Marginalising Adivasis

Marginalising the Adivasis of Goa

GOA: PROCESSED, CANNED AND SOLD!

By Orville de silva

The common man's government is back in news; and this time for a very uncommon purpose. The ideological common man that the present government wishes to serve is the very person it now wishes to annihilate. And how!

The proposed food park and the auxiliary services for the Food Park at Quittol in Quepem taluka is yet another of the present state government's attempts at further marginalising the already marginalised. Before we make our case, we should probably get our facts right. As per a government notification (22/20/2006-RD) dated June 14, 2006, the present government ordered the acquisition of 6,91,425 square metres of land on the Quittol plateau for the purpose of a food park. The government further took possession of 4,18,155 square metres of this land on April 17, 2007 in order to provide "auxiliary services" for the proposed food park. Further still, the government invoked the Urgency Clause under Section 17 and sub-section 1 & 4 in order to take possession of this land.

What is probably more disturbing is that 2,50,125 of the total 4,18,155 square metres of the land grabbed by the state government belongs to the Kunbis who form part of a tribal community living in Ambelim. And this is not the first time that these humble peace-loving people have been robbed off their lands. In 1989 the Goa government had acquired 1, 50,000 square metres of land belonging to the Kunbis from Ambelim and handed it over to the ONGC for which they are yet to receive any compensation. The people were promised employment once the land would get developed. However, what developed in their lands were only huge villas for the ONGC staff. The Kunbis continued to live a poorer existence in their lowly settlements. No job opportunities whatsoever were provided to them. Instead of further marginalising the Kunbis, why couldn't the present government acquire the unused barren land from the ONGC?

Why create such a hue and cry over the land of the Kunbis? For such an answer, one would have to study the social setting and lifestyle of the Kunbis. Probably the government is not aware that in the monsoons, the Kunbis from Ambelim would put up temporary sheds in Naqueri (the acquired land for "auxiliary services" for the proposed food park) and would live there for 4 months. In the past, since there were no roads, the produce from the fields was brought to their permanent settlement in Ambelim with the help of canoes along the River Sal. The Kunbis have derived their identity from many such cultural activities. The government probably needs to know that the Kunbis and the Gawdas have their peculiar folksongs, dances and ways of speaking Konkani which need to be preserved. Dispossessing the tribals and alienating them from their own land is grave injustice.

In 2002, the Kunbis, Gawdas and Velips of Goa were classified as Scheduled Tribe communities. A government survey of 2003 further stated that 12.5 percent of Goa's population belonged to tribal communities. Unfortunately, beyond recognising these groups as tribals, there has been no policy in favour of their development. Similarly, there has been no effort made by the government to study tribal art, culture and traditions. Today, these tribal communities constitute a vulnerable group. Shouldn't then it be the utmost responsibility and duty of the government to protect and promote the interest and welfare of these tribal communities?

The growing naxalite groups in tribal areas such as Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and other regions bears witness to the unjust social structures that their governments had created. While the government along with the high caste class people grabbed the land of the tribals, the tribals were left with no other option than going underground. What has continued as a legacy in these parts of India is pure militant action that has unleashed its violence on the common masses. Taking away land from the tribals is more than a heinous crime. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to think of Goa one day becoming a base for naxalites.

Another great concern regarding the proposed food park has been the manner in which the government has hurriedly acquired the land. One fails to understand the urgency of the government in invoking the Urgency Clause. It has left no room for the people to file their objections. The Land Acquisition Act in itself is a draconian law. Terms such as "public purpose" in Section 4 of the Act are left highly ambiguous and have not been clearly defined. With numerous public debates and deliberations on this Act, the central government promised to put a new Land Acquisition Act in place. A proper working of this Act is yet to materialise.

One would have to question the government's strategy in invoking Section 17 in acquiring the land. What was the urgency? What "auxiliary services" does the government intend to provide? In a recent ruling of the High Court, the government had to withdraw its notification of invoking the Urgency Clause in acquiring the total 8,83,576 square metres of land for the main food park at Quittol. So what is going to happen to the 4,18,155 square metres of land that the government has already acquired? Probably it is yet another story of Goa being processed, canned and sold!

The common man will still have a lot of unanswered questions regarding such a decision taken by its government. First of all, the government has not clearly defined the concept of the proposed food park. What are some of the industrial units that would be classified within the food park? What job opportunities would it provide for the tribal communities and Goans at large? Further still, who would be licensed to set up such an industry in Goa? And what foods would be processed over there? Does Goa really have a food surplus that could afford us to set up such food parks in the state? Is there a skilled Goan workforce in place that would fit in such an industry? Or are we thinking of increasing the population of Goa without any improvement in the infrastructural facilities? Are we heading towards another "Zuarinagar"? Ultimately, is this a government for our benefit?

The government has been shying away to categorise the proposed food park as a Special Economic Zone, when in all reality it is! Is the government trying to undermine the Supreme Court's ban on such land being acquired for a SEZ. Besides, acquiring land and developing it into an industrial belt would adversely affect the demography of the place. In the present scenario, the government administration has clearly revealed its incompetence in addressing issues that concern Goans living in Goa. I wonder whether the government will further alienate us Goans in our own motherland!

Much of our land has already been sold to land sharks in Delhi and beyond. It will not be too late before the peace and serenity that our villages afford us be replaced with the hollows of concrete jungles. It's time that we Goans wake up before our politicians cordon off our open spaces. It's time we make a determined effort to save Goa from our politicians whose governance is ruled by money power that is devoid of all values, principles and ethics. Yes, it is time we wake up before we Goans become a marginalised group within our own state… before Goa gets processed, canned and sold!