EDITORIAL
Opposition arises when the government fails to take people into confidence
It is a topic that is resonating across the state, with discussions unfolding in workplaces, homes, social circles and the media: the victory of Chimbelkars against the might of the government.
Residents of Chimbel village in Tiswadi taluka called off their 44-day chain hunger strike after the Tourism Department and the General Administration Department issued a notification on Monday to relocate the two controversial projects — Unity Mall and Prashasan Stambh — from the present site along the Kadamba plateau road. Through the notification, the residents have been assured that the site damaged due to the construction work of the Unity Mall will be restored. Irrespective of whether an activist or not, people have been talking about the determination, perseverance and unity of the people, who are mainly tribals of the land. They refused to believe the government’s story and the new narratives being woven to create public opinion against them.
The chain hunger strike was launched at the end of December after their demands were rejected by the government last year. People have also saluted the Chimbelkars, saying they refused to fall prey to the carrots that were dangled before their leaders or to promises of jobs for their children. True, the locals brought the government to its knees.
Besides their leaders, who stood their ground united, it was their legal team that played a crucial role in countering the government move to go ahead with the projects. Everyone was taken aback by the over-enthusiasm and very high efficiency shown by the BDO and a senior officer of the Panchayats Department in disposing of applications in no time. However, anticipating all this, the legal team worked swiftly to counter the government’s moves. Ultimately, the court ruled in favour of the people. With this, the government could not hold on to the justifications it had come out with. The government must declare where the Rs 25 crore has been spent.
Chimbel residents are now an inspiration for those who are fighting to protect their biodiversity, water bodies, hills and village character. This is poised to give a fillip to the ‘Enough is Enough’ movement.
This is not the first agitation Goa has seen in this millennium. In the first decade, Goans launched two battles successfully — one against the Regional Plan 2011 and the other against Special Economic Zone (SEZ) projects. NGOs and activists fought the Congress government tooth and nail and ensured that both were scrapped. From the industrial side, experts may say that one or two SEZs would have been good for Goa’s economy, as they would have generated jobs. A massive protest a few years ago was in Melauli, Sattari, and before that in Loliem, against the IIT project.
The common line that runs through all these protests is that the government does not follow transparency. ‘Transparency’ seems to be more in speeches and on paper. Opposition to government projects arises when the departments concerned fail to take people into confidence. It is only after people protest that the government begins to speak of how locals will benefit from the projects. Why can this not be explained to the people before a project starts? The story may have been different for the Unity Mall and Prashasan Stambh projects if the government had followed participatory democracy and had nothing to hide. When the government fails to inform local people of the objectives and “benefits” of its projects, it raises suspicion. Will the government now follow transparency in projects such as bridges connecting villages and the (re)development of water bodies, creeks and similar works?
