Herald, Editorial, 5/06/08 GBA’s unity paramount
It comes as a huge sigh of relief to Goans in general that the Goa Bachao Abhiyan (GBA) is united and determined in purpose to act as a watchdog in the formation of the Regional Plan 2021. At a meeting on Tuesday, the organisation ironed out whatever differences, small or large, that had led to the brief flare up between some of its leading members, to come out with a consensus position on the interim report of the Task Force that is charged with drafting the new plan. The GBA is not a monolithic organisation, but a grouping of different NGOs and groups that came together for the specific purpose of opposing the infamous Regional Plan 2011, which sought to make Goa into a concrete jungle like Mumbai. It is not only to the credit of the organisation, but also the concern and sensitivity shown by ordinary Goans for their land that created the massive movement that forced the government to scrap the diabolical plan that so many individuals in the ruling dispensation had a vested interest in. That spirit is now seen in Gram Sabha after Gram Sabha, where ordinary citizens take out time from their otherwise busy schedules to come together and safeguard their villages from being 'developed' by big builders backed by big politicians. Truly, this is a David-versus-Goliath situation, and the only thing that can keep these mighty Goliaths from swallowing our villages is the sheer number of Davids that stand up to stop them. Many, if not most of those politicians, bureaucrats and wealthy individuals who stood to profit hugely from RP 2011 are still in positions of power and influence, and they will do their utmost to try and see that the successor Plan 2021 incorporates as many loopholes as possible to try and revive the projects that got scuttled with its predecessor’s demise in a wave of people’s power. A vigilant watchdog, therefore, is even more necessary now. After all, these are not small projects we are talking about; they are huge deals worth crores of rupees, and those who have lost out will be willing to put out considerable resources to salvage their investments. It is a pity so many of those who claim to be representatives of the people actually act against their very interests. They take an oath to serve the interests of the state, but actually connive in its destruction. They claim to serve the aam admi, but end up holding the shirttails of their khaas patrons. The larger pity of it all is that the people end up voting them back to power, so that they can get back to enriching themselves at the cost of the electorate. The GBA’s concern about the amendments to Sections 16 and 16A of the Town and Country Planning Act are very well founded. How can a government that is supposed to ensure the rule of law, arrogate to itself the power to break that very law? This not only undermines the spirit of planning, but the very foundations of democracy. Can the government have one law for itself and another for the rest? As it is, we have seen how provisions made to fast track land acquisition for public purpose are being misused consistently to grab land from small farmers and tenants, only to hand it over to private real estate developers. The government’s own track record shows that it is not at all trustworthy in these matters. We hope the GBA stays solidly united, that it continues to operate on the basis of democratic consensus, and that it continues to be the watchdog of the Goan people. We have never needed it more than we do today. -- Question everything -- Karl Marx