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 20th 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. GoaState 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 Valpoisuch 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 ofColamb 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 yearState 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.
Of late there has been intense resistance to open cast iron ore, bauxite and manganese mines in Goa. Often branded as ‘backbone of Goa’s economy’ mining industry has been at the receiving end of public criticism for transforming itself as ‘rogue industry’ causing enormous harm to the ecology, agriculture, water sources, as well as traffic congestion, air pollution, sound pollution, and large scale sicknesses caused due to air pollution, water pollution and entry of migrant labour.
While the village groups in different parts of the State of Goa have expressed problems caused due to the mining industry in legitimate manners; within the ambit of the Constitution of India, State-Corporate nexus have responded to these concerns with repression. Goa Police has been its most preferred agency of repression over the past few years. This papers documents and analyzes the behavior of Goa Police in Goa’s mining belt from 2007 to 2009 – the period that has witnessed heightened resistance.
Amongst the methods of intimidation followed by Goa Police includes visits by secret police known as CID (Criminal Investigation Department) to the houses of villagers, calling up at odd hours in the night, verbal threats, physical violence while in custody, non-interference while protestors are attacked by mining truck owners, humiliation tactics by putting slate around the neck and photographing, filing of false cases, filing of charge sheets further the proceedings in judicial courts, threatening to ban entry into the mining villages by imposing Tadi Par, confiscating the buses used for traveling for protest marches, confiscating and tearing down of posters with slogans against mining companies, monitoring movements of villagers protesting mining industry, tapping of telephones of people opposed to mining industry, indulging in physical violence in the form of Lathi Charge against the villagers protesting mining industry, filing of criminal cases against the lawyers defending villagers opposing mining industry, refusing or ignoring complaints filed by villagers against officials of mining companies, and investigating the opponents of mining industry as ‘Naxalites’.
The paper problemitizes the role of state funded Police force and questions the partial and partisan role played Goa Police that is unbecoming of public servants and suggests ways to change behavior pattern of Goa Police as protector of ‘public’ interest and not the interest of the mining companies.
I. Introduction
Open cast mining industry dealing with IronOre, Manganese and Bauxite has its prevalence in Goa since 1948 when 100 tonnes of IronOre 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 IronOre 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 SunshineState! 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 IronOre 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.
In spite of all this however there are some village people in Goa including its tribal people has demonstrated stiff and organized resistance to this marauding open cast mining industry. At State level Gawda, Kunbi, Velip and Dangar Federation (GAKUVED) has lend its voice to the struggle against Goa’s mining plunder since 2007. Number of other organizations such as Nature Environment Society and Transformations (NEST), Goa Foundation, Ganv Ghor Rakhon Manch (GGRM) and Goa Bachao Abhiyan (GBA) has also collaborated with village people resisting mining in various villages of Goa in various ways and varying intensities. Goa Federation of Mines Affected People has evolved as a network of mining affected people in Goa since August 2008.
II. Documenting Police Repression
The response of the State to these protests has been to deploy State police – Goa Police – to carry on series of repressive measures against those people involved in the active resistance against the mining industry.Number of people arrested and criminally charged. Police force is deployed to protect the mining industry and to demoralize the resisting people in various manner. Below is a list of Police interventions and strategic non-interventions to achieve this objective. The below documentation is based on regular spot recorded entries at www.mandgoa.blogspot.com – blog of Mand – An Adivasi-rights Resource Centre, an Initiative of Gawda, Kunbi, Velip and Dhangar Federation (GAKUVED) - after being reported by the villagers and sometimes newspapers.
November 20, 2007
Colomba, Sanguem A group of 8 Policemen came in plain clothes at 6 pm and began threatening the villagers. They were searching Agnelo D'Souza, one of the villagers in forefront of protest against mining threatening to gobble up Colamb village. He had protested overwhelmingly during November 18 2007 gram Sabha of the Rivona village panchayat and sought resolution seeking to ban further mining activity in Colamb.
January 21, 2008
Colomba, Sanguem
Police Inspector Mhamel of Quepem Police station over the phone threatened Rama Velip that if the villagers continue to march on the Fomento mines then he will arrest all the villagers.
January 23, 2008
Colomba, Sanguem
Goa Police protection provided to Fomento mine in Colomba, Sanguem.
February 08, 2008
Colomba, Sanguem
ASI P.V. Desai attached to Quepem police station kicked one of the Colomba villagers – Agnelo Dias. The police jeep which was following the truck one of the police by name ASI P.V.Dessai got down from the jeep caught hold the top portion of shirt of the youth shirt pulled him and then assaulted him with shoes one his private parts and then pulled him into the police jeep.
February 09, 2008
Colomba, Sanguem
40 Police personnel deputed to protect Fomento mine in Colamb.
February 11, 2008
Colomba, Sanguem
Police Protection to Fomento Mine
March 11, 2008
Colomba, Sanguem
Police protection to Fomento Mine.
March 25, 2008
Colomba, Sanguem
24 villagers including women arrested while blocking transportation of IronOre from Fomento Mine. Police beat up villagers and snatched earrings of one woman. 16 male constables and 6 lady constables engaged to arrest 16 Women and 5 men. Women were picked up by male constables – manhandled with some women complaining missing of their gold ornaments on their bodies during the scuffle with the police on the mining site.
April 12, 2008
Margao, Salcete
South Goa Collector Gokuldas Naik threatened Colomba villagers of deploying police force to protect Fomentos to transport Ore from the company’s Colomba mine. Collector issued this warning when a group of Colomba villagers called on him at his Margao office.
April 22, 2008
Quepem Police Station, Quepem
Fomento Manager Atul Makode Manager of Hiralal and Khodidas mine Colomba has on 22/4/2008 filed a false and distorted complaint before the Quepem police against 18 villagers of Colomba villagers. The complaint has been filed under section 143(punishment for forming an unlawful assembly) , 147( punishment for rioting) , 447(Punishment for criminal trespass) , 341 (Punishment for wrongful restraint) , 506(2) (punishment for criminal intimidation) , 425 (Mischief ) , 427( Mischief) , read with section 149 (Liable for prosecution of common object). All the sections applied are of Indian Penal Code, 1860 – another colonial law, this time by British applied upheld the mining trade in Goa started during Portuguese colonial rule. There can be no greater evidence that Goa is de facto living in Colonial regime of State in India. The villagers have revolted not just against mining by against Colonial system in operation benefiting few elites in Goa, India and abroad. The 18 villagers against whom the complaint has been filed includes 1.Premdas Velip, 2.Alcina Dias, 3. Agnelo D’Souza, 4. Caetan Barreto, 5. Egyps D’Souza, 6. Tilu Dias, 7. Vincent Dias, 8. Palmira Dias, 9. Dumena D’Souza,10. Bhagrati Velip, 11. Shanta Velip, 12. Kalawati Velip, 13. Chandrakant Gaonkar, 14. Vithabai Velip, 15. Concy Antao, 16. Kalidas Naik, 17. Surya Gaonkar, 18.Gavnekar
May 21, 2008
Nuem, Khola, Canacona
Dempo Mine: contractor Gangesh Molu Dessai, landed at the site with around 40 police personal from Cuncolim, Margao, Maina Curtorim and Colva. IRB who were headed by Cuncolim P.I. Sidhant Shirodkar and Colva P.I. Edwin Colaco. The Canacona Execuitive Magistrate Shri Valvoikar made his presence over there. The police started clearing the obstruction which was there on the way leading to the mine. The police were stationed at the site till 4.00 pm face to face with protesting people.
May 19, 2008
Advalpal, Bicholim
Criminal cases registered against 70 villagers at the behest of Fomento mining company. Fomento mining company had filed police cases against following 12 Advalpal villagers Shyamsunder Naik, Sharmila Naik, Kishore Naik, Kashinath Gad, Vijay Pundloskar, Ganesh Naik, Babi Gaonkar, Suresh Gad, Shrikant Gaonkar, Manguesh Gad, Amar Shetye and Pradip Gaonkar. The cases were registered under following sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC): 143, 144, 147, 148, 323, 427, 341, 506 and 149.
Out of these 4 people were arrested namely, Shyamsunder Naik, Sharmila Naik, Kishore Naik and Kashinath Gad. Fomentos are operating Litho Ferro mining lease in Advalpal
May 20, 2008
Advalpal, Bicholim
Police Protection provided to Fomento mine.
May 21, 2008
Advalpal, Bicholim
Sheetal Thanekar, Surekha Santosh Gaonkar and 17 year old Sandesh Vithal Gaonkar was beaten by Sesa Goa goons at around 3.00 pm. Police case registered. Police are yet to make any arrests so far.
June 04, 2008
Porvorim, Bardez
Advalpal villagers stopped on their way to Panjim to celebrate World Environment Day and demonstration in front of Sesa Ghor. Their bus taken away to Panjim Police station from Porvorim under the pretext that Police had a secret information that the protestors are going to block the Mandovi bridge and paralyze the traffic! Police force in riot gears were deployed to guard the protestors after they got off the bus in Porvorim. This police followed the protestors to Panjim when they got back their bus and staged demonstration in from of Sesa Ghor – the headquarters of Sesa Goa mining company owned by British Corporate - Vedanta.
June 05, 2008
Colomba, Sanguem
Heavy police security in police arrangement as villagers celebrated World Environment Day
June 19, 2008
Goa Legislative Assembly, Porvorim
Leader of the opposition Manohar Parrikar at ad-hoc committee named the author of this paper – Sebastian Rodrigues – as naxalite operating with his team from Jharkhand in Colomba, Quepem. Top officer of Goa Police present at the meeting agreed with Mr. Parrikar’s assertion. Goa Police however came out with official statement denying presence of Naxalites in the State of Goa.
June 24, 2008
Quepem Police Sation, Quepem
Quepem Police Inspector Santosh S. Dessai took a written statement from Colomba’s Rama Velip on naxalite issue. Extracts: “…I say that I know one Sebastiao Rodrigues r/o Siolim Mapusa since last 05 years from the year 2003. The said Sebastiao Rodrigues use to visit our home at Colomba alongwith br. Philip of Don Bosco, Sulcorna and Venkatesh Prabhudessai of Colomba – Kevona. The said Sebastiao use to move along with brother Philip Neri D’Souza.
I say that whenever there was a meeting in our village regarding mining issue and other environmental or land issue he use to visit our village. Most of the time said Venkatesh Prabhudessai and also Br. Philip use to attend the said meeting of “GAKUVED” and use to take photographs and was doing videography also. Mostly he use to do work on the internet…”
October 11, 2008
Maina, Quepem
Eight protestors were beaten up by goons of the mining industry in the presence of police personnel headed by PI Santos S. Dessai and protestors arrested and sent to jail. 85 year old Dora de Souza too was arrested while she with a group of protestors chained herself on the road carrying iron ore away from the mine. She along with other 3 women were sent to Aguada Jail. Zilla Parishad member Subhas Phaldessai led the attack on protestors at Dinar Tarcar Mine. PI Santos Desai remained passive observer during this time. Priest Mathias D’Cunha sdb, Filmmaker Kurush Canteenwalah and Sebastian Rodrigues too was beaten up and taken into police custody. Quepem Police team led by PI Santos S. Dessai remained mere spectator as the mining goons were beating up the protestors
October 15, 2008
Maina, Quepem.
Police protection to Fomento mine T.C. 06/1949.
November 13, 2008
Colomba, Sanguem
Police night patrolling in the village with three police Jeeps began. Police night patrolling continued for three weeks.
November 12, 2008
Colomba, Sanguem
86 protestors on Fomento mine T.C.No. 06/1946 were arrested and later released on bail. Fr. Mathias D’Cunha sdb from Sulcorna was abused and by some unruly elements defending Fomentos. He has lodged police complaint. Police took no action. PI Santos S. Dessai was present on the site. At the police station placards of Colomba villagers were confiscated and torn apart under the oral instructions from PI Santos S. Dessai. Police also destroyed people’s food while effecting arrests. Goa Armed Police van and two jeeps full of Police personnel were put in action in defense of the Fomentos. One lady constable bearing badge number 6769 assaulted Colamb female protestor Dument D’Souza just before the arrests in the afternoon in presence of mamlatdar. Similarly Fomento security staff and truck drivers beat up two protestors Shamsunder Naik, Durgadas Gaonkar and Gajanand Raikar causing minor injuries to them. Former editor of Goamtak times Sujoy Gupta who joined Fomento mining company as its vice president directed the security staff to identify the targets for violence from the mining company’s office on Hiralal Khodidas mine at Colomba on this day.
November 17, 2008
Quepem Police Station, Quepem, Goa
7 villagers from Colomba, Sanguem protesting against mining invasion of their village were arrested in fabricated criminal case filed by Fomento mining company supporter Surya Naik. PI Santos S. Dessai began arrests by taking Egyps D’Souza into Police custody while he was moving around in Tilamol market. 8 arrested were later released on bail. The villagers are Motesh Antao, Egyps D'Souza, Dument D'Souza, Shanto Velip, Rama Velip, Telu Dias and Xavier Fernandes. They were punished with day long forced stay at Quepem Police station on the next day - November 18, 2008.
Novemeber 19, 2008
Quepem Police Station, Quepem, Goa Warning of Tadi Par – Exile by Police – informally sent to Egyps D’Souza by PI Santos S. Dessai. Egyps would be debarred from entering South Goa jurisdiction, including his home in Quepem taluka once Tadi Par in invoked on him.
November 22, 2008
Colomba, Sanguem
Police team visited village with intention to arrest young Tedoz Antao based on the complaint filed against him by Fomento security personnel.
November 27, 2008
Ambaulim, Quepem
Police in riot gear clashed on streets when Ambaulim villagers who blocked IronOre transport of Dinar Tarcar and Fomentos due to over loading and dust pollution.
November 29, 2008
Colomba, Sanguem
Police Protection provided to Fomento Manager en route to Quepem Police Station to file complaint against villagers after they forced stopped the mining transportation.
December 01, 2008
Colomba, Sanguem
Police protection provided to Fomentos to transport IronOre at Hiralal Khodidas mine (T.C. No. 06/1949).
December 04, 2008
Quepem Police Station, Quepem
Colomba villagers warned of Tadi Par. Served 4 days deadline by PI Santosh Desai to end agitation against Fomento mining company and accept sustainable mining. According to PI Santos S. Dessai if Colomba villagers don’t listen then their agitation will be crushed with heavy police force. Entire Police force from Goa will be mobilized to unleash terror on Colamb villagers. Rama Velip, Salvador Dias, Telu Dias, Xavier Fernandes, Purso Gaoncar, Arjun Velip, Chandrakant Gaonkar and Surya Gaonkar witnessed PI Santosh Dessai telling them all this in presence of two Fomento mining company officials.
December 13, 2008
Sanvordem, Sanguem
Stranger male moving around with photograph of youth from Colamb – Tedoz Antao – approached Milagrine Antao and Dument D’souza while on marketing visit to Sanvordem town. He told them that Quepem PI Santos S. Dessai has commissioned him to catch the person on photograph and hand over to him at Quepem Police Station. According to him this youth protesting mining company’s onslaught on his village is involved in Dacoities. Such a insidious defamatory propaganda!This questioning of Colamb women in Sanvordem market by stranger on behalf of Quepem Police was one more instance of desperate attempts by Goa Police-Fomento nexus to spread terror and fear amongst common people resisting mining industry by outsourcing its functions to private agents.
December 17, 2008
Ambaulim, Quepem
Police violence – lathi charge – on peaceful demonstrators against mining trucks creating air pollution and traffic hazards as all the written petitions were not respected and acted upon by Digambar Kamat government.. 7 villagers arrested (William Luis, Satulin Luis, Fatima Fernandes, Franky Rebello, Glen Rebello, Diego Fernandes besides Anton Jose Fernandes who was arrested from his home after the lathi charge.) Police assault on lawyer John Fernandes and attempt to murder criminal case under section 307 of Indian Penal Code filed against Advocate Fernandes. Police Inspector Santosh S. Dessai alleged in local marathi daily - Tarun Bharat issue of December 18, 2008 that Adv. John attempted to murder policemen - ASI Arvind Nagekar - while lathi charging the protestors against transportation of Iron Ore from the road in their village causing enormous dust pollution and traffic congestions. Wife of Advocate John Fernandes, Paulina Fernandes too was criminally charged on this day for rioting and unlawful assembly. Seven school children beaten by police violence, Franky Rebello was hit on head by Police. Amongst other injured includes smt. Lourencina Rebello (65), Andrew Fernandes, William Fernandes, John Fernandes, Smt. Remij Fernandes (50) Francisco Fernandes, Monica Fernandes, Pobre Fernandes and Soccor Fernandes. Quepem PI Santos S. Dessai and Deputy collector Venancio Furtado denied lathi charge though it took place in their presence; in fact administered by both of them – in reply under RTI. This proved that Deputy collector present did not order the lathi charge. South Goa Collector Gokuldas Naik justified it in interview to Times of India of December 19, 2008 and Goa Police authority headed by Justice Eurico Silva defended this lathi charge in his judgment. The legality of this lathi charge is clearly a suspect.
January 06, 2009
Colamb, Sanguem
Police protection provided to Fomento mine in Colamb. It continued on January 07, 2009.
January 15, 2009
Ambaulim, Quepem
Police launched search operation for two days – January 14 to January 15, 2009 to arrest Pobre Fernandes, an active person in resistance to mining industry.
January 20, 2009
Cavrem, Quepem
Five tribal youth resisting mining company were arrested by Police at Quepem Police Station. Their names are Satyendra Gaonkar, Ashish Gaonkar, Sandesh Gaonkar, Ramesh Gaonkar, and Deepak Gaonkar. They were arrested after mines manager Kulkarni at Nevgi mine - operated by Dinar Tarcar - filed complaint against them on January 18, 2009.
33. February 01, 2009
Ambaulim, Quepem
Villager Franky Rebello’s house was visited by Quepem Police Constable Mohan Dessai in the night and Franky’s wife and aged parents were threatened with rendering Franky unemployed. Franky was not at home. Mohan Desai was drunk when on his visit.
34. February 03, 2009
Colomba, Sanguem
Goa Police attached to Quepem Police station served the notice to Tedoz Antao to
surrender before Quepem Police station within 17 hours in response to criminal
case filed against him by Fomentos.
35. February 13, 2009
Colamb, Sanguem
Police visited the residence of Motes Antao, youth resisting mining invasion of his
village of Colomba in Sanguem at 1.33 pm with intention to scare him away.
36. March 20, 2009
Colamb, Sanguem
Motes Antao was whisked away by Police at 10.00 am from his truck in Quepem and arrested over the charge of assault on Government Servant based on the complaint filed by one Ganesh Velip on 29/1/2009 over the incident taken place on 9/1/2009 the Quepem police booked Motes under section 353,504 and 506 r/w. 34 of IPC for giving abusive words to a court bailiff. Motes is one of the active voices of mining terrorism in Goa and has been frequently targeted by the mining industry. This time he was slapped on his face three times by policemen at Quepem police station. First time he was slapped by a policeman in plain clothes at Quepem Police Station and second and third time he was slapped on face while being taken for medical examination at government health centre in Curchorem. PI Devendra Gad was heading the Police Station this time. In the bail application moved by said Motes claimed that on the day of the alleged incident he was not yet all present at the residence. He claimed that he has been falsely booked at the instance of Fomento Mining Company whose summons the Court bailiff had gone to serve to the villagers of Colomba. Goa Police Complaint Authority headed by Justice Eurico Silva ruled in favour of police this time too. Earlier it had done the same in case of Lathi charge on villagers of Ambaulim, Quepem.
March 20, 2009
Colamb, Sanguem
On this same day brother of Motes Antao, Tedoz Antao too was arrested – picked up by police while he was waiting for public transport bus at Tilamol junction. He was criminally charged for restraining one Yeshwant Salunke, security guard of Hiralal Khodidas mine (operated by Fomentos in Colamb) on 13/9/2008 and was booked under section 341, 323, 427, 506(ii) r/w. 34 of IPC.
March 24-25, 2009
Cawrem, Quepem
There was alteration on March 24, 2009 in Cawrem village between two anti - mining activists Alcine Dias and Egyps D'Souza on the one hand and Rivona Panchayat member of Panchayat Ram Gaoncar who once upon a time in 2003 was opponent mining operated by Radha Timblo belonging to Badruddin Mavany mining lease but then surrendered himself and his land to Timblos pressure tactics.
When the two men Alcine and Egyps went to the Police station to register the complaint against Ram Gaoncar, Timblo mining company Manager and another contractor of the Fomento mining company in Colamb swung into action and pressurized the police to register the case against Egyps D'Souza. A case was registered for assault and breach of Public Peace against Egyps. Egyps was detained at the police station for the full one night.
39. March 25, 2009
Quepem Police Station, Quepem
Rama Velip on visit to meet arrested Egyps D’souza at the Quepem Police Station on March 25, 2009 afternoon he was arrested and forced to accept bail and move out of the police station in one old case pertaining to blockade of the mining transport near Fomento mine in Colomba.
40. April 01, 2009
Colomba, Sanguem
Motesh Antao threatened by Quepem Police Inspector Devendra Gad of booking under National Security Act (NSA) to continue harassment in furtherance of numerous false cases filed by Fomento mining company against him. PI Devendra Gad promised to use his police powers to harass Motesh Antao to the last. Motesh was called to the police station by serving call letter when he was awarded with this warning.
41. May 10, 2009
Sirgao, Bicholim
Suresh Babani Gaonkar and Dhruvanjay V. Harmalkar were arrested by Bicholim Police Sub Inspector Terence Vaz and head constable Pradeep Kubal for protesting against Chowgule mining company plying its mining trucks through their property. They were picked by from Sirgao village in North Goa at around 11.30 am without serving any call letters. The arrests came 4 days after the famous Sirgao Zatra festival – in which Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat participated – in the village with scarce water due the giant mining companies sucking their water sources dry.
Once taken into police custody they were put into police lock up. They were not served any meals and were starved till they were bailed out at around 5 pm on the same day.
42. May 20, 2009
Advalpal, Bicholim
Two villagers from Advalpal, Bicholim – Shamsunder Naik and Vijay Pandluskar are arrested at Bicholim Police Station for protesting against Sesa Goa mines on May 10, 2009 under section 151 of Indian Penal Code – Disturbance of Public Peace! They were released from Bicholim Police Lock up at night at 9.00 pm.
43. July 18, 2009
Colomba, Sanguem
For two weeks Rama Velip of Colamb village in Sanguem Taluka was harassed by Goa's Secret Police - CID (Criminal Intelligence Department). Secret police has been visiting the house of Rama Velip and seeking to know about future plans of anti-mining movement. There are phone calls made at Rama Velip's residence at very odd hours in the night and asking him to report to Quepem Police Station.
Rama Velip is heading Gawda, Kunbi, Velip and Dhangar Fedearation (GAKUVED) unit under the jurisdiction of Rivona Panchayat and in the middle of resistance movement against mining in Sanguem and Quepem Talukas of South Goa.
CID officer who is involved in harassing Rama Velip is one Premanand Phaldessai attached to Quepem Police Station. He hails from Sanvordem and according to the sources his family members are involved in business of transportation of IronOre through ownership of trucks. Harassment stopped only after the officer was reported on internet.
44. September 25, 2009
Colomba, Sanguem
Colamb villager Motes Antao arrested at Quepem Police Station in the morning at 9.15 am. He was called to the police station to collect information he had sought involving detailed information of three police officials – PI Santos S. Dessai, PSI Prakash Desai and HC Arvind Nagekar- under Right to Information Act 2005 (RTI). Motes was threatened at the police station for filing application under RTI on August 14, 2009. Motes Antao was arrested on complaint of November 28, 2008 filed by one Shri C.S.Patil Asst. Personal Manager of Hiralal Khodidas Mine – operated by Fomento mining company in Motes’ village of Colomba in Sanguem under sections 143, 341 and 506 read with 149 of Indian Penal Code (IPC). What is tragic in this whole episode still unfolding is that the citizen is called at the police station to collect information sought under RTI and then threatened and arrest effected on previous cases.
45. October 12, 2009
Usgao, Ponda
157 people protesting against Sesa Goa mines in Condli arrested and released on bond. They had blocked transportation of ore for one week prior to their arrests.
In addition to this there are also incidents of Telephone tapping of the people resisting mining industry in Goa. It is not sure however as to who was doing tapping of the phones. On October 10, 2008 telephone calls from the mobile phone belonging to Sebastian Rodrigues made to the landline phone of Rama Velip in were being tapped. Someone, a male adult voice speaking Hindi received call made to Rama Velip. Similarly when Rama Velip called Sebastian Rodrigues from his landline a male adult voice speaking in Hindi received the call.
On Second occasion on Sunday, August 02, 2009 someone call came in on landline of Sebastian Rodrigues in Siolim saying that the person is calling from telephone exchange and trying to find out if the landline is working alright. Telephone exchange does not attend to telephone repair work on Sunday nor anyone had lodged any complaint pertaining to defect in telephone functioning.
III. Ramifications
The existence of Police State is evident from the above documentation. The democracy and its spaces are shrinking with Police Raj manifesting itself in an unprecedented manner. The tribal people and other silenced voices have been turning to voice out their grievances. They are however offered hostile reception with Police terror. The modus operandi of the State-Mining companies’ nexus in Goa is to file as many police cases as possible on those protesting mining industry and then convert these cases into arrests, and arrests into Court cases. There are several Court cases ongoing across the State of Goa – particularly against the people in Colomba, in Sanguem, Maina in Quepem and Advalpal in Bicholim. The insidious logic being, that Police cases and Court cases will demoralize the ongoing movement against mining industry in Goa.
People of Goa particularly its hitherto silent majority has began to speak out. It has began to expressed its dissent. This dissent is found to be intolerable by the mining elites dominated State of Goa. The response has been to inflict repression with Goa Police as its favored agency.
Situation has come to head on in this manner as the IndianState has developed intolerance to the democratic spaces especially when they are used by conscious poor radical people to express dissent. To agree to the voices from below would amount to the violation of pacts amongst the elites that have decided things even before the conduct of the necessary democratic consultations. There are up teem number of examples in Goa wherein People opposed mining projects under the mandatory Public Hearings taken place with overwhelming opposition from the those present. In some cases the opposition has been 100%. Yet all the mining companies has been awarded with environment clearance by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF). In this way Goa has been turned into colony of India for the purpose of mineral exploitation. Ruling elites in Goa have decided to join the party to the detriment of toiling people of Goa. That’s why Goa’s elites silently collaborating with mining companies. They have no vision other than making some quick riches at the cost of Goa’s ecology and People’s livelihood and Water.
IV. Need for change in Goa Police mindset
Goa Police must undergo fundamental change in the outlook from being defenders of Goa’s mining industry - that is waging war with People of Goa – to being defenders of the People of Goa waging struggle against Goa’s mining plunder. There must be awareness programs conducted for every police officer on how mining industry is destroying Goa and why Goa Police must join the toiling farmers and residents hand – in hand in this; do or die struggle. Behaving as agency of repression on behalf of the mining industry – as has been the case during 2007-2009 - will only lead to demoralization of Police force as public attention and media sensitivity is very acute. Goa Police must refuse to arrest and administer violence on people; instead it must play helpful role towards movement against Goa’s mining industry in the interest of the Goa’s generations yet to be born by acting swiftly on complaints against mining companies. This would mean defending ‘Public’ interest in genuine sense and not the ‘Private’ interest of handful of mining companies engaged in ruining Goa forever. Goa police must join the ranks of people protesting mining industry incursions. People’s revolt against mining industry is essentially a revolt against Indian Colonialism that is manifesting itself in mining belt in collusion with Global exploitative forces. Time is ripe now for Goa Police to bring about historic turn around in their hitherto role as front defense of plunder of Goa through mining.
Note: This paper is prepared to be 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.
Goa is mostly known for being a top tourist destination, but away from the coast mining is the major industry, and it is severely impacting local water. Click here for video.
Forest Tribes Lose Rights
For video on takeover of tribal forest spaces by the Indian Forest Department click the links here.
