CRY, THE BELOVED COUNTRY
By: Radharao F.Gracias
Goa and Karnataka are two States, severely indicted by the Justice M.B.Shah
Commission, for illegal mining. The loss to Goa is quantified, at Rs.35,000
Crores. The environmental damage is immeasurable, irreparable. Both in
Karnataka and Goa, the BJP is in power. And yet, there is a huge difference
in the action taken on the report, by the two States.
In Karnataka, the Reddy brothers who were ministers in the BJP Government,
were forced to resign, offences registered against them, both arrested and
are presently in custody. No Court has granted them bail. In Goa no offence
has been registered and each and every mine owner indicted by the Shah
Commission, struts around, in full public view.
In fact, one of the major players in the illegal mining business, recently,
accompanied the official delegation of the Goa Government to participate in
the “Semana da Cultura Indo-Portuguesa” in Lisbon. And this man, had the
temerity, to demean the State and the nation publicly by painting a grim
picture of the country in the presence of the Indian Ambassador and the
Deputy Chief Minister of Goa. If only this man’s surname was Gracias or D’Souza
or similar, he would be branded anti national and an offence registered
against him for sedition, or at least, the Hindutva Brigade would be on the
streets, demanding action!
And this is the same man, who owns a beach resort off Panaji, where all
Congressmen converge, the moment there is a crisis in that Party. And it is
the same beach resort, a part of which was ordered to be demolished by the
Supreme Court. The then Chief Minister introduced legislation to overcome
the Supreme Court Judgment. And it is the only legislation that was not
opposed by the Opposition, during the term of the last Assembly. And the
counsel, who drafted the legislation is now among the top Law Officers of
the Country. He may even represent the State, in the petition against
mining, pending before the Supreme Court.
The destruction, wrought in the Talukas of Quepem, Sanguem, Bicholim and
Sattari, in particular, is immense. Goa, which forms less than a fraction of
one percent of the country’s total land mass exports sixty percent of the
country’s iron ore. How long can it be sustained? And instead of being
remorseful, the perpetrators are using every tool, legal and political to
resume mining and complete the destruction of Goa.
If you look at the list of those involved, you will find one mining house
whose scion, a vice president of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. Another has his
wife, a hardcore contributor to the RSS. Another has a grandfather upon whom
Padma Shree was conferred by the Government of India. And yet another one is
the descendant of a Viscount. And these are the people who condemn the
Portuguese, with little or no provocation. And yet, these same people are
relying on the mining concessions issued by the Portuguese, three quarters
of a century ago to continue to over-mine and undermine Goa, at the same
time. Why should these mining concessions, not be abolished altogether? If
the Portuguese were bad, so are their mining concessions. After all, they
were exploiters, we are regularly told.
The Hindutva Brigade, does not spare an opportunity to cry, for Bharat Mata.
The entire mining belt, is currently under the political stranglehold of the
BJP, with each constituency being represented by that party. All the
sarpanchas, in these areas owe allegiance to the BJP and all the sarpanchas
and all the MLAs are cumulatively working, to resume mining on the
ostensible ground, that the livelihood of the people is affected. But, how
long will the mining last? At the current rate of exploitation, perhaps not
more than ten years. And, after that where will the livelihood come from?
And where will the people live, after the land is destroyed? And the
Hindutva brigade is only demanding resumption of ‘legal’ mining. But, where
is the scope for ‘legal’ mining after the Shah Commission has confirmed that
all mining in Goa is illegal?
Consider, what happened in 1962. The Chinese attacked India on the northern
borders and are since occupying, several thousand square kilometers of our
territory. Today, our ‘patriots’ are demanding, that they be permitted to
continue to export, iron ore to China. It would be an irony, when (not
whether) China attacks India again. The planes, tanks, howitzers and
whatsoever will be made from iron ore exported from Goa, by our ‘patriots’.
The difference between Goa and Karnataka, is that the illegal mining barons
in Karnataka, are languishing in jail. But in Goa, we deal differently with
our law breakers who have amassed huge wealth. Sometimes we make them
members of delegations to foreign countries. But if you want to see who they
are, please stand outside the gates of Raj Bhavan, 19th December late
afternoon. All these ‘patriots’ whose surnames mostly end in ‘kar’ will be
driving their fancy cars into the Raj Bhavan, and to be treated as VIP at
the tea party hosted by His Excellency the Governor, to celebrate liberation
day. And if you, good hardworking honest citizen tries to get in, I may have
to move a bail application for you, if you have not already ended up in GMC
Hospital.
