On January 21, 2008, in a major breakthrough to the movement of Colamb villagers seeking to defend their land and agricultural livelihood, group of over 200 villagers stormed into the Fomento mines TC No. 06/1949 and forced to shut down two of its operating units in Colamb village.
Most importantly, the SOLIDARITY of the villagers OVERCAME the GOONS used by the mining company.
Click and read link:
http://mandgoa.blogspot.com/2008/01/colamb-villagers-force-shut-down-of.html
The BNCCAC (Betul Naqueri Canaguinim Citizens Action Committee) GRILLED AND QUIZZED their MLA, Babu Kavlekar on his stand on the proposed Food Park and the illegal mining. The defensive MLA blurted excuses and lies about the Food Park, but was countered by the villagers with official documents obtained under RTI.
The MLA who had recently opposed the mining in the area HAS DONE A FLIP-FLOP and challenged the delegation that none can stop the mining.
The BNCCAC has picked the gauntlet. In an evening public meeting addressed by the activists of BNCCAC, Sez Virodhi Manch (SVM) the villagers resolved to rededicate themselves to the agitation to oppose the Food Park and Mining in their villages.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
SVM @ Goa Police Headquarters
SVM holds demonstration INSIDE Goa Police Headquarters!
Over 200 villagers from Keri, Verna, Loutolim, Cortalim and elsewhere demonstrated for over three hours in the Headquarters of the Goa Police at Panaji. The print and video media were witness to the slogan shouting against the inaction of the Goa Police, in their own headquarters!
The SEZ Virodhi Manch activists (SVM) were demanding action of registering a FIR based on the complaint of the People’s Movement against SEZs (made on 22 October 2007). The criminal complaint was filed against fraud committed by the Board members of the GIDC and the promoters of SEZ. 151 pages of supporting evidence were attached to the complaint.
The Goa Police headquarters was the scene of slogan shouting and speeches. When tempers and slogans were raised, the DySP Mohan Naik was forced to address the crowd that he was avoiding.
Further IGP Kishen Kumar agreed to meet a delegation of SVM led by Charles Fernandes, Franky Monteiro, Pravin Sabnis, Arvind Bhattikar and Ramkrishna Jhalmi. The IGP stated that the inquiry was in progress but refused to give a deadline for registering the FIR. Condemning the attitude of the Goa Police, the SVM has threatened to intensify the agitation within a week if the FIR is not registered.
Also present were Dr Videsh Jhalmi (Keri Sarpanch), Remy Fernandes (South Goa Zilla Parishad member), Pratiksha Gawde, Alan Faleiro, Peter Gama, Br. Orville D’ Souza, Fr Simon Fernandes, Swati Kerkar and others
Over 200 villagers from Keri, Verna, Loutolim, Cortalim and elsewhere demonstrated for over three hours in the Headquarters of the Goa Police at Panaji. The print and video media were witness to the slogan shouting against the inaction of the Goa Police, in their own headquarters!
The SEZ Virodhi Manch activists (SVM) were demanding action of registering a FIR based on the complaint of the People’s Movement against SEZs (made on 22 October 2007). The criminal complaint was filed against fraud committed by the Board members of the GIDC and the promoters of SEZ. 151 pages of supporting evidence were attached to the complaint.
The Goa Police headquarters was the scene of slogan shouting and speeches. When tempers and slogans were raised, the DySP Mohan Naik was forced to address the crowd that he was avoiding.
Further IGP Kishen Kumar agreed to meet a delegation of SVM led by Charles Fernandes, Franky Monteiro, Pravin Sabnis, Arvind Bhattikar and Ramkrishna Jhalmi. The IGP stated that the inquiry was in progress but refused to give a deadline for registering the FIR. Condemning the attitude of the Goa Police, the SVM has threatened to intensify the agitation within a week if the FIR is not registered.
Also present were Dr Videsh Jhalmi (Keri Sarpanch), Remy Fernandes (South Goa Zilla Parishad member), Pratiksha Gawde, Alan Faleiro, Peter Gama, Br. Orville D’ Souza, Fr Simon Fernandes, Swati Kerkar and others
Saturday, January 5, 2008
AFTER SEZ -WHAT NEXT?
The decision of the State Government to close Goa to SEZ should not mean the end of the mobilizations against it. On the contrary it now offers concerned citizens the space to actively contemplate the nature of development that should be followed subsequently. The need for this contemplation is in fact urgent owing to the nature of the threats Goa has been facing for quite a while now; ever so often the State is faced with monstrous developmental packages that the people step up to oppose.
Why this opposition? Is there a coherent alternative that the people of Goa have in mind? If they do not, can this alternative nevertheless be constructed from the reasons for opposition to these developmental proposals? Further does the persistence of the State in proposing these projects indicate a failure to systematically conceive a developmental plan for the State? Would it be preferable to build on the State's existing assets rather than to build assets from scratch?
It is to think through some of these questions and prepare an agenda for a future that would see these questions answered more systematically, that the SEZ Watch Group is hosting a one day workshop AFTER SEZ: WHAT NEXT? on the 6th of January from 9.30 a.m to 5.30 p.m. The Workshop will be held in the International Centre Goa, Dona Paula.
This meeting is conceived of as a first in series of workshops and meetings that would allow us to contribute towards an alternative developmental plan for Goa based on consultations with various stakeholder groups, rigorous research and discussions with groups in the rest of the country. In doing so, we believe that we would be able to create a coherent framework within which future discussions can continue, and also elaborate a process through which groups that are particularly marginalized will also have a say.
This meeting is conceptualized by a informal group known as SEZ Watch. SEZ Watch was formed at the end of a round table on SEZ organized in December 2006 in which diverse groups had participated. We believe that there is need to include as many stakeholders in the process. As such, people's groups involved in the opposition to the SEZ and related projects are invited to join the Workshop.
Albertina Almeida Jason Fernandes
Convenor, SEZ Watch in Goa Workshop Co-ordinator
Why this opposition? Is there a coherent alternative that the people of Goa have in mind? If they do not, can this alternative nevertheless be constructed from the reasons for opposition to these developmental proposals? Further does the persistence of the State in proposing these projects indicate a failure to systematically conceive a developmental plan for the State? Would it be preferable to build on the State's existing assets rather than to build assets from scratch?
It is to think through some of these questions and prepare an agenda for a future that would see these questions answered more systematically, that the SEZ Watch Group is hosting a one day workshop AFTER SEZ: WHAT NEXT? on the 6th of January from 9.30 a.m to 5.30 p.m. The Workshop will be held in the International Centre Goa, Dona Paula.
This meeting is conceived of as a first in series of workshops and meetings that would allow us to contribute towards an alternative developmental plan for Goa based on consultations with various stakeholder groups, rigorous research and discussions with groups in the rest of the country. In doing so, we believe that we would be able to create a coherent framework within which future discussions can continue, and also elaborate a process through which groups that are particularly marginalized will also have a say.
This meeting is conceptualized by a informal group known as SEZ Watch. SEZ Watch was formed at the end of a round table on SEZ organized in December 2006 in which diverse groups had participated. We believe that there is need to include as many stakeholders in the process. As such, people's groups involved in the opposition to the SEZ and related projects are invited to join the Workshop.
Albertina Almeida Jason Fernandes
Convenor, SEZ Watch in Goa Workshop Co-ordinator
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