Some of the activists are disgruntled because Chief Minister Sawant felicitated the so-called mine owners who have had their leases cancelled making mining a shut down business for now, and the foreseeable future.
The miners have supported this government and others in the past. The Chief Minister is showing his refinement and gratitude. The miners have wasted a golden opportunity over the decades because their culture did not go beyond the bank. All they understood in the past is money. For decades they visited probably the richest culture in Asia - Japan - and brought back a zero. We could have had by now some of their traditional cultural wealth - schools of flower arrangement, judo, karate, zen gardens, calligraphy, bonsai and more. A few did open colleges which is a major contribution as students who wanted to further their education did not have to go all the way to Bombay and Bangalore. The Chief Minister is showing his appreciation to the few who were pioneers of higher education in Goa. He seems to be influenced by Hindu and Buddhist thinking, wanting to end a chapter in a nice way.
