To Goanet - My response to Dr. Oscar Rebello's lies has been published in the Dec 31, 2009, issue of Herald. (There is also one more letter in support of Rebello authored by a coward unwilling to sign his/her name.) Below is the complete unedited letter. The published version can be seen here -
http://oheraldo.in/pagedetails.asp?nid=31737&cid=13 Dr Oscar Rebello's response (Herald, Dec 30) to my letter is riddled with falsehoods. Consider these facts 3 years after GBA. (1) Construction activity has increased, mega-projects have spread. (2) Land conversion continues unabated. (3) Hills, forests, and fields continue to be depleted. (4) New mining leases have multiplied. (5) Criminal nexus between builders, miners and politicos is stronger than ever before. Where exactly in all this does Oscar believe he has done "bachao" of Goa? In the face of damning evidence, he insists that GBA has "succeeded" in its "important mission." He must be living in an alternate reality. Oscar writes that aligning with the Opposition would have meant going political. But when he "danced footsie" (his words) with the ruling party, wasn't that political? The GBA was constituted to defend Goa against builders and politicians intent on destroying our land and future. Who gave GBA the mandate to sit on committees appointed by the same government it was created to fight? From its inception, some members of GBA were cosy with builders and politicians. Yet Oscar willfully kept chanting the phony "we-are-apolitical" mantra. Oscar implies that Soter D'Souza and I have advocated violence against migrants, foreigners and muslims. This is a dirty lie. We have never done so. What I oppose is the unchecked influx of migrants. Goa has limited land and resources, and if we are to preserve our identity, our quality of life, we cannot have millions streaming in. Do we want to turn Goa into another crowded, polluted, squalid nightmare like the rest of urban India? I am also opposed to migrant voter fraud and migrants squatting illegally on our public lands. If Oscar would deign to step out of his "comfortable climes" and talk to real Goans, he would know their true feelings on this matter. And count me in as one who is against outsiders - foreigners & Indians - who view Goa as a haven for drugs, sex and gambling. For 3 years Oscar and his GBA cohorts pulled a fast one on Goans. Goa has paid a heavy price for GBA's chicanery and precious time has been lost. But now the game is up, and the charlatans stand unmasked. Rajan Parrikar USA
