Whatever may be the sufferings of Goans during the Wine Festival 2015 of Grape Escapade yesterday ( 26th Jan) on account of stopping sales of wine on this day, we could not help it, because of NGT judgment came in force, but the whole crowd was crying for it. I have seen some people carrying empty tins of coca-cola/pepsi filled with scotch and Indian whisky and drinking openly at the ground. Nobody objected them and there were no policemen seen at the venue. Only few of us sincere Goans suffered of not getting wine bottles at these empty stalls, since they were asked to stop the sales. We were patriots and obeyed the orders from the NGT. All those probably were the tourists who made their best to drink at the festival from empty tins and were found filling up from the hidden bottles but Goans suffered. What a disgusting scene at the Campal parade ground? Now today, Herald newspapers comes with an Editorial against the judgement and directly insulting the N J T...! Owner of Herald Mr Raul Fernandes does he has any hold with the Editor when such a great insult to NGT appeared in Editorial column just on second day of 66th Republic Day? Dr. Joe told me that he has called Raul and fired him left and right for such an act. Dr. Joe D'Sousa also mentioned me that he is willing to sign a petition in case somebody takes up this mater against Herald because he has no financial back up for a petition in the Court.
Stephen Dias D.Paula ================================================== FROM HERALD DATED 27TH JANUARY 2015 EDITORIAL" *The State failed to protect Goa’s spirit, at the wine festival* The National Green Tribunal may have indeed delivered judgments which have helped those fighting to protect our fragile environment, but there will be very few in Goa who will be able to fathom its executive decision in declaring Jan 26 a dry day and issuing a diktat that no wine could be sold at a pre- planned, popular wine festival backed by the tourism department of Goa. It took a serial activist to file one of his petitions, asking for the Wine festival- which has been conducted successfully and is a very popular initiative- not to be held because the temporary structures like stalls caused CRZ violations. The NGT in its wisdom also went a step further and decided to declare that Jan 26 would be a dry day in Goa and hence no wine would be served. The questions that one needs to ask is who has benefitted from this order except perhaps the petitioner, whose chest has been puffed up at knocking down yet another victim. Granted that some of this petitioner’s interventions have indeed helped the state and its people, but that is no long term insurance against silly and detrimental moves such as these. These moves undo and make even those who admire activists turn into cynics, questioning the ulterior motives of activists. The Grape Escapade wine festival is far from an open air bar which celebrates the orgy of drinking. Wine drinking is one of the most genteel and socially acceptable forms of behavior and indeed a major tourism draw. The other components of music and food compliment the drinking and sale of wine, culminating in a grand three day festival, which incidentally draws a large number of locals. The NGT in Pune cannot get that. The wisdom, vision and common sense of activists who influence and dictate such decisions need not be commented upon. But if judicial bodies which are creatures of the highest judiciary take executive decisions like this, then the democratic balance of power between institutions gets disrupted. The order also comes on a day when Prime Minister Modi and US President Barrack Obama, were focusing on easing strangleholds in order to do smooth business for economies to prosper. This tone is applicable to the smallest fraction of this universe, which could be a simple festival aimed at drawing locals and tourists alike to Goa. The Judiciary cannot, and cannot be allowed to be a detached spectator to this process, even as it otherwise plays such a fine role in preventing the brutality of the government in steamrolling processes aimed at protecting India’s natural resources. There appears to be a strong and a growing absence of balance in the judiciary, which is critical to responsible growth. If the judiciary gave more and more judgments which prevented multi- billion dollar corporations to fuel their greed by taking decisions not sustainable to the environment, they would be respected. But if events like a popular food and drink festival, fall victim of uncalled for scrutiny, then this pillar will get looked at by contempt. The GTDC Chairman Nilesh Cabral has rightly decided to seek the Prime Minister's intervention against this kind of judicial activism by the NGT. It’s clear that he doesn’t have much hope from his Chief Minister who could have stood his ground and allowed the wine festival to continue and allow sale and consumption of wines, but chose to do nothing. This is one more nail in Goa’s tourism coffin. *The wisdom, vision and common sense of activists who influence and dictate such decisions need not be commented upon. But if judicial bodies which are creatures of the highest judiciary take executive decisions like this, then the democratic balance of power between institutions gets disrupted.*
