What the Portuguese could not destroy in 451 years....

Paradise lost, in just 50 years of independence
from TOI Jun 25, 2010,

Many, many years ago, when we were young, we would roam freely in Margao, or ride around the villages to while away our time. The atmosphere was clean, the air we breathed pure, the scenery eye-catching.Open spaces were aplenty, with vast expanses of greenery.

Yet, back home at night,we often exclaimed: “Goa after 9pm looks like a cemetery. If this was Los Angeles or Europe, there would be so much development!” We longed for what we didn’t have. Then came Goa’s liberation and with it, development... a sea of illconceived development in which we are now drowning.

First came the big hoteliers who bought large stretches of our coast from Goans themselves, who were too eager to sell their properties for the attractive sums of money they got. Then came the Delhiwallahs with hard cash and again Goans were only too willing to part with ancestral property and large stretches of land in exchange of short-lived wealth. Some Goenkars migrated, others invested in fixed deposits. Nobody thought of investing in something worthwhile that would keep future generations happy in Goa. Successive governments (MGP, BJP, Congress and the coalitions) rose to power, only to loot and plunder Goa. Soon things got into a fast-forward mode. “Development” monsters came haunting us... IFFI, Regional Plan 2011, SEZs, sports city,Mopa international airport and the Panaji-Vasco sea link. All 40 MLAs keep colluding to make the most of their hidden agendas: “self-development”programmes meant to line their own pockets (with a zero plan for social development).

One classic case of ill-conceived development in Goa is the housing development scheme—otherwise a basic need of humankind. The world over, every government promotes housing schemes to provide more and better housing amenities to its citizens. The average Goan needed some help to improve his living conditions. But he was betrayed. Under the pretext of development, Goan politicians have exploited mega housing to further their nefarious agenda. What’s more, as their abominable tactics help create migrant vote banks, Goans are shown the door. It is not surprising that clearances to such housing projects are being scandalously issued without application of prevailing rules and regulations. The new mantra is: “Construct first, infrastructure later” (which means never). The promise of better infrastructure remains a pipe dream. It is money that rules the roost today. Clandestine deals are struck with huge kickbacks to politicians and their coterie.Moneyed builders from all over the world thrive here on illegalities. They easily manage to get agricultural land, forest areas and land debarred under CRZ regulations “converted”.

Mega projects, where Goans can’t even dream of securing a job or finding a roof over their heads, raise their ugly heads overnight. Every piece of our land is being fraudulently secured by outsiders. Our landscape and demographic balance has tilted radically. What the Portuguese could not destroy in 451 years is being frittered away in less than 50 years of our “independence”. With eyes set on filthy lucre and short term gains, we have lost so much that was precious and dear to us. Like the destruction of our coastline. More than 10% of the 105 kilometre (65 mile) coastline is congested with haphazard, unauthorized “development”... overflowing sewage, water shortage, contaminated groundwater, coastal erosion and congestion. (Perhaps it is not an irony that the previous tourism minister himself had to go underground). Mining pollution continues to play havoc with the environment. In villages, rivers run dry, wells have no water and mining rejects spill over into local fields.What is more frightening is the mafia that has sprung into illegal mining. The last nail in Goa’s coffin is the non-stop land acquisitions under the pretext of development—“land grabs”.

Acquisitions are made for one purpose and later the land is used for entirely different purposes. Goans have woken up to the reality that the sudden mushrooming of slums and concrete buildings in acquired lands has social, cultural and psychological consequences, which may not be evident to the casual observer. The loss of physical, social and cultural characteristics of the Goan identity is a serious matter today. It poses a threat to Goan identity. To the time-honoured traditions and cultural background of the original natives. Our little piece of paradise is being destroyed.Greedy politicians that we ourselves elect time and again permit distorted “development” to be transplanted into Goan soil. Development which kills the soul of a people. Goa does not need the model of development which has proven to be a failure elsewhere.What we need is socially cohesive, sustainable and, above all, a morally sound model of “development”. Wishful thinking? Perhaps. Yet hope springs eternal in the human breast.