How Dempos got central government agency to fool MOEF

Dempo Mining Corporation before selling its mines to British Vedanta managed permission from Ministry of Environment and Forest (MOEF), New Delhi. The permission was granted according to Ramesh Gauns - who is closely following the affairs of Dempos Mines in Bicholim – based on executive summery of EIA-EMP undertaken by Central Mining Research Institute set up in Dhanbad, Jharkhand set up and financed by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
Central Mining Research Institute did thorough unscientific job relying on concealment of facts related to water bodies. It is understandable considering that the study was sponsored by none other than Dempo Mining Corporation.

Public Hearing for this mine was held in 2003. Page 2 of the summery under the title “Location and Phisiography” states that “There are no rivers or surface water bodies (perennial or seasonal) within the lease boundary.” The truth however is far from this. Firstly, in Lamgao, Bicholim in survey number 22, 25, 26 are the part of the mining lease of the same company in which there are fresh perennial bodies – Lakes. Survey number 25 has lake called “thorlem tollem” admeasuring an area of 3,375 square meters which is totally silted and now on the verge of extinction.

Secondly, Survey number 22 has a lake of area of 1100 square meters.
Thirdly, Next to the Mhahatrey temple there is a lake that is totally silted.
Fourthly, there are fresh water bodies – lakes at Mulgao in survey number 117.
Besides there are other important omissions were made by this scientific study to benefit the Dempo Mining Corporation. In Bicholim there is an notified archeological site called “Namaz Jagah” built in 1687 by Akbar II. This does not find mention in the study. In Lamgao there are ancient Buddhist caves locally known as “Pandava caves”. Executive summery makes no mention of this fact.

Out of 5 contiguous mining leases namely TC ML 11/1941, 12/1941, 13/1941, 14/1941 and 15/1941, TC ML 15/1941 is operating on the bank of river Assanora which is subjected to tidal influence felt even up to the portion where the mining lease exist. This fact remains concealed in the study. As a result there is mining pit and mining operations goes on within 10 meters of the tidal impact.

I hope the scientists engaging in mining sponsored studies know that they are publicly watched. In case they indulge in unethical practices then they will be exposed and if they have not put their names to the study like this one then the institution will be publicly named like the Central Mining Research Institute in the present case. These research institutes and scientists have nothing to loose by manipulating the studies entrusted to them but Goa has everything to loose though such unethical practices and we are forced to go all out to expose such instances.

Sebastian Rodrigues

‘Devchar’ and its varied notions

‘Devchar’ a word that has been with me like most of us in Goa right from our childhood. However its notions differs depending upon the family in which the upbringings are effected.

I have grown in Catholic home and notion of ‘Devchar stood for all that is bad, evil force that must be feared. I was told this at home so often. Then in the church sermons I heard the same notions being repeated infinite number of times. Church in Goa wrongly equated ‘Devchar’ to European theological ‘devil’. By the time I grew up and just about entered my thirties, something extraordinary happened to my life: notion of ‘Devchar’ turned upside down!

Suddenly I was confronted with completely opposite notion of ‘Devchar’ – as protector of the communities, especially tribal communities of Gawadas and Velips. It was long conversations with Durgadas Gaonkar, then (2004) an activist of Gawda, Kunbi, Velip and Dhangar Federation (GAKUVED) that compelled me to recognize ‘Devchar’ as well as tribal communities of Goa.

Gaonkar told me that ‘Devchar’ is a deity of his tribe it is their community’s protector, in the event of emergency it this spirit that they call for in supreme faith. And spirit never fails to rescue the community. It has been the protector of the community for thousands of years. Tribes share a relationship of dialogue with the spirit and not the relationship of obedience that is characteristics of many organised religions with professional clergy in place.

I have been unlearning notions of ‘Devchar’ for nearly half a decade now; continuously learning something fascinating from Tribal communities in Goa. One of insights that I have gained is that by equating ‘Devchar’ to European theological ‘Devil’ may be either mistake of the translator of the theological texts into Konkni or it may be deliberate attempt to suppress tribal identity in Goa. To me latter seems more of possibility as Church - like other organised religions - also been involved in paganizing and suppressing tribal traditions and culture. The latest instance has been to denounce the tribal cultural practices such as Jagor and Intruzz.

In early 2008 Ambaulim village in Quepem taluka reclaimed their cultural space and organised Intruzz after it was closed down by one Catholic priest posted in Ambaulim parish 15 years ago. Similarly Church like many tribal villages in Goa is instrumental in physically closing down of the institution of Mand. Ambaulim’s mand space have been faced with similar fate and cross has been erected.

The examples to cite are so many more. All of them however point out towards only one conclusion: it is the proselytizing arrogance of the Catholic Church in Goa that has robbed adivasi communities of their identity as tribes. It has led to severe modifications in their cultural practices and spiritually destabilized communities. Tribal spirits are the least understood entities and most misunderstood entities. Arrogance of the Catholic Church and all other hindu religious sects such as various Swamis attached with various Mutts in the country, number of organised sects attached to various denominations of Sanatan Sanstha has completely failed to understand the logic of the tribal system and are continuously caring on painful process of imposing monolithic view of religions.

Recognition of ‘Devsar’ is holistic recognition of tribal communities in Goa. With this recognition identity and spiritual autonomy of tribal communities stands severely compromised. A critical look at past conversion drives by the church in Goa amongst tribal communities in Goa is required. My first hand information reports from these communities in Balli, Fatorpa and Ambaulim suggests that tribal communities converted to Christianity has very high rate of alcoholism and large number households are headed by Women after their husbands have died as alcohol addicts.

This is something very serious and it cannot be tackled simply by providing superficial solutions like starting of Alcoholic Anonymous (AA) groups. The root causes of this needs to be investigated. My opinion is that it is the combined assault of modernity: organised religions in league with Development paradigm that robbed tribal communities of their ‘Devsar’ - their supreme spiritual identity – and their community lands by the landlords, Communidades, State for various so called development projects and Forest department, Church and Temples in numerous processes since beginning of Portuguese colonial rule in 1510 that continues till date.

During this period few converted tribal communities have completely forgotten ‘Devsar’ under Church indoctrination, Some communities are in the middle of crises as any memory of ‘Devsar’ and its honor attracts reprimand from the Church forcing guilt consciousness that needs to be eroded only by confession. All these meant huge turmoil to adivasi communities that organised religions could hardly find insight into due to various reasons. This particularly needs serious attention from one and all especially now that we will be completing 500 years Portuguese Colonial rule that began in 1510. Church came to Goa as part of Colonial project of exploitation and domination. ‘Devsar’ that has been insulted all these years, adivasi communities that have been margins of our society seeking to make the world hear its perspective of all that went on for this entire period. Anyone interested?

Sebastian Rodrigues

Mining promotes Poverty in Goa

By Sebastian Rodrigues

Approaching the theme

Natural economies were very common as the penetration of capital was limited. This is in spite of Goa being Portuguese colony till 1961. Geological survey began in Goa in early 20^th century and first mining lease was granted in 1929 by the Colonial Portuguese regime. The actual mining activities began in 1940s and the first consignment of iron ore exported to Japan in 1948 to begin the economic recovery of that war-torn country. It was entirely manual mining then till the decade of 1970s when the mining sector in Goa began to be mechanized. With manual mining it was not possible to dig deep into ground for iron ore, manganese and bauxite and disrupt ground water flow. Mechanized mining made this possible in effectively in 1980s. Mining has never been nationalized in Goa and it remained entirely a private sector even in the rest of the country mining sector was nationalized.

Natural economies prior to entry of mining refer to direct dependence of people for livelihood on nature. The contacts were more direct without any kind of mediation. Their labour was the only mediation. It is labour that was required for the cultivation of paddy and harvest bumper crops. It was labour that was required in order to get their daily quota of fish. It was labour that was required in order to cultivate various types of vegetable in the and available with abundant supply water from natural sources. It was labour that was required for the people in mining belt to carry on their slash and burn agriculture –shifting agriculture - on top of hills. It was labour that was needed in order to collect various kinds of ripe fruits on the variety of trees in the forest. It was labour that was required in order to go in search of edible roots for their staple food. It was labour that was invested into going into the forest and collecting various forest products and then to transform them into various products for daily use such as brooms, mats, medicines etc. The large number of people in Goa’s mining belt are tribals for whom the barter economy – including exchange of labour for labour was a most respected norm in the functioning of their life and economy that was harmoniously integrated with ecology.

Feudal economies that emerged in Goa during Portuguese colonial regime chiefly due to the focus on written record keeping procedures adopted by the colonial state. The people – tribal as well as others for whom written record keeping by the State was alien concept did not understand the state insistence of piece of paper a indication of land ownership. A class of people that helped to sustain the colonial power of Portuguese in Goa were able to understand this and colonial power bestowed the legal ownerships of land titles on these category of people. These people were tiny minority in collusion with Portuguese colonial State at best can be described as the class of people that practiced usury. These class of people came to be known as Landlords in feudal sense.

The mass of people in mining had community sense of land ownerships. Their land control was bestowed in communities. These community land ownership patterns were disrupted by the colonial State and never repaired by post-colonial state in Goa. Few remaining community land ownership institutions were taken over on landlord class and they were given new name called communidades. The people who traditionally enjoyed rights over these lands were excluded from the land titles. This effectively paved way for the legal establishment of control over community lands that later on would be parceled out for mining companies. Section of community land belonged to the community temples. These temples too were brought under legal control of the upper caste landlord class through Mazania law in Post liberation Goa. These set of State driven class controlled legal architecture put firm foundation for the effective legal uprooting of the people from their lands even though in large parts of Goa they continued to enjoy actual possession of the land.

Mining leases granted during the Portuguese colonial regimes fits into this complex legal context of alienating people from their lands. Mining leases numbering around 791 and covering over 67,700 hectares of land in 10 out of total 11 talukas of Goa. Indian government did not embark upon any radical overturn of the Colonial architecture prevalent in the State of Goa. In fact it re-enforced it through various laws in post Liberation Goa; one of the chief ways being, it legally legitimized the mining leases.

Process of impoverishment thus has been triggered off with the above legal manipulations. Legally thus the entire people of Goa except the landlord class remained under constant uncertainty, not knowing as to when the actual disenfranchisement of actual possession would take place. Legal the law is now against the people in mining belt. Mining leases enjoyed supra power and legitimacy especially from the State agencies such as the Police, Executive, governments and Judiciary. Legal alienation cleared the path for greater and horror field alienation – ecological alienation. Goa State from its very inception in 1961 remained under firm control of the mining companies. Its first two chief ministers were mine owners themselves for two decades.

When the mining begins

Mining is one type of activity wherein the end of entire decentralization in governance becomes imperative. The nature of mining is militaristic. It does not tolerate any dissent. It needs all pervasive power over land, minerals under the land, and power of public opinion. It needs to find its ways to aggressively extract the minerals and ship it out towards Japan, China, Europe, US and other countries too. Social engineering is embarked upon in very powerful manner through iron control over the State, media, intellectuals and public organizations. Dissent is put down with powerful impetus. The benefit it derives from these de-humanizing tendencies are that it is able to service the demands in the Global Political Economy for minerals. Locally it is able to create handful of economic elites and strengthen them further through economies of scale. This is a most certain way towards creating inequality and repressive disharmony leading towards poverty of mass of the people at the source destination of the mineral extraction. In fact this has been the exact way as to how things have unfolded in Goa.

Protests against the starting of mining have been put down with Police force. Sometimes it has been done through lure of money and alcohol. The farmers are lured into the benefits of accepting compensation for the loss of their land. If they do not agree then they are implicated in some false criminal cases are forced on to compromise table. Whichever is the way of ‘sorting’ out the protestors the outcome is common the person, families, and communities are violently forced to cut their links with soil and land.

They cease to be cultivators. Poverty downs on to their lives and consequences are unpredictable. There are number of villages wherein this has been the reality in Goa. Pissurlem village in North Goa’s Sattari taluka is a classic village to study the mining aggression and poverty of people. This village has been most flourishing village in agriculture. It was blessed with abundant greenery, forest cover, natural water springs, paddy fields and of course the hard working people. The village has been topmost producers of paddy in the entire taluka of Sattari. All this changed dramatically. Not only coming of miming has forced the people of mining to stop paddy cultivation, it has also displaced the village twice and third displacement in Dhatwada region is on cards. There are nearly seven mines functioning in the area of various mining companies such as Sesa Goa – owned by British Corporate Vedanta, Fomentos, Salgaocar, Chowgules etc. The mountains have been razed down totally. These were once dense western ghats forest areas. The silt from the mining areas has washed away into the paddy fields and rendered the redundant. Protests of villagers to remove the mining silt have been put off totally both by the mining companies as well by the State. The natural springs that were supplying water to the paddy fields have dried up as the mining pits have gone deep underground and ground water remained terribly disrupted. This has deprived the villagers of steady supply of food for their living. It has also deprived them of steady supply of water to take bath, cooking and drinking. The village is entirely dependent upon the mining companies to meet their daily needs for water. Mining companies has commissioned tankers to supply daily water into the plastic water tanks placed outside the houses of the people. There is direct deprivation of cultivation of paddy thereby creating situation of food security. There is also creation of dependence on mining companies for water. So far only air in the village is not supplied by mining companies. But here too, lager number of lung diseases reported at the local government health centre at Valpoi such as Tuberculosis are from Pissurlem. The co-relation is not difficult to arrive at. Polluted air with dust particles from mining activity including transportation of ore in trucks causes air pollution.

But can one take this as indicators of poverty? Poverty is relative concept. If one has to judge it from the point of view of access to water and land then it is poverty for sure. But hold on. Here is description of my last visit to Pissurlem few months ago. One striking feature is a visible presence of cars in front of number of houses in Pissurlem. Another feature is prevalence of mining trucks in front of houses. Investigations reveal that large number of people in Pissurlem have opted to buy trucks and get into mining transportation trade due to close down of agriculture option. Some families have earned money to buy cars afford a life in comfort. How one does judges this? Mining companies are also supplying with monthly doles to families in Pissurlem as a trade off for silence of the Villagers. So people have got into the habit of accepting the monthly doles and become insensitive to the collective ruin of the habitat and life support systems. New mining leases in the meanwhile continue to get activated. Few years ago this village has suffered massive floods due to mining activities. Mining silt that got deposited in inside the people’s houses was over one meter thick.

The village of Sirgao in Bicholim stands out in this context. The number of people in the village that are challenging the three operating mines in their village – Dempos that is taken over by British corporate Vedanta, Chowgules, and Bandekars. They filed public interest litigation in Goa bench of Bombay High Court in June 2008. The court directed Nagpur based National Environment Engineering Institute (NEERI) to conduct scientific study. NEERI submitted its study in March 2009 confirming that mining activity has caused depletion of ground water in the village causing drying up of village wells and springs. It also confirmed that large amount of deposition of mining silt has taken place in the agricultural fields of the village and paddy cultivation has not been possible. NEERI submitted the plan to rejuvenate the water sources and remove mining silt from paddy fields at the cost of approximately 1.8 lakhs per hectare. The total amount that mining companies would have to pay to NEERI to restore Sirgao’s agriculture and recharge groundwater is Rs. 660.25 lakhs. What is the story of Sirgao that is proved scientifically is the story of every village under mining in Goa. Water and Food security of Goa is deeply threatened.

Colamb is another village in South Goa’s Sanguem taluka that is currently battling mining industry. The number of mining leases are 23 that are covering large area of Colamb village. The village has total areas of 1929 hectares and mining leases covers 1510 hectares of land. The mining leases cover places of habitat, forest, natural water bodies, paddy fields and everything else on the surface of the village. Already in the past 10 years couple of mines that are operating in the village has destroyed considerable amount of agriculture. Alcoholism has increased many folds in the mining belt with increased problems of alienation amongst both the locals as well as migrants. Destruction of agriculture and forest and everything else becomes a priority for the mining companies to carry on advancing into the newer territories. Large variety of vegetables that people – mostly tribals cultivated has vanished as the cultivation spaces has been occupied by mining companies. The local river named Kushavati – tributori of Zuari river - began to dry three years ago in the month of May. This year State government has constructed check dams on Kushavati river. But this is not the solution. Stagnant water do not support any fish that used to be available in the river for the local people to eat. Now there is no fish. The huge trees on the banks of Kushavati rivers are affected with stagnant water and as a result trees – according to local people’s wisdom – are dying. So it is double problem of mining as well as the problem of river being artificially flooded. Both of these are dangerous downslides as far as standard of people in the locality are concerned.

The above are only few glimpses of the deeply deteriorating situation due to mining industry in Goa. Only handful of people are financially benefiting from the trade. The people in the Goa’s mining belt are directly affected negatively. The industry is making people poorer by the day. Financially due to trucks banks are benefiting, while the people are loosing their land, water, agriculture, rivers and forest. They are loosing this forever. Goa is loosing this forever. Mining actively causes poverty in Goa. Its consequences are going to be unpredictable and severe for the entire society.

Mining in Goa: testimonies

Dinanath Gaonkar, Sirgao

Mining has been going on in our village for over 45 years. When I was young all these mining pits today were dense forest. In the forest we used to go around and pick our wild fruits, medicines and even we had our play ground on a small patch. All this has changed now. Mining companies – three of them has come about in our village of Sirgao and carried on mining excavation work. This has resulted in large scale changes of our village. Few people got employment into the mines. And large number of villagers was involved in cultivation of agriculture. The changes that unfolded over the period of time has shocked us and pushed the entire village into the state of ecological refugees. Our forest is completely disappeared – chopped down by mining companies. Our play ground id not traceable at all. In their place there are huge mining pits.

The mining in the mountains has led to the washing of Ore into the low lying paddy fields and over the last few years our agriculture has come to the grinding halt. Our paddy fields has lost fertility and are silted with run offs from the mining companies. What are we to eat? Where are we to cultivate? How are we to live?

Presently we live like worms in our village. Not only our paddy fields are silted but also our village springs and wells have gone dry because of mining. The ore extraction inside the pits has gone so low that the mining companies are continuously involved in pumping out of ground water with high powered water pumps. The underground flow has changed its course towards the mining pits. This has left all the village springs and wells dry.

Some people in the village has benefited as they operate mining trucks. But the long term interest of our village is terribly compromised and gradually it is becoming unbearable to stay in the village. Our ancestors came and settled here chiefly because there was plenty of water available here. But all that has changed now. Water in the village is becoming scarce day by day. Our village has changed from once prosperous towards poverty due to open cast iron ore mining.

Our future generations can no longer hope to live in this village if the mining goes on the way it going currently. When our villagers objected for the transportation of Ore from the land legally owned by us police came and arrested my fellow villagers. How are we to survive this onslaught? Our demand it to create Sirgao village free from mining.

Motesh Antao, Colomba

I am from Colomba village in Sanguem taluka. My family directly affected due to open cast iron mining activities carried on at the neighboring mine. Our agriculture is getting ruined as the siltation and water shortages have resulted in reduced production of rice. This is a case with many farmers in Colomba. Our traditional water ways has been chocked with silt that got washed with rains and got accumulated inside the water ways. This has also affected our daily schedules of life in Peace and harmony.

Mining is being carried on inside forest areas. We are involved in protesting against the mining industry in our village because it is deriving towards poverty. I as well as my fellow villagers are facing constant threats from the mining companies as well from the State Police force. I have been arrested due to my protests against mining nearly 8 times during past two years. My brothers as well as my parents too have been arrested and number of criminal cases are filed. Now I have to make regular trips to the Court of law in Quepem and Sanguem.

Police officers on two occasions beat me up at the Police station after calling me to the police station to collect information that I had asked under Right to Information Act involving details of assets of Police officers and their involvement in mining transportation.

There are all together 23 mining leases in my village of Colomba. Out of which four are in operation currently. Another 4 are going for Public hearing next month in March 2010. Our entire village is full greenery in the form of Forest and Paddy fields. The places where mines have started however are no longer green. The extraction of ore has changed colour. Health of our villagers is deteriorating. Mining has generated tensions and few people are getting affected with hearth attacks that were unheard of till few years ago.

Our roads have become very dangerous to walk and drive on. There are large number of truck carrying mining ore ply regularly creating dangerous situation of the roads. Accidents are regular phenomena and every now and then there are victims of accidents and some even deaths.

How do I make my living in this situation? How does my fellow villagers to make living when mining is doing away with our soil, our paddy fields, our water sources, our forest and our dignity? How are we to survive? I feel we can live peacefully and prosperously in the village only when mining is stopped completely.

Sharmila Naik, Advalpal

My village of Advalpal is depended upon agriculture. It is also the village with forest and hills. It is located in Bicholim taluka. In our village there used to be mining in manual form nearly 40 years ago. The there was accident on the mine and few people had died. Then mines were stopped. However four years ago mines started again. This time it was mechanized mining. Few companies came to our village, offered money to the villagers and mines got started. However after one year we realized how dangerous this mining was we started opposing the mines. The mines has created very dangerous situation for my village of Advalpal. Mines disrupted traditional water flow in the village and our crop got flooded at the time of harvest. The mine buried existing water lakes with mining silt. Further mining even dug our crematorium space where our village used to cremate the dead of our village.

Now the situation is bad as the traditional water bodies are dried up due to mining. Natural springs of our village used to supply water to drink for our villagers. Women folks also used gather together for the washing of clothes at the springs. All this is now gone with drying up of springs.

In June last year due to mining our village got flooded. Mining silt was deposited into the houses of the people. It was very traumatic moment for my family and villagers. Few houses got badly hit by the floods.

Mining has also destroyed cashew crops and there are very few spaces left for us to carry on with our cashew cultivation. We used to get bumper crops every year but for the past few years not only the yield has deteriorated but also the places where cashew trees existed has been used for mining purposes. The large lake space that was used for the purpose of bathing of cattle has been buried deliberately by the mining company. Our cattle has no place to take bath now and mining has led to disruption of agriculture of our village.

The lease boundary of the mining company extends to the middle of the village main road. There are three mining leases that are in operation here. One mining lease is currently stopped due to High Court order to remove the silt that mining company has deposited in the village. Mining company has not adhered to the High Court Order so far for the past 4 months.

Now my family is forced to move out of Advalpal as there are no sources of living left in the village. Number of other families too facing similar situations. Where are we to look for our survival in the context of mining?

In May 2008 there was a major revolt in our village against mining. We marched on the mine site and stopped the work by force. Then we got together and protested outside the office of Deputy Collector, Bicholim for one week. Number of police cases are filed against us. Nearly 70 people have to attend the court hearings regularly at Bicholim Court. Mining companies got police protection and carried on their operations.

Few people of our village who own trucks benefit from the mining industry. The rest of us get no benefit at all. In fact our village is losing terribly and I feel mining has to stop once and for all.

Political Ecology of Climate Crisis: Captures from Goa

By Sebastian Rodrigues, Mand, Goa

Introduction

Global climate crisis is nurtured through innumerable small human capital and greed driven actions detrimental to the planet earth, particularly the survival of human species. The hostile ecological changes that are unfolding are a result of degraded political practices directed towards exploitation of nature to harvest increasing expectations of profits. Myriad of small greed oriented small actions across the globe – particularly amongst the high consuming urban communities and financial institutions such as banks and share holders has created this global crisis. The focus of crisis very often gets reflected in the form of rise in water levels that are leading towards submergence of coastal areas and island across the globe. The deeper engine of crisis is very often camouflaged and remains away from public discourse and public scrutiny. The rising conflicts at the source of minerals are often looked upon in isolation and are not connected to the growth mania of various countries of the world in Europe, America, Asia and Australia.

This paper attempts to capture this unfolding dynamic reality of ecological changes and suggest political necessaries to seriously and urgently address the situation in the context of open cast iron ore, manganese and bauxite mining in Goa. The paper examines crisis at various levels for the reasons of analytical clarity and suggests ways to change.

Crisis of ecology as crisis of polity

The most direct unfolding crisis of ecology is the brutal assault of industry over the western ghats forest in Goa. The forest is well known and often cited as one of the dozen bio-diversity hotspots in the world. These Sahayadri range of mountains range from southern Gujarat, Maharastra, Goa, Karnataka, Tamilnadu and Kerala. Sri Lanka too is often considered as extension of Western Ghats. Forest and Mining concessions/leases intersect each other in highly dangerous manner in the State of Goa. 825 mining leases granted during Portuguese colonial rule that lasted till 1961 retained its foundational structure after Indian State instead of canceling these mining leases legitimized them with fresh legislations thus making mockery of liberation of Goa as well as spelling doom for ecological status of Western ghats that covers forest area in Goa.

Lets look at the factual position based on statistical co-relations prepared by Ramesh Gauns. Western ghats taluka of Quepem has a total area of 318.25 square kilometers. Out of which 101.58 square kilometers is a forest land. Additional 132.03 square kilomets land is Orchard land. Areas under water bodies in this taluka is 5.76 square kilometer. Number of mining leases in this taluka are 54.

In Canacona the taluka’s total area is 352.04 square kilometers. Out of which forest covers 281.60 square kilometers. Orchard land is 3.70 square kilometers. Area under water bodies is 4.75 square kilometers. There are 2 mining leases in this taluka.

Sanguem taluka is biggest taluka of Goa covering 836.62 square kilometers. Out of this forest covers 570.47 square kilometers of land while orchards cover 149.58 square kilometers. Total area under water bodies is 38.79 square kilometers. There are 295 mining leases are concentrated in this taluka.

Neighboring taluka of Ponda has a total land of 292.78 square kilometers. Out of this 53.69 square kilometers of land is under Forest, 130 square kilometers under orchards and 7.82 square kilometer is under water bodies. There are 50 mining leases in this taluka.

Bicholim taluka that has witnessed mining onslaught for the past over half a century has a total area of 238.80 square kilometers with forest covering 12.20 square kilometers and orchards covering 119.43 square kilometers. Water bodies cover 5.70 square kilometers. And there are 125 mining leases in this taluka.

Sattari taluka has the total area of 489.46 square kilometers. Out of which 278.40 square kilometers is forest land and 118.11 square kilometers is orchard land. 12.36 square kilometers of land is covered by water bodies. This taluka has 81 mining leasese.

All the above are Western Ghats talukas in Goa and together they cover 1687.12 square kilometers of land of which 1130.47 square kilometers is forest land out of Goa’s total forest land of 1360.24 square kilometers, and 271.49 square kilometers is land under orchards. Total area under water bodies is 55.90 square kilometers. These Western Ghats talukas totally has 388 mining leases.

It may be of some interest to place these statistics with wider statistical context in terms of State of Goa. The total geographic area is 3702 square kilometers. It has totally 825 mining leases all granted during Portuguese Colonial times that covers 67,822 hectares.

This is clearly an indication of how dangerous situation Goa is rapidly descending into. The dangerous situation emanates from the fact that first casualty of mining activity is water. Water is something so special on this planet earth that is fundamentally responsible to support life in its innumerable and varied forms. Mining attacks and brutalizes this very foundation of life. This then creates irreversible changes in terms of forest, agriculture, wildlife, character of soil structure, human habitat, birds and animal migration patterns, temperature of the locality, course and depth of water bodies including flowing rivers and myriad other changes. The crisis in ecology surmounts one and all.

The ecological crises however are just not unfolding due to natural occurrences in nature although this too is the case. Mining of minerals fundamentally triggers the crisis in polity. It begins from the tagging of minerals underground as “resources”. This reference is very widely prevalent and has inherent inbuilt aggression. It robs the values of minerals for the sake of them where they are located and their role in shaping the locality and wider surrounding in the way it is. The word “resources” also injects a value loaded idea towards the mineral deposits. It values the minerals for their use value not as they existed for millions of years underground but as in terms of its use value for industry. The value is then calculated in monetary terms.

“This is visibly very clear in case of Goa. Open cast mining industry dealing with Iron Ore, Manganese and Bauxite has its prevalence in Goa since 1948 when 100 tonnes of Iron Ore was exported to Japan for the first time, from the times under Portuguese Colonial rule. The industry is basically dig and sell economy located in around 68,000 hectares of land fragmented into 791 mining leases granted during Portuguese colonial regime. Open cast mining of this major industry is principally for export purpose to various countries of the World with Japan being the prominent destination since 1948. In fact Goa’s Ore played major role in resurgence of Japan after being reduced to ashes during the World War II that culminated in dropping of Atom bombs by Americans on Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. However China overtook Japan as a leading destination of Goa’s mineral exports during past few years. In fact during 2008-2009 Goan exports of ore to China constituted 86% (32,763,721 tonnes) while next to follow is Japan with 9% (3,557,775 tonnes). Europe (Italy, Netherlands and Rumania) got 2% of Goa’s iron ore exports (680,513 tonnes), South Korea got 1% of Exports (545,228 tonnes), Pakistan got 1% of exports (258,029 tonnes), and Middle East (Qatar, Kuwait, Dubai and Saudi Arabia) got 1% (231,457 tonnes). African nation Kenya got fraction of it too - 38,500 tonnes.

According to the selected statistics (Amended upto March 31, 2009) on Goan Mineral Ore Exports Compiled by Goa Mineral Ore Exporters’ Association Goa’s exports particularly of Iron Ore has been increasing at rapid pace. During 2005-2006 it was 25,537,924 tonnes, In 2006-2007 it rose to 30,893,953 tonnes. In 2007-2008 it increased to 33,434,429 tonnes. In 2008-2009 exports jumped to 38,075,223 tonnes out of which 32,629,521 tonnes is to China alone.

Mining companies involved in Goan Iron Ore exports during 2008-2009 includes miners, transporters and real estate companies. The list is as follows: Sesa Goa Limited, V.S. Dempo & Company Pvt. Ltd., Sociedade de Fomento Indl. P. Ltd., Prime Mineral Exports Pvt. Ltd., Fomento (Karnataka) Mining Co. P. Ltd., V.M. Salgaoncar & Bro. Pvt. Ltd., V.M. Salgaoncar Sales International, Chowgule & Company Pvt. Limited, Chowgule & Co. (Salt) Pvt. Ltd., Chowgule & Co. Pvt. Ltd. (Mandovi Pellets), Salgaoncar Mining Industries P. Ltd., Timblo Private Limited, Timblo Enterprises, Damodar Mangalji & Co. Ltd., Bandekar Brothers, V.G. Mehta Exports, Vassaantram Mehta & Co. Pvt. Ltd., Venture Resource Holdings., Venture Real Estate, PEC Limited, Karishma Exports, Karishma Goa Mineral Trading, Rajaram Bandekar (s) Mines P. Ltd., Rajaram N.S. Bandekar & Co. P. Ltd., Narayan Bandekar & Sons Pvt. Ltd., On & Offshore Hitech Engineers P. Ltd., Trimuthi Exports, D.B. Bandodkar & Sons Pvt. Ltd., Shree Bhavani Minerals, Minescape Minerals Pvt. Ltd., Prasanna V. Ghotge, Star PVG Exports, Sri Krishna Enterprises, Gangadhar Narsingdas Agrawal, Fulchand Exports, Baggadia Brothers, Shree Mallikarjun Shipping, Alphine International, MSPL Limited, Ramakanta V. S. Velingkar, Ramakanta Velingkar Minerals, Magnum Minerals Pvt. Ltd., Rika Global Impex Ltd., Muktar Pvt. Ltd., Canara Overseas Limited, Shantadurga Transport Co. P. Ltd., and Adani Enterprises Limited. All these companies has exported Goan Iron Ore to China without any exception. These are the beneficiaries of the Goa’s dig and sell economy to which this trade is the backbone of their economies fetching unimaginable financial rewards without being in any affecting with global depression.

Sesa Goa limited – owned by British corporate Vedanta that is listed on London stock exchange and funded by large number of banks and shareholders world over - has topped the list of exporters with total of 10,345,020 tonnes of export of Iron Ore. Out this 8,977,723 tonnes exported to China, 631,186 tonnes exported to Japan, 212,378 tonnes to South Korea, 265,704 to Europe, and 258,029 tonnes to Pakistan. The company – V.S. Dempo & Company Pvt. Ltd – that Vedanta purchased in June 2009 with all its mining interests in Goa exported total of 4,347,543 tonnes of iron ore to China (3,882,550 tonnes) and Japan (464,993 tonnes). Vedanta’s target of exports for 2009-2010 is whopping 50,000,000 tonnes from its mines in Goa alone. This is larger than last year’s (2008-2009) combined total of all the mining companies export from Goa of 38,075,223 tonnes of iron ore. For Vedanta Goa is a Sunshine State! With this known target of one mining company alone destruction of Goa’s ecology and People’s livelihood is guaranteed.

Audoot Timblo who filed defamation suit of Rs.500 crore against the author of this paper – Sebastian Rodrigues - at Calcutta High Court in December 2008 citing that his writings at GAKUVED blog www.mandgoa.blogspot.com has caused loss of business and existence of Fomento group is in danger if his writings continues has three mining companies in his kitty. The first one is Sociedade de Fomento Indl P. ltd that exported 2,348,970 tonnes to China (3,882,550 tonnes), Japan (453,005 tonnes) and Europe (339,330 tonnes). The second one is Prime Mineral Exports Pvt. Ltd. That exported 1,644,432 tonnes of Iron Ore to China. The third one is Fomento (Karnataka) Mining Co. P. Ltd that sent 119,964 of Goan ore to China. This way there are 50 agencies that are engaged in export of Goa’s Iron Ore. Their names are already cited above.

In order to sustain this exports tirade Goa’s hinterlands has been at the brutal receiving ends. Its Forest and agriculture in large number of villages where open cast mining activity is undertaken has been a huge casualty thereby causing crisis of food security for humans and animals alike. Goa’s ground water flow has been drastically changed due to deep mining pits in number of locations thereby leaving village wells, natural lakes, springs, ponds and rivulets dry. Water dependency has developed in the Goa’s mining belt. Number of people has become victims of dangerous Public Health Crisis in the Goa’s mining belt that is yet to be thoroughly investigated. Large number of people of Pissurlem and Keri – in Sattari are suffering from number lung diseases including tuberculosis. While People in and around Rivona in Sanguem suffer from Chicken Gunia almost in epidemic form few months ago in September – October 2009.

Number of voices has cropped up recently highlighting that all is not well with open cast mining industry in Goa and in fact it is rapidly destroying not only the backbone of the local people’s economy i.e. agriculture, but also causing irreversible ecological changes with long term unforeseen consequences. Due to inherent rush of the China boom and lure of foreign currency mining companies are in competition with each other to transform Goa into a desert – all of them working at breath neck speed. This is duly facilitated by mechanized nature of the mining industry with latest sophisticated machinery waging a war against nature and humanity in Goa. Communities has been lured into alcoholism and cleverly fragmented into factions causing frequent strife so that the will of the mining industry prevails.”[1] Clearly crisis in polity is visible.

Crisis of Economy

It is clear that crisis in ecology and crisis in polity are increasingly manifesting itself on the theatre of economy. Economy in both the macro as well as micro sense. At macro level massive beneficiaries has been the mining companies. Their incomes from mining in Goa are several time higher than income of the State of Goa. The by itself is a crisis. How come the wealth generated from the ore in the State of Goa gets distributed in such a scandalous manner? The ecological exploitation has created economic power houses that are unhealthy for society as this has generated power relations based of acute inequality. The existence of inequality is the visible sign of crisis of economy.

At a micro level employment in terms of trucks for villagers has created a arrogant lobby arguing for the mining industry. Their logic is driven by crisis of economy. Their most often repeated argument on the streets with the protestor is that they have taken loans to buy trucks. And in order to pay loans they need to keep their trucks employed with mining companies. Or if protestors feel that they should stop mining transportation then the protestors must pay the loans of the trucks to the banks. The role of banks as large scale behind the curtain beneficiary becomes evident here. The long term interests of sustenance of the life support systems that are rooted in ecology are carefully overlooked.

Humanity suffers at this juncture suffer another major division. Climate crisis often referred as caused by human action. But the major chunk of crisis has been driven by the business houses and the industry. This is also the case of Goa. Mining companies are tiny section of humanity in terms of numbers. Yet they are able to caused massive perturbations across the board – in ecology, in economy and in polity. This section of humanity has gathered lots of power by virtue of their scandalous accumulation of wealth, influence over polity and control over media. This is a case of Goa too.

Overcoming crisis

One of the formidable challenges today has been to overcome the crisis in ecology, crisis in polity as well as crisis in economy. The fundamental paradigms shifts are necessary in the way the life is approached. Not just the life of human species but essential understanding of life support systems on wider canvass. The idea that human species is superior to all other species has to be questioned as human species cannot survive alone by itself. It needs all the known and unknown forces of universe to make itself viable on earth. The idea that human beings – particularly those who uphold private ownership of nature ideology is essentially defective. In fact this is a crisis of understanding that is fuelled by greed and insecurity. This situation gets aggravated when these mindset people takes control of the State and begin to further re-inforce this ideology with State apparatus that includes monopoly over instruments, agencies and justifications for violence. This has largely been the case of Goa in terms of the way it has transformed over the past 80 years. Mining leases legally disposed all other legal titles of people to their land and once leases activated it in practice deprived people including tribal people of Goa. The resistance was met with brute force. The entire edifice of resistance has to undergo drastic and radical change.

Metal Sensitivity – need for sustainable futures[2]

While there has been a large amount of disruption of life and life supporting systems due to rampant mining activities, the aspect of consumption pattern - particularly of metals - has remained largely unaddressed amongst the milieu seeking to do way with anti-sustainable development patterns in operation. The daily routine of battle largely kept theoretical understanding of countering the exploitative process at the source of mining activities viz. stopping the operation of mines, campaigning against police repression on protestors etc something that is so necessary too.

However, those who are the consumers of the products from the mined minerals such as Iron Ore, Magnesium, Bauxite, Gold, Copper and all other types of minerals, are never questioned. There are multiple classes of people that are involved in conspicuous consumption of the products of the mined products for various reasons such as statement of a class, fashion, luxury and also as psychopathic greed. Today and also earlier it has been a practice to own jewelry – gold, diamond and silver etc – as a symbol of wealth. Possessions of these metals constitutes ‘security’ to some, status symbol to some, statement of class to still others, fashion to the well off classes, etc. There is need for radical need to question these consuming classes. There is need to reflect as to amount of mining is needed to carry on to make these fine products as class statements.

Consumption of Costly cars is another fad of the burgeoning global middle that is growing in leaps and bound India as well as in China. One peculiar habit of this class of people is to buy cars. After one car there is a trend to go for second and third cars. Amount of Iron Ore that gets concentrated in manufacture of these cars is not only enormous ecological scandal but also huge burden on the people in the mining global mining belts battling mining companies and State repressive mechanisms. The link needs to be strongly built between the consuming classes of the World and the mining companies-State nexus. This consumption pattern spearheaded by upper and middle classes also needs to be targeted in development related resistance discourse in theory as well as systematic practical application to address uncalled for irrational burden of car consumption by consuming classes. It is much wiser to divert the precious metal in improving Public transportation rather than promote through state patronage individual car consumption.

There is also need to be sensitive towards various daily use gadgets made up of metals and dependent upon electricity that is rapidly finding its ways in consumption patterns. Metal gadgets are entering the household consumption agendas in the same way that plastic entered household agendas by destroying India’s well known mud pottery in front of the onslaught of plastic industry. Large amount and variety of mineral are utilized for the manufacture of computers that has also already become household item in middle classes and upper middle classes. Communication systems that are evolving such as e-mail and World Wide Web is largely dependent upon for their applicability on metal consuming gadgets such as computers and mobile phones with economics of profitability being its driving force of their promotion. Evolution in communications technology has even evolved a term called ‘personal computer (PC)’ as one of the very basic concept in its functioning and appeal. The underlying message that one can derive is the computer for personal use. The term ‘Personal’ is distinctly different from ‘Family’, ‘Neighbourhood’ and of ‘Village’. The nature and ideology of these technological gadgets are reflected in their nomenclature itself. It targets individual and then transform and individual into consumer.

Construction industry uses huge amount of metal in the process. Moreover the construction as an industry – also known as real estate industry has transformed itself into profit driven industry. It is engaged in the project of housing and luxury hotel projects that are for the consumption of high spending upper and middle classes. There is a need for critical question on the entire matrix of Construction industry. There is a need to understand the magnitude of metal consumption at various levels by this industry.

There is also need to be metal sensitive when it comes to global war industry. The triple humiliating aspect of this industry is that first, it is an industry that is designed to kill human being in variety of ways, secondly, it is one of the largest consumers of metals and thereby ensures steady demand for ore and profitability of the mining industry. Thirdly, it is principally and legitimately financed through public funding by various state agencies. Consent is manufactured to legitimize this industry in the name of law and order and nationalism. Military agencies that includes Army, Navy and Air force of various individual countries as well as international agencies such as NATO, use large amount of metals for their various consumption needs such as trucks, tankers, ships, guns, bullets, protective gears, missiles, various kinds of ammunitions etc. Numbers of States are responsible for creation and promotion of non-state actors to engage in violence so that war industry continuously floats in profits through various kinds of conflicts all over the world. Peace and understanding is essentially valid option in the interest of sustainable future so that abuse of metals by war industry can be restricted. The metal sensitivity in war industry is all the more needed here due to one additional reason too. Number of countries has been considering nuclear option in war. This has led to creation of large networks of nuclear mines, nuclear plants, Military and Science. It is almost a nexus as the nuclear industry has managed to get itself state protection in number of countries and lage amount of public funding is directed towards building steady supply lines and utmost preparedness for nuclear attacks on so-called enemy country. This has been the phenomena especially after the Second World War when USA dropped couple of atom bombs on Japan in August 1945.

Even independent of war industry nuclear industry must be targeted even for civilian purposes. Nuclear mining is one of the most dangerous mining industries causing radioactive hazards. The worst case of nuclear mining in India is in Jharkhand’s Jadugoda Uranium mines. Due to passing of Indo-US nuclear deal, numbers of nuclear reactors that are facing opposition from conscious consumers of electricity in the West – Europe, America and Australia - are all set to relocate themselves in India. Couple new uranium mining sites are also getting cleared in spite of the opposition in Meghalaya and Andhra Pradesh States of India. Few sites are identified for nuclear reactors in number of Indian States including Maharastra. The State of Goa is going to be sandwiched between the two nuclear reactors – one to the South: Kaiga nuclear plant in Karnataka and one to the North : Ratnagiri in Maharastra.

Metal sensitivity is largely being able to be aware of once choices of consumption, one being able to critique and reflect on prevailing pattern of consumption related to metals, being able to reach out and connect with consuming classes and begin process of honest and frank communication, being able to decipher between need based consumption and greed based consumption, being able to willing to make serious effort to search for alternatives and challenge the profit based metal consumption to be replaced by need based metal consumption. To be able to connect loss of livelihood of the indigenous communities in Goa, Jharkhand, Orissa and other places in India, Philippines, Bolivia, East Timor and mines in other parts of the World to global consumption patterns based on overexploitation. It also means being able to disconnect with metal industry and connect with real people and community. It means being able to arrive at inner peace within an individual without greedy consumption of metals in various forms. It also means being able to find safer alternatives to nuclear power plants for electricity consumption. It also means serious re-thinking on our aspirations of life styles being more metal sensitive. Most importantly it means unlearning models of consumption based on greed. It means being willing to learn from various indigenous communities the models of life that is based on non-exploitative terms and integrating them into mainstream. It also means able to apply various societal and state agencies to influence metal sensitive development initiatives and alter existing consumption patterns that are leading the planet towards catastrophes such as nuclear radiation, industrial disasters and climate change. All the three looming catastrophes are caused by industrialization.

Non-industrial low ecological foot print communities such as Adivasi communities provide important lessons in peace, community spirit and non metal consumption pattern that have potentials for clues of solutions for greed based over consumption patterns. Metal sensitivity also means defending these communities. These communities have inhabited the planet and also used metals in most sensible and non exploitative manner towards nature as well as to human communities. It is only modern organized societies that are intensely involved in creating unsustainable future ever since industrial revolution for the past three centuries.

Aiming de-growth

The logic of growth model of development has fuelled and continuously aggravated the climate crisis. The ideology of this model of development is single most factor of disruption of life and life support system in terms of mining in Goa. The important characteristic of this feature is that this model of development is embarked upon by States that espouse capitalist ideology like USA, Europe and Japan, countries that espoused communist ideology like that of China and Countries that experimented with mixed economies such as India. In fact the countries and their varied ideologies have reduced themselves into a mere subset of growth model of development. The repeated recessions has signaled the nemesis of the system world wide and the global economy carries on this model of economy through intense and violent integration of wider and newer areas into the chains of servitude in global political economy – production, distribution, consumption and exchange. Goa is witnessing itself in powerful assertive impulse.

There is a need to undertake re-look at this growth led development model, introspect on it and get into the process of dismantling it. There is a need for powerful and sustain action at the global as well as local levels in this regard. Power of de-growth option will emerge from consistent organization, reflection, evaluation and action on behalf of the mass of people at different levels in coordination with each other. This process that needs to be followed for this is bottom-up approach in organizing with ever deepening clarity of thought and vision.

One element that may be deliberately excluded from this action is violence. This is particularly because the growth model in place uses it so carefully to silence dissenters in ways more than one. It is not possible to embark on creating new models of sustainability based on violence as violence is source as well as model of unsustainability that is so integral part of growth model of development.

There is a need to set up small decentralized de-growth groups all over the state of Goa and beyond for both in order to provoke puncturing of growth model as well as establishing new models of sustainability. These groups must be formed as coalitions of various resistance movements so that they are able connect with consumption and distribution side of the political economy. Establishing these crisp cross linkages will serve as lifeline for dismantling the growth model as well for the evolution of new models with new paradigms and parameters.

The entire State of Goa from the grass roots level must be involved in this process cutting across the all human created barriers. If setting up of groups are not possible then the theme of de-growth must be pushed on the various platforms to promote wider dissemination of ideas and generation of quality debates serving as grinders for action and advancement.

De-growth has to not only be spread as idea – a radical critique of the prevalent system represented by growth model but also must take grip as pedagogy – actual practice of de-growth and rise of economy based on sustainability. This will have be patience project that far exceeds the narrow agendas of any kind of sectarian interests.

The involvement of large number of people in this project will get more minds searching the ways out to dismantle growth model of development as well as creating social infrastructure for the rise of self-dependent sustainable society. Important aspect of this whole endeavor is to take the debate out of the boardrooms of narrow circuits of researchers and get it tested with mass of people out in the open, in spaces and places where collective discussions are practiced. It may be on the streets, on village groups working on democracy, workers collective bargaining for their wages, urban groups of poor fighting for their share of water and food, middle class consumer rights groups demanding efficiency of delivery of gas cylinders at home, women organized to counter male domination, concerned teachers organizing themselves to infuse quality values in their students, student organizations who believe they have a duty towards their country, Members of political parties eager to do public service, Clergy groupings wanting to serve society with motivations from their respective religions, Groups farmers organized into the club, enterprising women that are part of self-help groups. All needs to be included. Greater the inclusion, better and effective it is for the growth model functions with exclusion of the majority. To dismantle this model first thing that is required is inclusion of the majority to evolve sustainable model that rescues society, polity, economy and ecology from crisis, and further go about to build a self-sustaining economy.

So the ‘crisis out there’, after deeper introspection becomes ‘crisis in here’. So the remedy for wider society and polity is also remedy for ones deep and intimate self. There is no dichotomy involved. Personal changes are outcomes of deeper reflections on wider issues. They look insignificant for non-sensitive audience. Sensitivity is the key. Personal reflections do away with dichotomies and the quality of vibrations oozing out from deeper self become purer with every action of introspection. It is a seed of de-growth. It is there in all of us. Point is whether we are willing to slow down and let it germinate.

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[1] Rodrigues, Sebastian (2010) “Goa Police as an agency of repression 2007-2009” presented at the State level Seminar on “Human Rights and Environment – A Focus on Goa” at the Department of Political Science, St. Xavier’s College, Mapusa, Goa on International Human Rights Day December 10, 2009.

[2] Rodrigues, Sebastian (2009) “Mining and Displacement of Sustainable Livelihoods in Goa, India” in Ulvila, Marko and Panasen, Jarna (eds) Sustainable Futures: Replacing Growth Imperative and Hierarchies with Sustainable Ways published by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland.

Note: This paper was circulated, presented and discussed at the National Consultation on the Impact of Climate Change on Livelihood and Support Systems held on 16-17 February 2010 at Bio-Medical Ethics Centre, Mumbai. The consultation was organised jointly by four organisations - (IRDWSI), Society for Participatory Action and Reflection (SPAR), and Vikas Adhyayan Kendra (VAK).

Acknowledgments: Prof. Alberto Gomes for his ideas on the concept of Political Ecology

Spaces, Places, and Histories: A Political Ecological Perspective

Notes from first Dr.Bikram Dasgupta memorial lecture on 5th February 2010 by Prof Alberto Gomes at Marathi Sahitya Seva Mandal Hall, Panjim. The topic of his lecture was "Spaces, Places, and Histories: A Political Ecological Perspective"

Environment is also about politics and not just ecology. That’s how it is Political Ecological Perspective. It is important to connect with Social Justice Issues in ecological movements. There is a delicate balance between Politics and Ecology.

Alberto has been researching changes taking place amongst Malaysian aborigines for the past 35 years. Long time back he heard the sounds of chain saw in the forests of Malaysia and went about to see as to from where is it was coming. He along with his few friends entered the forests and located the source: a man had put chain saw deep inside the tree. Within short time it fell down to the ground. Alberto had tears in his eyes. He was not the only one with tears in eyes; he noticed aborigines gathered around the felled tree were also with tears in theirs eyes. Alberto joined the aborigines in defense of forest. He along with his four friends launched campaign to protect the forest from the dam project. The dam company defeated the campaigners by designing the dam project in the shape of one of the symbol of Malaysian nation. The country declared the opponents of the dam projects as anti-nationals. Hence protest was not possible any longer. This was one of the first lessons Alberto learnt as to how Politics was interlined with disruptions of ecology and aborigine people. He realized that chopping of trees is required for our lifestyles.

His association with Indigenous People in Malaysia has taught him that ‘where’ is an important focus of engagements while ‘when’ was was not important. History was related to Space and not Time. While Alberto journeyed with Aborigines in the
forest they would point to stone and trees and narrate particular incidents like the behavior of their invaders with links to the particular stone or a particular tree. Each place was named. What is it mean to take away forest? Places are important because of great social significance. The aborigine histories are intimately connected with stones and trees and corresponding memories. To do away with trees from the forest also means to do away with aborigine histories. Displacement is equal to erasing of history of lives of Indigenous People.

Aborigine People have deep relation with their spirits. Before taking any significant decision people in aboriginal societies would consult and seek permissions from the spirits of the locality. After taking permission they would act based on the interpretation of their dreams. Forest belongs to the spiritual world called “Yanik Kavo”. Hunting ability of the male is located in the knees. This ability is a spirit called “Karen Sangho”. Karen Sangho is also means wife. So when a man fails in his hunting wife invokes Karen Sangho to be with her husband.

When wild pig is hunted by aborigines, just before his death the hunter goes and apologizes to the animal for hunting as they are forced to hunt in order to feed their families”.

The root cause of ecological problem is greed. Aborigine people do not have greed hence they do not create ecological problems. No individual has a right to own land. People collectively belong to land. Mainstream societies must learn from tribal people.

Tribal People’s stories needs to be recorded. Violent economy has its nemesis in ecology. Greed leads to exceeded consumption patterns. This creates situation of grievances amongst those exploited by system. The grievance then matures into armed revolts fuelling further violence.

We still do not know enough about alternatives. Instead of confronting the system there is a need to wrestle with the system as sometimes when the system is too strong it can crush its opponents. Aborigines of Malaysia have learned this art of wrestling with the system and that’s how they are surviving in Malaysian forests.

Alberto is currently working on book on ‘non-killing’ tribes world wide and understand the transformation that led them into violence. Media focus is mostly on violence. In actual reality for every incident of violence in society that are over thousand incidents of non-violence. Yet media choose to report and highlight only violence. Amongst aborigine societies violence is ridiculed.

Economic growth and sustainability cannot go together.

Sebastian Rodrigues

Tough line on development

Here is very pertinent write up on theoretical and practical engagements of Alberto Gomes, a person with roots in Goa and currently a citizen of Australia teaching at Melbourne's La Trobe University. The following is awesome critique of dominant model of development sourced from the website of La Trobe University:


A La Trobe University anthropologist has been invited to develop and teach a unit for a major initiative by UNESCO to promote peace and sustainability. The four-week intensive on sustainable development and the environment will focus on human conditions – poverty, inequality and how they relate to environmental problems. It is a unique approach developed by Dr Alberto Gomes that challenges the dominance of free market economics in the world eye.

‘Our everyday lives have become dominated by economic calculus,’ Dr Gomes says. ‘This needs to be challenged. We need to move to different ways of managing our lives like tribal people – on the basis of ecological principles and green values.’

Dr Gomes draws on thirty years of work with the tribal peoples of Malaysia. They have been compelled to give up environmentally sustainable practices to adjust to modern economic principles. They used to manage the forests communally. Now they are engaged in commercial agriculture which promotes individualism.

The important role anthropologists can play in framing new ways of looking at the world situation is highlighted by Dr Gomes’ appointment. He is teaching the course for the UNES CO International Master in Peace, Conflict and Development Studies at Unversitat Jaume I, in Castellõn, Spain during November and December.

Political ecology is one of the new ways of looking at these development issues that takes into account the social and political conditions of communities.

‘If you want to understand the impact of the extraction of oil in Africa, political ecology says that it’s not just a matter of looking at the environmental aspect but also the complex underlying political economic conditions. For example, how do power relations – the dominance of certain groups over others – impact on people’s relations with the environment? A lot of the conflicts that have emerged in Africa are somehow related to resource extraction. If you analyse them deeper they are to do with unequal distribution of resources.’

Free market economics is a Western concept that does not sit well with communities in less-developed countries, Dr Gomes says. ‘Such a type of economics promotes competition whereas many traditional societies adhere to a communal and egalitarian lifestyle with a strong sharing ethic. Free market capitalist economics promotes a hierarchical structure. Inequality is an integral part of the system.’

Dr Gomes is also taking a tough line on the issue of population control in an approach he calls the Malthusian spectre. ‘I challenge the conventional view that the depletion of resources is primarily due to increasing human population,’ he says. ‘You can have small populations that consume a lot more than larger ones. One US person, for example, consumes 40 times more energy than a Bangladeshi.

‘If we are concerned about environmental issues we should curtail growth of high-consuming groups. Why do we promote population control in the developing world?’

Low consumption in developing countries is often labelled as poverty by Western economists. ‘The issue is not about poverty but inequality,’ Dr Gomes says. ‘People are condemned to be poor because they don’t have equal access to the resources that would allow them to escape poverty.

‘High economic growth in India and China has increased the rate of inequality. The free market benefits people unequally. If you take India for example, an economist would say the country is progressing. Per capita incomes in India have increased but it is only a small percentage of people who have contributed to the increased per capita figures.’

Judging economic success by per capita income is a very narrow way of looking at the issue, he says.

‘If we speak about environmental problems, they tend to affect those in poverty much more than rich, affluent societies because of the transfer of pollution to marginal rural areas. Flexible capitalism promotes the placement of polluting industries in poor areas where labour demands can be filled.