brahmanical system however is geared up for total sale of Goa to mining companies as well enticing people away from jobs through various types of retirement schemes. This is dangerous for mulnivasi people as Saraswats are moving for supremacy over Goa for next half a century and throwing out mulnivasi people out of job by offering money as part of this agenda and so is the case of giving money to avoid working in paddy fields as what happened in Pissurlem. This strategy only results in transfer of land control from mulnivasis to Saraswats and Brahmins in Goa who occupy most of high positions in the State of Goa including the post of Chief minister even though they are not even 2% of population of the State. That is the reason they are refusing to carry on caste based census. If caste based census takes place, saraswats will be proved as minority and their politics of domination will be stopped. Their rights then will be secured through Goa State Commission for minorities that CM has declared in this budget in paragraph 65, page 23.
Thirdly there is no declaration to identify as to which caste has how many mining leases, what is caste composition of mining contractors all over Goa. As a result overwhelming Saraswat, Bamon and brahmin domination gets pushed under the carpet.
That’s why they work overtime to fool and misguide mulnivasi of Goa in various ways. Bharat Mukti Morcha is determined to overthrow brahmanical tyranny in India as well as Goa.
The next sentence comes with important declaration ‘based on the above, I propose a comprehensive Mining Policy, to control the total extraction from the lease areas as also quantum of dump handling, by May end.’ There is no radical shift in approach from that of the last congress Chief Minister Digambar Kamat. He too came up with mining policy but was faced with overwhelming opposition due to protests from large number of people. Mining policy never saw day of light. He came up with Forest policy handing over forest lands to mining companies through the back door. Again because of the protests he could not succeed. As long as Saraswats control both the State as well as mining industry no mining policy can be expected to benefit Goa’s mulnivasi people. In fact no policy can be expected to benefit Goa’s mulnivasi people. Goa CM pursues on the agenda of the Saraswats in innovative, tech savvy ways without changing the objectives of the bamon raj, saraswat supremacy.
The last sentence of paragraph 135 reads ‘I wish to categorically assure the House, that my Government would under no condition tolerate any instance of illegal mining in the State.’ By overstressing illegal mining in his budget speech CM has cleverly defended other destructive mining. His sole yard stick has been whether or not there is revenue to the State from the mining. If there is revenue then it is legal, if no revenue then it is illegal. CM has acted as a loyal sergeant of the mining industry controlled by Saraswats . He is one of the Saraswats. It becomes his obligation to protect and promote the interest of Saraswats rather than State interests. That’s why mining has been left in the hands of private players. Mulnivasis has zero benefit from his utterances on mining in his budget speech.
Under paragraph 233 on page 70 CM seeks to raise marginal revenue by taxing Rs.100/- per tone for barge vessel less than 1000 Dead Weight Tonnage (DWT) and Rs.200/- per tone for barge vessel more than 1000 DWT. In the international market per ton rate of Goa’s ore is Rs.5000/-. From this it is easy to understand as to how much CM is conceding to the mining industry.
Logic of imposing tax on barges is only a public relations exercise as in Paragraph 151 on page 48 CM declares ‘the small time barge owner would be covered under a reimbursement scheme, in order to refund the barge tax paid’. No criteria for small time barge owner are laid out him in this budget. There is nothing. And if collected tax is going to be returned to the barge owner then why impose tax on barges? This is ridiculous. He acknowledges problems faced by barge owners in the opening line of this paragraph itself ‘I am aware about the problems faced by the barge and truck owners.’ If barge owners cannot afford to pay the taxes then let them not run the barges. Solution to the problem of barge owners is not the reimbursing of taxes collected but to nationalize the mining industry including the barges that transport ore. Anyway we cannot expect current Goa assembly to take this decision for they are strongly swayed by Saraswats, Bamons and Brahmins.
Similarly some revenue is sought to be raised from mining dumps. He states in paragraph 235 on page 71 ‘As a measure of additional resource mobilization and as a measure of restriction on unorganized dump handling, I propose to impose a fee of Rs.250/- to Rs.500/- per tone depending on iron ore percentage, on all the dumps on Government, Forest and communidade land.’
Further in pagagraph236 CM makes an interesting declaration “I am given to understand that there are large quantum of minerals got deposited on agricultural lands due to mining operations and ore handling. These deposits are said to be large in quantity and I am also given to understand that few private players are in negotiation with the owners of the land for its handling. My Government will take immediate custody of such areas and evaluate the iron ore deposits and also degradation of the agricultural land. If found feasible such ore deposits will be put to auction and the proceeds, so received will be put to rejuvenate the affected agricultural land.’ If CM can think of taking custody of such areas why can’t he think of taking custody of all the mines? This is a practice of double standard to protect the saraswat interests that control mining industry as well as Goa State. How come CM does not understand that legal mining is conduit for plunder? He understands very well but wants this to go on as it is a way of perpetual prosperity of his Saraswats and degeneration of mulnivasis in Goa. We all have to put our thinking caps on and come up with strategies as face this situation immediately. We are left with no option but to take on might of Saraswats and their allies in Goa and India. Bharat Mukti Morcha remains in the forefront of this task.
There is fundamental continuity with Digambar Kamat government with regard of promotion of mining. Only strategy of making Saraswats interests acceptable to public has changed. The objective of Goa’s mineral plunder through private enterprise has remained unchanged. Public is dished out with items of distraction like suspension of Director of Mines and Geology. The Fundamental structure of the mining industry has been carefully kept undisturbed. In fact mining industry has been strengthened through separate mining roads termed as ‘mining corridors’.
His stand on people resisting mining has not changed either. People in mining belt continue to make trips to the courts every week for resisting mining. Cases filed by mining companies such as Fomentos, Sesa Goa have become source of harassment to various people in Colamb, Advalpal etc.
Mining is going on largely in tribal belt of Goa. Parrikar government has failed to mention in his budget as to how much earnings of Goa’s mining has come from mining belt in terms of net worth in foreign exchange. He has arbitrarily allotted Rs.300 crores for the welfare and overall development of ST population. He makes this allotment in paragraph 68 of his budget speech on page 24. Why these calculations were not laid before the house by CM that hold finance as well as mining portfolios? It would have been great education from CM who is also education minister. But no, this information ill always remain hidden. It is so only to protect mining and Saraswat interests.
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar is heading massive saraswat conspiracy against bhahujans/ mulnivasis in Goa. Opposition in the House is party to this conspiracy with their silence. They consider it as a taboo to speak against Saraswats. It is very dangerous times for the mulnivasis in Goa.
Goa’s mulnivasi person therefore has no option other than to join nationwide agitation to for liberation from brahmanical tyranny.
