It may be noted that for the sake of proper order the District Magistrate Ms Mohanan heading the panelist at the public hearing at MOPA on 1st February, 2015 had adopted an orderly system for making presentation. She asked those that were seated on the left hand side first row first column wise to begin with their presentation and turn by turn the speakers turned up on the podium.
This writer was the first from the right hand side first row. Later even when she threw open the floor the GFDO members too were lagging behind. . Aparently their body language revealed the obvious -- given the booing ...".ush ush" slogans to those that adopted an anti-Mopa stance.. This was not unusual as was the case indoor when the public hearing on Mining issue before the Shah Commission was under way almost two years ago and ofcourse no different from the scenario prevailing at the Gram Sabhas in Village Panchayats. The GFDO members Fr Eremito Rebello, Mr Edwin Pinto, Mr Jose Miranda except Mr Abhijit and Mr Sidharth Karapurkar came to be seated near Mr Ramesh Gawas and myself on the first two rows almost towards the fag end before making their presentation Mr Sidharth Karapurkar residing at Navelim Salcete Goa ( a native of Karapur in Pernem ? ? ?) was seen for most of the time almost two hours in the official enclosure getting the standardised representations distributed for signatures to the audience at the public meet at the Lohia Maidan Margao on 31st January, 2015 to be submitted at the hearing. This job Mr Karapurkar ought to have been left to others and instead concentrated on the presentation made by other speakers (check video clips ) .When Mr S Karapurkar of GFDO was quizzed by this writer for not making a presentation he claimed he would do so later apparently buying time to be amongst the last speaker. In fact the GFDO members ought to have realised that they represented the anti Mopa lobby and not in their individual capacity. Even ex CM Mr. Churchill Alemao who was made to sit amidst the audience almost on the 11h row went out of turn and came to be seated on the first row besides this wirter and had his way to make his point against MOPA notwithstanding the booing and vociferous comments Surprisingly ex Union Minister Mr Ramakant D Khalap who came much later was seated in the special enclosure for MLA's and the press After the hearing which commenced on the dot at 1030 hrs it took almost over four hours. Further the time taken for preparing the minutes was delayed considerably the first minutes to be read out was of the undersigned at 1630 hrs (IST) and until this time much of the crowd had dispersed. Some others returned from lunch, If indeed heckling could be termed as assault Mr S Karapurkar ought to have filed a complaint with the police The law should prevail. Infact it was clear that the GFDO would cut a sorry figure at the public hearing when they told the public at the conclusion of the meeting at Lohia Maidan that they would attend but .would follow recourse in the court of law to get justice. While Mr Churchill Alemao and others were of the view that the supporters should march in huge numbers to the venue at Mopa. While numbers would not make sense and could only nurture the vote bank for politiicians the least expected was a spirited presentation by GFDO. GODFREY J. I. GONSALVES, BORDA, MARGAO, 403 602, GOA. (INDIA) +91 98221 58584 (24 HRS) gonsalvesgodfre...@yahoo.co.in
