Mr. Jairam Ramesh's visit to Goa
The moment it was announced, that the Union Minister for environment and forests Mr. Jairam Ramesh, would visit Goa to look into the CRZ issue, a lot of our Goans residing in the coastal belt were expecting Christmas in August, thinking that the Union Minister, sitting on Ali Baba's sledge dressed as Santa Clause would come with the much anticipated goodies, in the form of some concrete evidence that the Government would ensure that no more demolitions would be carried out in Goa and all the residential structures post 1991 would somehow be legalised, but to the utter disappointment, the people are left even more confused than ever before. Mr. Jairam pompously said that costal structures in the CRZ area existing prior to 1991, will be protected from demolition. Why do structures prior to 1991 need protection and did we really need the Union Minister to come all the way from Delhi to tell us that, because CRZ law clearly states that only structures post 1991 will be demolished, so why the dramatics ? Mr. Jairam has categorically stated that he has no solution to the structures that came up in CRZ area post 1991, if he has no solution to the main problem of Goans residing in Coastal Goa, what was the purpose or point of his visit to Goa ? Mr. Jairam further said that he advised the state government to seek more time from the high court to conduct a detailed survey of CRZ areas in Goa to identify houses of traditional fishermen, toddy tappers and other structures prior to 1991. How come structures prior 1991 were issued demolition notices and who is responsible this major error ? Why should the poor people suffer hardships and anxieties ? Mr. Jairam also stated that the Centre will not protect any five star hotel or commercial establishment, haven't our corrupt politicians proved, what they can do even with "the order" of the Court ? Mr. Jairam further says that there are peculiarities about Goa, but he cannot make any promises, but the problem is that, our politicians are responsible for majority of these peculiarities in Goa, so they should be taken to task in the first place. In the end Mr. Jairam says "we have to implement the CRZ regulations in a manner that protects the livelihood of people. This is also a human issue," As an Aam Aadmi I am a bit confused about the protection factor, and the prized question that arises in my mind is, who needs protection from whom ? People have been living close to the coast, from time immemorial and it now in the 21st century that people living by the coast need protection ? People living close to forest areas have to be protected from fire, land slides and wild life, people living by the sides of the rivers, lakes and valleys have to be protected from flooding, people living in major cities have to be protected from terrorism, so can our esteemed minister tell us, where can we be safe ? If laws have to be implemented then, they have to be applied uniformly and consistently to one and all, with no exceptions. Just before Mr Jairam left he said that the Congress Government will do what it can for the people living in Costal areas, which has left me even more puzzled, in a few weeks time, will we be saying "Mr Jairam Jai Ho", or will we be crying "Jai Ram Sita Ram" as we carry the remnants of our destroyed dwellings ? Freddy Agnelo Fernandes
