Fascism, Terror Attacks: Shrinkers Of Democratic Spaces in South Asia

By Sebastian Rodrigues


It was on December 27, 2008 morning I received a phone call from a friend in Goa’s Southern most Canacona taluka that Indian Army camp is being set up adjacent to the Highway in Bhatpat village. I did not understand any reason for this sudden development. Canacona is a peaceful locality and that the precise reason for my wondering of logic for stationing of Indian Army personnel in tents. But gradually the logic began to appear on the horizon of my understanding after discussing with few people around Goa.

The immediate reason seemed to be terror attacks on Taj Hotel and few other locations in Mumbai on November 26, 2008. The Indian State has pressed panicked buttons after the incident. The extend of panic is visible in my State of Goa as well. Government responded with various measures including declaring Goa as one of the potential target of Terror attacks that are claimed to originate in neighbouring country of Pakistan. So the barricades are increasing across the State of Goa. Our KTC bus stands now has armed security, our beaches now has armed security, our starred hotels now has armed security, Sand bags structure with uniformed armed personnel in uniform is regular phenomena. Our markets too are supped to be eyed by Terrorists from Pakistan and so they too are witnessing intrusion of machine gun wielding armed personnel. Goa’s Police headquarters in Panjim too has army-garrison look at its entrance. In short Mumbai terror attacks are used as pretext by the state agencies to further its security obsession.

Security obsession is a phenomenon all over India especially in the locations that are more famous and well known. I have witnessed this all over India and feel very sad that once available abundant free space is increasingly getting shrinker due to terror threats. Biggest casualty of Terror threats are democratic spaces that common people enjoy in any country. The biggest beneficiary of these terror threats are armament industry that thrives on hatred and nationalism. Whether it is organised army of nation getting into war or non-state actors involved in low intensity warfare activities within borders and outside borders, armament industry is always pleasant beneficiary. Political systems that have succumbed to this logic are in the grip of self destructive spiral cycle. India-Pakistan rivalry is one example to this effect. There is a composite nexus between arms industry and its political system to keep fuelling rivalry between the two countries and Kashmir has become not only casualty but also an opportunity to build political carriers of politicians. The rivalry also serves the purpose of diverting attention from domestic issues of the two countries and pushes on top the agenda of hatred and war on the topmost level of the country backed up by organised media campaigns. Various internal contradictions such as inequality, poverty etc that constitute power relations between various classes and castes are sort to be pushed to the backburner so that internal asymmetry within both countries benefiting economic elites including Multinational Corporations (MNC) remains untouched. Another major beneficiary is mining industry that supplies nuclear and non-nuclear raw materials to the war industry. Uranium, bauxite, iron are common metals used in large quantity in war efforts. The genuine efforts are needed to create atmosphere of Peace and Friendship and to do away continues efforts towards building armaments are sky rocketing defence budgets in all the countries of the world. Middle class indulgence in war jingoism is major culprits that are thwarting genuine efforts at Understanding. Middle class consumerism must be halted quickly and force to focus on issues genuine in the interest of Planet and Humanity.

During the Kargil war in late 1990s this was so clearly visible. Both Indian as well as Pakistani media contributed towards creating jingoist war hysteria. Pakistan bashing in India and India bashing in Pakistan were at its peak. There are signs that these are picking up again in December 2008. Section of media in both the countries is plying into hands of global arms dealers on prowl. In 1999 when the Kargil war was at its peak the following poem flowed out of my heart:

The Slogan

War Jingoism is just too crazy
War maniacs are basking in pseudo glory
Images of enemy pushed in minds, too gory
Intellectuals lost balance to speak frankly
War hysteria they generate very genuinely
Artists rejoice in fanatic nationality
Fascist politicians do rock-n-roll in tune with nation topsy-turvy
Arms dealer is pleasant beneficiary
Forgotten in a stroke who survives barely
Life of a soldier: just a fodder in political harakiri
The forgotten hungry millions is cause for concern and worry
In the jingoist nationalism we shall witness hedonist emergency
Down with arms dealers
Down with Fascist forces
Long live democracy!
Let this be slogan of many and many.


This poem continues to hold its relevance today. Trends have moved away from launching counter terror initiatives to stressing need for declaring full fledged war against Pakistan. Identification of enemy outside the border as well as identification of enemy inside the border. The entire Muslim population of Indian nation is sough to be identified as ‘enemy within’. Identification Cards are becoming a necessary for security purpose. Increasing state surveillance from State agencies is becoming increasingly visible. At cybercafé identification document is becoming almost compulsory.

There is also ongoing visa diplomacy between the two countries. Pakistan government refuses to grant visas to number Indian citizens for traveling into Pakistan, while Indian government refuses to do issue visa clearances to number of Pakistani nationals to travel in India. I was refused visa by Pakistan government in 2006 when I applied to visit for Polycentric World Social Forum in Karachi. Even when the visas are granted by both the countries they are locality specific and that prevents citizens of both the countries to travel various parts of the countries. Besides it is mandatory for Pakistan and Bangladesh nationals to register the arrival at local police stations in India. This is not the practice to anyone from any other country in the world visiting India.

People-to-People contact between India and Pakistan is an absolute necessity for peace and democracy between the two countries. Terror attacks must not be allowed to hinder people-to-people contacts that are so important for two countries and to entire South Asia. This is also the practice that needs to be followed with other neighbours of Indian as well. Interacting with people of South Asian countries has been very interesting experience.

My long discussions with Amiya Bhusan Sarkar of Bangladesh – who studied mathematics at Goa University - has thought me so much not only about glorious traditions of Dhaka University but also trials and turbulences of Bangladeshi Hindus from Muslim Fascists forces. I have come to learn that their tagging and targeting is exactly the same as Muslims in India at the hands of Hindu Fascist forces. Similarly my long exchanges with Pakistan’s Fatima Saeed Khan – who is teaching Economics at Lahore School of economics - has brought about sharp understanding on how India and Pakistan as two States seek to continuously engage in hatred mongering. It is completely different feeling to listen to the official media propaganda and form once opinion on Pakistan than engaging in continues dialogue of discovery for oneself to know Pakistan its multiple realities and compulsions. It was very inspiring to get days to day information on anti-Musharaf protests by lawyers and students.

My short discussion with Mohan Tapang of Bhutan – who is in exile in Nepal - has made me appreciate so much democratic spaces within India. He asked me in July 2008 – a month after I was tagged naxal by Goa’s Opposition leader - “You can still go around the country and organise meetings?” Its first time I was realizing importance of how important it is to burn midnight oil to further expand democratic spaces in India. Then I had discussions with Dr.Tint Swe, Member of Parliament (Burma) in exile in India on military rule in his country of Burma that is India’s neighbour. Its pro-democracy leader Aung San Su Kyi is under house arrest for past couple of decades. Indian government is engaged with doing business with the military government in Burma.

It is Buddhist rule in Sri Lanka. I visited this beautiful county in July 2008. War between Sinhalese and Tamils has provided lethal blow to free spaces. It is military intrusion all over the places – Streets, Railway stations as well as beaches. LTTE has killed and silenced all the moderate voices expressing grievances of Tamils in peaceful manner. I have learned so much about this dynamics from Human rights activist who is a Tamil based in Colombo and often a target of State repression by Sri Lankan government. Checking of the citizens and tourists is rampant with check post at every 100 meters on the streets of Colombo. I was checked nearly dozen times on the day I arrived at Bandaranayke airport and went about sight seeing in Colombo – its streets and beaches. Sri Lanka is indeed very sad and depressing example of militarization and its spelled disaster for the community peace, prosperity and freedom.

I also had an occasion to converse with Mohamad Latheef from Maldives - in exile in Sri Lanka - who is a sharp critic of dictatorship in his Island country in Indian Ocean. This is a country wherein death is practiced as political strategy of rule and domination by the State.

South Asia today is gripped with fascist frenzy that needs to be addressed in vary serious manner. My reflections in this regard are as follows:

• Whenever there is love as a foundation of civilization, harmony and peace prevails.
• War takes the upper hand the moment hatred takes the foundational place in civilization.
• We must firmly ingrain love as a root of civilization.
• We must fanatically hate the hatred for the sake of Love, Peace and Survival.
• Hatred when unchallenged on time grows into a giant called fascism.
• Let’s Love an atmosphere of Love with all our might.
• Lies told thousand times can never change the truth.
• The hallmark of Fascism is telling one lie – a thousand and one times.
• Fascism is like a room with closed doors and windows – full of darkness. You open one window and entire darkness evaporates.
• Fascism survives only through brutal kind of repression.
• Love and Peace in fascist atmosphere only means a fanatic hatred and ruthless war.
• Visibility of fascist hatred only makes us a thousand times stronger in our commitment to Love.
• The important step in a fight against fascism is to open as many windows as possible, and allow free flow of sunlight.
• We must treat every occasion to meet people as an opened window and push in with a powerful and mighty light.
• The essence of life lies in making your struggle – my struggle.

Though Constitution of India upholds various kinds of human and democratic rights, it is important that it is matched with practices of Freedoms by its citizens – at times through assertive actions and genuine transformative reflections. War and Terror along with its support structure are outstanding shrinkers of democratic space in South Asia. They need to be vigorously countered at every level. The question is: Are we ready to burn the mid-night lamp in defence of democracy?


Published in Prajasattak, edited by Dadu Mandrekar, Panaji, January 2009

Mining ill-effects awareness meeting in Assolna

Goa Federation of Mines Affected People (GOAMAP) will hold awareness public meeting to highlight ill effects of open cast mining in Goa.

The meeting - cordinated by Anthony D'Silva - will take place on Sunday, 17 January 2010 at 4.30 pm at Lohiya Chowk, Assolna, Salcete, Goa. Members of public are invited to participate in the meeting.

Considering grave danger it is posing to the life and environment in Goa, particularly leading towards drying up water sources in Goa GOAMAP has taken decision to conduct awareness meetings in various parts of Goa on mining .

GOAMAP urges public spirited citizens and organisations to contact GOAMAP to organise awareness meetings in various parts of Goa. Those interested may call up mobile 09923336347.

Quepem villagers demand action against mining trucks

A group of villagers of Quepem on today gheraod the Assistant Director of Transport Quepem Shri Ivo Rodrigues over the overloading of mining truck Via Quepem town.

The villagers were furious over the rampant overloading of mining transport via Quepem town that to by the side of Assistant Director of Transport office which is responsible for spillage of ore over the road which in turn responsible for dust pollution over the entire route of Quepem.

The villagers team consisted of John Fernandes, Agnel sequeira, Johnny Mascarenhas, Anthony Fernandes, Jose Carvalho, Piety D’Costa and others questioned the RTO as to why the public notification dated 15/12/2007 under No.D.Tpt/EST/1685/P.F.II/2007 issued by the Directorate of Transport is not being implemented? To which Assistant Director of Transport Ivo Rodrigues informed the agitators that his department is trying their level best to implement the same and has issued challens to number of erring truck owners. Not satisfied with the answer given by the Assistant Director of Transport the agitators pointing to the truck passing by the side of the Assistant Director of Transport office informed the RTO if challens are issued then to why the overloading is continued unabated that too in front of their eye? Which means they don’t have respect to the law and the Transport department and are they law unto themselves?

The Notification dated 17/12/2007 among other which reads as follows:

“3. No Tipper/truck should carry ore in excess of its permissible laden weight capacity and should be filled up with ore only upto to body level and not heaped up”.

“4. The Tipper/trucks filled with ore should be covered completely with tarpaulin of the following specification so that spillage of ore is prevented.”

The agitators informed the RTO that due to dust pollution caused by the mining truck the school children are suffering from Sinus problems and demanded 100% implementation of the notification from Tuesday. The agitators were not ready to leave the office unless they got an written undertaking of implementation of the public notice dated 17/12/2007. Police were called to maintain law and order. They only left the office of the Assistant Director of Transport when they got the assurance from the Assistant Director of Transport that the Notification dated 17/12/2007 will be strictly implemented and no truck will be allowed to be overloaded.

I will rise up from my ashes!

Dr. Bikram Dasgupta ended his journey in life at 10 pm on 9th January 2010 at Goa Medical College at the age of 54. He was founder of Nature Environment Society and Transformations (NEST) and faculty at Department of Chemistry, Goa University, Goa. He hailed from Sundergarh, Orrissa and had purchased a house at Pandavadda, Chorao, Ilhas, Goa. He was widely traveled and active in public life for nearly 35 years in various parts of the Country. Ideologically his affiliations rested with the left but he was not member of any political parties and in fact was fierce critic of existing left parties. Though a firm admirer of Karl Marx and his ideas, he considered Gautam Buddha superior to Marx.

I was lucky to have been associated and collaborated with him from 2001 up to 2008. After that our collaboration ended due to political disagreements on the use of violence in transformative movements like the one I am involved with related to resistance to mining industry in Goa. He held that violence has to be the way forward for the movement while I disagreed with him totally and stopped my collaborations with him for the later six months of 2009. He often participated in GOAMAP monthly meetings and last time he was active on field with me was on February 07, 2009 on a Solidarity visit to Gauns family whose house access has been blocked by Aldeia de Goa real estate project in Bambolim, Goa.

I came to know him while pursued my M.A in sociology at Goa University during 1995-97. I saw him very often in University canteen in his Fidel Castro/ Che Guevara uniform with cigarette moving between his figures and lips. During this time I also got to know Amiya Bhusan Sarkar, a Bangladeshi student studying for his M.Sc in Mathematics at Goa University. It is from Amiya that I first got invitation for informal group of student and teachers that would meet irregularly on Saturdays at physics department to deliberate and discuss various socially relevant themes. I remember once attending one of those sessions in Physics department facilitated by Dr.E.de Sa of Physics department on the topic of ‘Primary Education’. Dr. Bikram Dasgupta was present here sitting very quietly on the last bench. Later, after many years I came to know that this was an exercise ignited based on Dr. Bikam Dasgupta’s experience of conducting Saturday study group that met every Saturday in Jadavpur University for five years without interruption. Large number of students and teachers came there to deliberate and exchange ideas. Dr. Dasgupta narrated several times his experience here to me. He invariable made reference that Amartya Sen who was teaching there then had refused to participate here because he lacked foundation in his economics. Amartya Sen’s motivation to get Nobel Prize developed during this time and Dr.Dasgupta was a sharp critic of Amartya’s economics and his lure for Nobel Prize. According to Dr. Dasgupta, Amartya Sen put in all his energies then to get himself a Nobel Prize rather than work for welfare of Poor in India. Dr. Dasgupta however admired Amartya Sen’s book “The Argumentative Indian”.

I rejoined the Goa University as a research scholar at Centre for Latin American Studies (CLAS) in June 2001. By this time I had already associated myself with creating awareness on mining ills afflicting Goa and moving about sharing my poem “I love Pissurlem” to various people. Sometime later 2001 there was book release function of Dr.Dilip Loundo’s book “Tropical Rhymes, tropical reasons” - translation of Brazilian short stories into English. I was invited there as Dr.Dilip Loundo has been my teacher and inspiration to go for higher studies on Latin America. After the function I started distributing my poem to all the delegates present. Dr. Bikram Dasgupta too was present here and he too accepted my poem. It was here that Dr.Dasgupta gave his comments on my poem and advised me to read more poetry. He was great advocate of rigorous study. Amiya Bhusan Sarkar was still at the campus. Then Amiya one day took me to the residential quarters where Dr.Dasgupta was living. It was sometime in September of 2001. I came to know about the organization that had initiated – Nature Environment Society and Transformations (NEST).

Life of Dr.Bikram Dasgupta has been intimately linked with ideas – he was a genius - with expertise in the field of music, carpentry, Chemistry, Physics, Life Sciences, Applied Sciences, History, Literature, Philosophy – more command over western philosophy, Economics, Sociology, Film critic, Art Critic, linguistics, etc. He could speak number of languages – English, German, French, Spanish, Hindi, Oriyya, Bangla, Marathi, Konkni and Kannada. He was a poet who wrote his poetry in Oriyya and English.

At his younger days, he often told me he would grasp half page at a time rather than one word at a time. He also told me about Swami Vivekanda's reading capacity of full page grasp rather than one word or line at a time. He was intellectually gifted. He wanted to make his living through writings of his own from earlier days but could not surmount pervasive discouragements all around him and got into teaching. He shared some admiration to Swami Vivekananda's ideas. Particularly he often quoted Vivekananda saying "Children must play football rather than deep into cramming of books." He had detail understanding as to how Vivekananda was liberative in his perspective and was intellectually was capped by the religious forces of his time after he gathered fame and popularity to his radical ideas.

Most of this is unpublished so far. He never pushed for publishing his work until cajoled hard. He also intimately linked with organizations. He was subtle inspiration behind setting of nearly dozen organizations across India. Through his discourse ideas would get generated and these would become seeds for rise of organizations with life and form of their own. Those who are aware or part of organizations with Dr. Dasgupta are urged to write in your reflections and insights and share. In Goa too soon after joining Goa University sometime around 1990 he got involved with group of people and formed an organization called “Anushthan” that had people like Vedang Dharasive and Rudra P. Pradhan. It organized programs around theory and practice of music. In 1999 another organization came up after earlier one faded away. This new organization came to be called ‘Nature Society and Transformations (NST) co- founded with his hostel friend from Basel University Peter Dietz during his post doctoral years. Peter Dietz wanted to form Indo-Swiss Friendship society with Dr.Dasgupta’s support. But Dr.Dasgupta vehemently argued against it as it would have readily opened entry into the organization to Swiss pesticides companies like CIBA. After two years of the organization after prolonged deliberations and insights the name of the organization got changed to its current one “Nature Environment Society and Transformations (NEST)”. Dr. Dasgupta distinguished between Nature and Environment. Nature is a state of affairs without human intervention. Environment is nature with human intervention. Dr. Dasgupta dedicated last dozen years of his precious life to NEST. The nature of NEST could best be captured with phrase that I quote from its long time participant Advocate Jatin Naik “It is an organization involved with demolition of ideas!” It’s so imaginative and so apt to what it is in theory and practice.

He was extremely good mannered and respectful of the common man of the street and villages. He would strike a conversation from anything but gradually penetrate deep into political economy and make usury of the system visible and then urge to fight. I had one such experience when he took me to Nauxi village near Goa University on Zuari river coast and entire village rallied around him to speak and share. It was an amazing experience. NEST has in its component something vary special in this regard. Not only it a discussion platform for people across the disciplines and fields, it is also a space where common people came together and interacted with intellectuals and also take the role of intellectuals! Couple of example I know of, one is of security guard at Goa University Dinabandu Barik. At one of the NEST meetings he made a presentation on his native state of Orrissa. He was speaking about take over of Chilika lake by Tatas. In the course of presentation Dinabandu raised very key question that even political scientist shy to ask: Why police is firing on people who are doing fishing in Chilika lake? From where do they receive their power to shoot people? What right does police have to fire at public? These questions coming from an ordinary daily labourer struggling for his daily bread and butter stunned the highly learned gathering Economists and Sociologists. Dinabandu further asked “How come you are a professor in the University and I am the Security guard?” Sociologist got swarms in his stomach and answered that “I am professor because my parents has given me education!” I was not present at this meeting but this has been told to me by Dr.Dasguta several times pointing out the pathetic levels of academic levels in Goa. He pointed out that Orrissa was no different either. The common people figured top of his priority list. He had tremendous faith in their ability. After Dinabandu, Rekha Revadikar is another example where in from the depression lass from Belgaum he transformed with such a magnificent support and encouragement till her death two years ago. She not only completed her B.A, M.A but had also enrolled for her M.Phil when tuberculosis cut short her life. It is not just the degrees that mattered for Dr. Dasgupta but dedication to society. Rekha, in his company got transformed into one of the frontal organizer with NEST and also companion to him while she stayed him. She made presentation of papers on various themes. Two of them I remember. The first one was “Flora and Fauna of Latin America”. Under Dr. Bikram Dasgupta’s guidance she prepared paper and power point presentation on Flora ad Fauna of Latin American origin but found in Goa. The second paper is Life and ideas of Rosa Luxemburg presented during Pune annual conference of NEST.

He did not discuss much about his death with me except very briefly in metaphorical form. He told me “I will rise up from my ashes!” He was a man with invincible determination. If it was not for his addiction to Cigarettes and Liquor he would have lived much longer before descending into Ashes. However he did share his desire with Advocate Jatin Naik to have his dead body donated for the purpose of learning of medical students.

What does rising up from ashes means to us in the context of death of Dr.Dasgupta? It essentially means distilling his ideas and reclaiming them as they are pearls of wisdom and very often uncomfortable truths that are to be further fueled in the method that he propounded – dialectics – and carry on the process of generation of ideas for the betterment and liberation of society that he stood for till the last moment of his life. I am attempting here to do exactly this is exactly what Dr.Dasgupta would like to happen after his death I am merely a channel in this service. I am also aware that you too have several ideas that flowed while in conversation with him at different time and I invite you to add and debate these further.

Lets take the sweeping look at the themes of conference of NEST that took place over the past dozen years. Dr. Dasgupta’s suggestions were ultimately responsible for these themes. In fact most of them were his exclusive suggestions flowed from fertile and concerned mind. Here is the list of themes:

1. Nature Society and Transformations (1997)

2. Development and Consequences (1998, 1999)

3. Institutions, Ideologies and Knowledge System (2000)

4. Science and Education in Historical Perspective (2001)

5. Dynamics of Order and Disorder in Nature and Society: Chaos, Systems Theory and Chaocomlexology (2002)

6. People Resources and Resistance (2003)
7. Indigenous People (2004)

8. Political Economy (2005)

9. Women Worker and Humanism (2006)

10. Multinational Corporations (2007)

11. Protected Areas and Heritage (2008)

12. Blue Planet, Green Movement and Red Politics (2009 - did not take place due to collapse of Health of Dr. Dasgupta)


The above themes are only indicative of the direction of Dr.Dasgupta’s orientation and concerns . It is in no way an exhaustive list that is yet to be compiled. There used to be thematic program almost every three months over the past dozen years in the State of Goa. Beside he went and organized programs – in collaboration with various people, institutions - in the state of Maharastra, Karnataka, Tamilnadu, Orrissa, Jarkhand, West Bengal and Kerala at least this much I am aware of, it could be more.


Dasguta as epitome of Sincerity, Simplicity, Humility and Mercy

Besides his genius intellect Dr. Dasguta was very sincere. He never cheated anyone of material things. In fact few times he got robbed. Once the couple who stayed with him in Chorao robbed him of his electronic gadgets like dvd player. Advocate Jatin Naik caught the robber husband and brought before Dr. Dasgupta. Dr. Dasgupta instantly pardoned him and prevented retributive action. He was very honest. In fact one thing he always said to me was “I have no friends, I have no enemies”. He kept himself aloof from human bondages and lived life that is far higher in terms of values and commitments. He never married and died bachelor. Dr. Dasgupta’s birthday March 30 used to be observed as Student Day amongst the university students – a tradition that began while he was doctoral student at Jadavpur University, Kolkata where he was a “Phenomena, a walking encyclopedia”. Dr. Dasgupta held that observing his birthday as student day at Goa University was not advisable and preferred to live that is away from glare and media.

His sincerity did not limit only here. He considered himself at par with ancient Greek Scholars like Socrates and far above Karamchand Gandhi in political practice.

I learned my first lesson of academic honesty from him. He gave scolding to me in 2001 because I had not acknowledged people that helped me to write the paper at NEST annual conference. One of them was Dr.Dasgupta himself. His scolding was for more reasons than merely to get his name listed on my then paper Brazilian pedagogue Paulo Freire applied to African context. It was scolding and smelting of selfish and self-centered habit patterns of our society that that was shaping its intellectuals like me. His scolding was directed - in a profound sense - towards changing this habit pattern of society. And he was living his values of recognition and selflessness with example of his life. Later on the very next year in 2002 at NEST annual conference Dr. Dasgupta acknowledged me in his paper on ideas of chaos in literature for encouraging to get him to write his paper. Subsequently he did this on another three occasions. These acknowledgements were not the trade-offs like between Rabindranath Thakur and Karamchand Gandhi– what I learned Dr. Dasgupta – Rabindranth Thakur (Tagore) gave title of ‘Mahatma’ to Karamchand Gandhi, while Gandhi reciprocated by affording a title of ‘Gurudev’ on Rabindranath Thakur – a sort of feudal practice. Dr.Daggupta’s criticism were directed with sharp focus and precise target with complete courage. He was marvelous combination of courage and knowledge – something that got transmitted into me almost infectiously within few months of interacting with him in 2001! In fact he and Amiya Bhusan Sarkar together are responsible to mine intellectual growth in leaps and bounds since 2001.
Dasguta and his uncompromising principles

Few very strong principles he never let away from his life. The first one is his uncompromising position on irrelevance of religions. He viewed all the religions as agencies of control and domination of mind meant for subjugation of society. He never believed in God, nor worshipped any deity ever. In fact he was powerful exponent of Atheist ideas and legitimacy science. He differed sharply with creationist views.

The second major principle of his life that remained steadfastly uncompromising is his ‘never bending to boot leak politicians’. In fact it is precisely because of these reasons he turned down offer from Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Rajiv Gandhi during his tenure as Prime Minister had written to Dr. Dasgupta as a young scientist to contribute towards his policies. Dr.Dasgupta refused to do so. His position was clear and stable. Scientists had to be with people fighting shoulder to shoulder for liberation and justice. Dr.Dasgupta lived this in his life and I have been a witness to it. This principle remained active in his life right through and would get activated even in the smallest of affairs in most unlikely places. I would like to narrate one incident here. Dr. Dasgupta used to drink liquor. In order to get his quota he used to frequent liquor outlets. One such was very close University campus on Bambolim side. The owner of this liquor outlet started praising North Goa Member of Parliament Shripad Naik. Dr.Dasgupta immediately reacted and got into heated argument with the owner. It could not be resolved in the bar quarrel. Dr. Dasgupta could not tolerate the boot leaking practices of common people either. He gave entering in that liquor outlet ever after that and till death he never entered it again. He advocated strong, dignified and self reliant villages free from political bootlicking.

His third major principle was hard work in building organizations. He slogged very to this till very end. He would personally go about locating, contacting and finalizing logistical arrangements for NEST programs. He gave equally intense care for NEST as any caring mother would give to her new born baby. NEST became his baby. His address in Chorao became the address of NEST. I have been a witness to all this. I remember, in July 2002 when NEST annual conference invitation was just out and I was supposed to help out in organizing. But the theme was so complicated – Dynamics of order and disorder in nature and society: Chaos, Systems theory, and Chaocomplexology – I could not understand a thing on it. So approached Dr.Dasgupta and he had a solution! He conducted classed for me and Rekha Revadiker on every Saturday night for two months. The class would begin at 6.00 pm on non-linear dynamics and go on till early morning at 6.00 am on next day Sunday morning. I would then take a first bust coming to Panjim early morning and head towards home. I realize that this was his favorite theme in which he had offered elective course in the department of Chemistry but due to some jealosy and departmental politics he was not allowed to offer the course during subsequent years. This is something that concerned him deeply and upset him often. In the meanwhile I learned the theme and was fit. It got me and Vilasini Morajkar – that took so a good care of Dr.Dasgupta when used to stay in Santa Cruz village in 1990 still 2002 - to Chennai for preparation of annual conference two weeks prior to the conference on the invitation from Elijah Mathew. His lectures were delightful and he incredibly simplified complex concepts into lucid and understandable capsules. I realized then as to why he was so popular amongst his students and shy his ex-students continue to remember him fondly from far and wide in the world. In fact even without much publicity on the work he was doing the word about this amazing man has escaped far and wide. US based TIME magazine wrote to him of their intention to declare Dr. Dasgupta as their Man of the Year in 2005. Dr. Dasgupta turned down this too but like letter from Rajiv Gandhi, this letter from TIME magazine he showed me and Rekha Revadiker. This behavior pattern makes me believe that he belonged to different league of humans and having none from his league he found on planet. He got liquor to dip his sorrows in and cigarettes to smoke out his stress.


Dasgupta’s key political ideas

1. Development as Violence: Dr. Bikram Dasgupta on several occasion defined existing paradigm of development as “Violence”. He never bestowed legitimacy on any of the development projects meant for so called progress. He believed that there is inherent inbuilt aggression in development that is pushed on people and nature. He remained opposed to this development model.

2. Anti-Nuclear Energy protagonist: Dr. Bikram Dasgupta has been very strong anti nuclear energy protagonist. He is the one who began commemoration of Hiroshima Day on August 05 every year. He was successful in making Hiroshima Day commemoration very popular. He would take great care to prepare invitations for this day. He would select the pictures of bombs – ‘Fat man’ or ‘little boy’ that were dropped on Japan and print on the invitation. This was became regular activity for NEST. One of his desires was to form anti-nuclear committee in Goa. Praful Bidwai when he visited Goa few years back called on Dr. Bikram Dasgupta in this connection. He stood for Earth without nuclear energy. He sharply critiqued Indian Science Policy. He held that there is a nexus in place between military, industry and sciences that is detrimental to world peace. He did not get support from other colleagues in the University or from other intellectuals in Goa to launch anti-nuclear committee. All India Trade Union Congress Goa General Secretary Christopher Fonseca collaborated with Dr.Dasgupta on this issue on few occasions.

3. In many there is strength: Dr. Dasgupta was a firm opponent of individual based actions. He always promoted teams to take initiatives. He did this in very open manner. Those who are sharp could pick up the message quickly. None of the letter of invitation of NEST program would be signed by any single person. There would always be minimum three signatories. He would work hard to get three or more people to be signatories for the program. And those signatories would not be repeated in the next program. He went about searching for new people to be the signatories. He believed that it is easy for one person to get targeted by the system but many cannot be easily targeted. This actually kept publicity seekers at bay from NEST.

4. Universities for Welfare of People: Dr. Dasgupta believed that universities are meant for the welfare of the people and not at the service of Multinational corporations. He criticized University appraisal questionnaire at his Chemistry department wherein one question to be filled in by faculty was contribution to multinational corporations.

5. Celebrating 150 years of Communist manifesto: Dr. Dasgupta’s university residential quarters at Goa university was the venue for the celebration of 150 years of Communist Manifesto in 1998. He subscribed to communist ideas and few people active in communist movement in Goa took part in the celebration function. One of the participants in this program Dr. Shasheej Hegde remarked that Dr. Dasgupta has been doing at Goa late Narayan Palekar attended this program. He believed in dissemination of copies of Communist Manifesto.

6. Long live May Day: Dr. Dasgupta has special affiliation of workers day and he would get NEST program slotted for this day with all the efforts. Once I too was part of the may day interaction with construction workers in Cacra village in 2003 May 01.

7. No to compensation: In 2001 I was advocating that Japan must pay compensation to Goa for the damage caused to Goa with import of Goa’s Ore. It was Dr.Dasgupta who challenged my position. He held that Compensation is not the solution. Political control over the state by common people was the solution. This drastically changed my involvement in mining industry critique. Subsequently I too gradually began to understand this position and came to oppose compensation.

8. Stop doing “Anti” work: One of the main arguments Dr.Dasgupta would espouse is that it is futile to engage in “anti” activities of any sorts. He believed that there needs to be consistent efforts to understand political economy and how it operated. This he believed that would make ‘anti’ activities unnecessary. People in this way would emerge to rise up to the position of power.

9. Positions on opposition to mining: Dr. Dasgupta favored increased articulation of opposition to mining in Goa. He himself vehemently attacked mining companies like Dempos publicly. He even got in confrontation with his departmental colleague who tried to scare him. Dr. Dasgupta retaliated that he had opposed Tatas in Jamshedpur and he does not care for Dempos. He toured some places in Goa’s mining belt like Mayem in North and Colamb in South for first hand experience. He advocated organized tours to mining belt by young people and other. He also felt that people have to become fearless and speak out loud against mining industry. He came down heavily those who were opposing mining because it was damaging temples while keeping quite at the same time on damage caused to agriculture due to mining.

10. Firm opponent of Dams: Dr. Bikram Dasgupta remained firm opponent of damming of rivers for the purpose of irrigation and power. He held Science-industry nexus responsible for the proliferation of dams in the country. One of his last papers was on Puran Shethi – riverbed agriculture in Mhadei river – submerged due to construction of check dams to flood the river in Sattari, Goa.

11. Unreliability of technology: Dr. Dasgupta held that Modern technology is designed to control political dissent by instituting mechanisms of filter and control of information. He was particularly critical of internet. He believed that internet must be used only for the tertiary purposes and never it should substitute on ground direct communication with people.

12. Communal State and Secular People: Dr. Dasgupta assessed that Indian State in various state is communal but people all over the country are secular. It is the State manipulation that is oriented towards creating communal strife. Communalism too has its political economy that is scarcely probed by those engaged in opposing communalism. As a result those opposing communalism end up further aggravating the situation.

13. Adivasi Concerns: Tribal people has been of special concern to Dr.Dasgupta. he was involved in preparation of Mundari dictionary in his State of Orissa. He worked with tribal head of Mundas – Manki in preparation of the dictionary. 2004 Annual conference was also on indigenous people held in Ranchi. He had set of defining characteristics on who tribals are. This did rack up few controversies in Ranchi NEST conference. In Goa he toured various tribal villages in 2005 when NEST visited one tribal village per month for a overnight stay and discussion.

14. Critique of pesticides industry: Dr. Dasgupta has been fierce critic of pesticides industry. In 1970s itself he had prepared and presented a paper on Pesticides industry of Latin America. In Goa too he continued to be critically engaged and offered support to People of Dhulapi, Tiswadi battling pesticides industry.

15. No to apolitical approach of resistance movements: Dr. Dasgupta remained completely opposed to the apolitical approach of Goa Bachao Abhiyan (GBA). He even public questioned Advocate Satish Sonak on the apolitical approach of GBA. Dr. Dasgupta was of the view that political parties and politicians must be involved in struggles rather than isolate them.

16. Fearless in face of State repression: Dr. Dasgupta remained fearless in the face of State repression. I am aware of at least two occasions when this happened. The first was sometime in late 1990s when Timblos wanted to take over Cacra village for its offshore stockyard and dock. Their plan was to dump 50,000 tonnes of cement in the village. The drilling work had begun on the shores of Cacra. Police were stationed in the village creating situation of terror. In this circumstances Dr. Dasgupta walked on foot into the Cacra village and offered his support to the villagers. Later on he was also part of delegation that called on Chairman of Marmagao Port Trust (MPT) to impress upon them to call off their project in Cacra. Other members of the delegation included Sanjay Pereira, Member of Santa Cruz Panchayat representing cacra villagers, Alito Sequiera from Department of Sociology, Goa University, and Manohar Parrikar, legislator in the Goa Assembly. They successfully negotiated and project was dropped. The second instance is in 2005 when Dr. Dasgupta went physically to defend sex worker in Goa’s red light area in Baina beach in Marmagao taluka. Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar was involved in demolition of house of the commercial sex worker as well of others. Here we have Dr. Dasgupta’s politics – on one occasion he collaborated with Manohar Parrikar and on second occasion he goes and stands up against him. This is what Dr.Dasgupta is – he stuck to his principles and continued his uncompromising support to the marginalized, rain or sunshine did not matter to him at all. He functioned with single minded determination and inner strength.

17. Life amongst poor: Dr. Dasgupta could communicate with poorest of the poor even complete ease. He was completely at ease. He had de-classed himself. There were no traces of any middle class hang-ups. There were no vestiges of petty bourgeoisie attitudes. He had purified himself. One day he told me as to how did he do that. He said his life changed totally after he lived in India’s poorest region that is located in his home State of Orrissa - Kalahandi.

18. Tracking Western Ghats: Dr. Dasgupta loved tracking. I had a privilege of tracking with him in western ghats evergreen forest from Nerse village in Khanapur, Karnataka up to Sonal village in Sattari, Goa. We trakked for five days with two other youth in Nerse – Raju Havaldar and Pundalik Amrut Desai. Dr. Dagupta would take great delight to take cold water bath in flowing streams of Mhadei. One night stayed at Povazhar the steepest high altitude waterfall on Mhadei. Dr. Dasgupta had some extra sensation and in the dark of the night he informed us that there was a tiger somewhere close to where we were staying. In the morning Raju Hawaldar confirmed that indeed there was a tiger cub around at the distance 7 meters from where we had our dinner and slept for the night. I remember that night singing for hours together. Raju and Pundalik cooked chicken that we got from a Dhangar house on our way in the forest. This Dhangar’s name was Kalu and was suffering from tuberculosis. He was taking treatment from Goa Medical College, Bambolim. Dr. Dasgupta took great interest in Kalu and after some time of looking around suggested his family that they must live in separate house from their goats. That time goats and humans were living together under one roof. That was generating tremendous amount of dust from the ground. On one occasion all four of us got lost in the forest. It was evening time. We had lost our path. We could not see anything else other than hundreds of butterflies surrounding us. After few hours of wild wonderings we managed to find our path again and also found glimpse of sun set. We shared tremendous comradeship throughout our trekking time. Dr. Dasgupta had done special preparations for this track. He had gone thorough Karnataka State gazetteer and found out the topography of the region. He had also found out that the word Belgaum originated from the thick bamboo shoots in the region. These are special kind of bamboo shoots that flowers once in 80 years and then all of then die together. This happened in December 2008 latest. We saw all the bamboo shoots flowering while we headed towards Dandeli Wildlife sanctuary for the NEST annual conference. Dr. Dasgupta would initiate long discussion with the houses that he would be visiting and staying for the night. All his discussion was free from complications and they were straight from the heart. I would very often feel very insecure from within while he got in his free flow discussions. I was getting touched on my uncomfortable zones. Today when I turn back around and reflect I find that it was more of my immaturity rather than anything else at play then. My time with NEST has made me tremendously sensitive to nature around me. My life would have been different without NEST for sure. The combination of theory, study from books and knowledge gathered through practical exposure sites made me very sharp agile in my perceptions. Dr.Dasgupta has a huge role in this.

19. Fisheries: Dr. Dasguta’s another very important concern has been the fishery. As soon as he landed in Goa he noticed dead fish floating around in Mandovi river. He wrote a poem “Mackerels and the Sea birds”. He has written couple of research papers and presented at seminars. One of them was at Tirucherapally, Tamilnadu.

His readings were vast and reflections deep. It is from him that I learned that Vedas have a recipe for beef preparations and beef eating was common in India during earlier times. According to him ban on beef eating and cow slaughter came about as the nature of economy changed predominantly into agriculture wherein cattle played key role.

Dr. Dasgupta's hero was 21 year old black boy he met while doing his post doctoral studies in Basel, Switzerland. The special feature of this boy that attracted Dr. Dasgupta is that in freezing cold Switzerland he would move about comfortable with no clothes on top of his body.

Dr.Dasgupta was a tremendous admirer of late Phulan Devi's one particular life episode wherein she was touring rural areas in Bihar region with western media. She defended children engaged in work while speaking to media. Media became furious and asked her to retract he comments and and denounce child labour. She refused. Western media team refused to continue film on her life. Dr. Dasgupta believed that problem of Child labour in India is inherently due to economic exploitation. It cannot be overcome by targeting of children and denouncing them or legally banning children from working. He felt that deep rooted economic change is needed to do away with child labour.

I find no better way to conclude this tributary note to our beloved Dr. Bikram Dasgupta than to quote an sms that Advocate Jatin Naik has sent in today January 11, 2010 “Revolutionaries will come and go in the natural course of life. But the Revolution has a life of its own. We salute the memory of Dr. Bikram Dasgupta and pledge to uphold the line of critical inquiry in all matters of Revolution."


Sebastian Rodrigues

Note: Photograph of Dr. Bikram Dasgupta in this post is by Shaweta Anand, New Delhi taken during the NEST annual conference 2008 in Dandeli.

Dr.Bikram Dasgupta no more...

Dr.Bikram Dasgupta, founder of Nature Environment Society and Transformations (NEST) and faculty at Department of Chemistry, Goa University, Goa passed away at around 10.00 pm on January 09, 2010.

May he be Free. May be be Liberated.

Can all Goans be treated like DLF please?

This article was published in the Herald, Goa, in two parts, in the past week and circulated on Goanet mailing list on January 9, 2010.

By Claude Alvares
goafoundation@gmail.com

The latest offering of Goa's landscape for sale is
on billboards in Delhi. DLF is promising a piece of
paradise "with a view of the sea" for an
excruciatingly stiff price of Rs54 lakh (over the
table). Originally, the proposal was for 580 flats
on a plot of land in Dabolim village. Now, it has
grown to 700 flats, a clubhouse, guest rooms and a
sewage plant that hangs precariously between future
DLF residents and the Goan residents settled
peacefully below the site for decades.

The problem is that the project is to be located on the
graveyard of a dense forest on steep slopes, because that
kind of natural asset is all that Goa in fact has left for
such speculative housing. The project is not intended to meet
the needs of Goans for a house. They simply do not have that
kind of money.

The project has the careless sanction of the Ministry for
Environment and Forests (MoEF), the Chief Town Planner of the
Goa Government, the Mormugao Planning and Development
Authority (MPDA) and the Village Panchayat of Chicalim, in
whose jurisdiction it is located.

Surprisingly, all these permissions have come without hassle
in a state that forbids construction on slopes (due to the
inherent instability of laterite) and which is restrained by
the Supreme Court's orders from activity in forested areas.

The manner in which the approvals have been
obtained is a good lesson in how the rich and
powerful manage to take all authorities for a ride,
especially when the authorities want to be taken
for a ride. The story so far:

Anand Bose, Somnath Zuarkar's son-in-law, gets Vithal and
Indira Naik, a couple who own Survey No: 43/1 of Dabolim
village, to authorise him to develop the plot of 1,02,000 sq
metres and sell it on their behalf. Bose settles the four
'mundcars' on the plot, partitioning off their plots --
totally around 8,400 sq metres -- from the main plot.

Meanwhile, the government under the sweet influence of
developers, has issued an order exempting certain classes of
land from a conversion sanad if they can prove that there was
a structure on the plot when the last survey was conducted in
1971. Though the mundcars' houses and plots have been
partitioned off, Bose files for an exemption from conversion
on their account on January 29, 2007.

The following day, with impressive speed, Levinson Martins
grants the exemption based on a certificate (spurious) issued
by the MPDA, that the entire survey is settlement zone. The
exemption saves the Naiks, Bose and the next developers,
Saravati, approximately Rs 25 lakh or Rs 2.5 million (the
government eventually loses more than a crore or ten million
rupees in conversion charges like this).

Barely a month later, Bose resells 77,300 sq metres
of the plot to Saravati Developers and
Constructions for Rs 29 crore (Rs 290 million).

In view of these astronomical sums, the saving of Rs 25 lakh
on conversion charges is small change for the developers. The
actual saving is in the circumvention of several orders of
the High Court and the Supreme Court that (a) do not allow
construction on slopes above 25 per cent gradient and (b) do
not permit activity in forested plots. Since the High Court
has ordered that no conversion sanad will be issued without
the file going to the Forest Department first, the solution
is to bypass the need to go for a sanad in the first place.

Mission accomplished!

In the meanwhile, Anand Bose is able to procure permissions
from the MPDA and from the Village Panchayat of Chicalim
without any problem, even though the area is forested and
proposed on slopes above 25 per cent gradient.

If MPDA could do the same for ordinary Goans, we would find
it the most efficient of planning authorities. But it never
does. Take a look at the dates and marvel at the speed at
which MPDA can work for its chosen ones:

* Anand Bose applies for a provisional NOC for subdivision of
the plot of 94,370 metres to the MPDA on January 23, 2007.
The MPDA issues the NOC on February 9, 2007.

* He files an application for the same to the Village
Panchayat on January 24, 2007. The Panchayat passes a
resolution on January 25, 2007 and issues the NOC on January
30, 2007.

* The Panchayat receives the application for final NOC on
March 8, 2007, passes a resolution on the same day and issues
the order on March 12, 2007.

* Anand Bose applies for construction licenses on September
27, 2007, the panchayat passes the resolution on October 1,
2007 and issues the licenses on October 3, 2007.

So why is everyone complaining that applications to
planning authorities and village panchayats
sometimes take two years, together with a lot of
visiting of offices and harassment? The case of
Anand Bose indicates the complete contrary.

After his sale of 77,300 sq metres to Saravati for Rs 29
crore (Rs 290 million), Anand Bose transfers all the
permissions and NOCs he has obtained to Saravati Developers.

Saravati now has 77,300 sq metres, whereas the earlier
permissions are for the plot of 94,000 sq metres. So Saravati
asks the MPDA to amalgamate the plots and grant a fresh
subdivision. MPDA receives their application on August 28,
2008 and grants the provisional NOC for the new subdivision
on the same day. Wow!

On September 1, 2008, Saravati applies for final NOC for
subdivision and simultaneously submits development plans for
580 residential units, with a 35-room club house and other
facilities. The Panchayat forwards the new proposal to the
MPDA on September 15, 2008.

The proposal comes up before the MPDA in November 2008, even
though it is not on the agenda, under 'Any Other Business',
after the Deputy Speaker (who posed recently for the media
with a free garbage compactor given by DLF to Chicalim
village) asks to know why the file has not been put up for
approval of the Authority. Victoria Fernandes is chairperson.

She says the project is categorised as a mega housing
project. The MPDA cannot, therefore, discuss the matter
without a site inspection to verify its infrastructure and
other requirements. The matter is deferred for a site
inspection. This decision is not communicated by MPDA Member
Secretary R K Pandita to Saravati, knowing full well that the
latter can file an appeal for deemed approval on expiry of
three months. On January 13, 2009, Saravati takes the matter
out of the MPDA and files an appeal before the Town and
Country Planning Board (TCP).

The Board takes up the matter on Februrary 11,
2009, but Pandita does not attend on grounds that
he is not feeling well. The Board defers the matter
and then conveniently meets several months later.
Saravati claims it now has deemed approval, since
the Board too has not taken a decision in three
months.

First, Saravati did not pay conversion charges. Now, it gets
by without paying development charges. When an RTI request is
posed in respect of whether development charges have been
paid, MPDA says in writing it has no knowledge. This is a
fine example of a welfare state, where the poor pay taxes and
the rich are waived land conversion and development charges.

Saravati now demands that the Panchayat grant it construction
licenses. The Panchayat decides that the Gram Sabha must look
into the project. A few days later, on August 17, 2009, the
Panchayat reverses its stand and issues the licenses.

Let me quote the reason set out in the Panchayat's
construction license and you will hope that this
happens to you as well one day: "As regards to the
approval to be obtained from MPDA, Vasco, which is
further deemed to be approved under Section 44 of
the Town and Country Planning Act which further
deemed to be approved by the Planning Board
constituted further it is deemed to be approved
under Section 45 of the Town and Country Planning
Act by the Planning Board constituted under the Law
& on the basis of legal opinion obtained & given by
Adv. Zeller C de Souza is considered by the
Panchayat vide resolution dated 9.7.2009."

So, a Rs 130-crore (Rs 1300 million) project for the rich of
Delhi gets by with two deeming approvals.

You may say this is predictable behaviour from authorities
towards a well-heeled developer who knows how to smoothen the
flow of his applications and get his permissions. But what of
the Government of India? Doesn't the project require
environment clearance?

It does. But as we shall see, there's no problem here as
well!

In April 2008, Saravati files an application for
environment clearance (EC) with the Ministry of
Environment & Forests (MoEF). As per procedure, the
proposal goes in June to the Expert Appraisal
Committee (EAC). Among the issues raised by the EAC
is a demand for a contour map that would indicate
slopes. There is also a query raised about how a
residential project can have 36 guest rooms. The
project proponent is asked to get a clearance from
the Central Ground Water Board. The EAC minutes of
the meeting record a conclusion that environment
clearance is not recommended for the present.

The file comes back to the EAC three months later in October
2008. This time, the EAC simply abandons its earlier queries
and instead lists a new set of queries that are far more
innocuous. Gone is the need to produce data on slope contours
or an NOC from the Central Ground Water Board. Instead,
considerations like "dead-ends of roads within the plot
having proper roundabouts" and "treated water being used to
flush toilets" are the points upon which the EAC decides the
project will now be cleared.

In a short while, the project proponent submits the
relevant details and, in December 2008 the EAC, now
assured that "all queries are answered", recommends
environment clearance with a "silver" grading to
boot. The environment clearance is issued by the
Ministry of Environment on February 2, 2009. The
two most important environmental impact issues of
the Saravati/DLF project -- construction on steep
slopes and forest -- are both immaculately kept out
of the committee's deliberations.

It needs to be noted here that the effective functioning of
the EAC depends to a great extent on the integrity of its
member secretary. The EAC meets every two months. Each time
the committee meets, dozens of projects are placed before it
for approval. The minutes run into several pages. All members
never attend all meetings. In the circumstances, earlier
minutes are not closely re-examined, nor are salient features
of earlier recommendations recalled. The member-secretary who
prepares the agenda notes and writes the minutes -- and who
is eminently approachable for Delhi developers -- can, with
little difficulty, take the "expert" committee into whichever
hole it wants.

But can the EAC itself be absolved of blame even in such
circumstances?

Hardly. The location of every plot in the country is
available on Survey of India topo sheets. If an EAC is not
able to access such easily available data, this must reflect
on the competence of its experts. Faced with the fact that
the plot had slopes above 25 per cent gradient, there was no
chance of approval. For, in 2000, the Ministry had accepted
in toto the report of the Committee on "Identifying
Parameters for Designating Ecologically Sensitive Areas in
India" headed by Adviser to the Planning Commission of India
Pronab Sen, which recommended no clearance for development in
such terrain. There are also now High Court orders to the
same effect.

Similarly with forested areas; even school kids
know how to get Google Earth pictures for any plot
in the country. The resolution is so good that
foresters claim they can distinguish even
individual species of trees on the ground. The
Google Earth picture of the site under discussion
shows it having dense vegetation. A single site
visit would also have confirmed that the area is
thickly forested. But the EAC never visits a site;
nor does it show any inclination to have facts
independently verified. It seems like nothing can
be done when we are dealing with people who want to
shut their eyes or, worse, are simply willing to
have the wool pulled over their eyes.

In October 2008, the state government's Task Force on
planning for Goa for the year 2021 demarcated the
Saravati/DLF site as a 'no-development' zone on the grounds
of its impermissible gradient (more than 25 per cent). The
Task Force is headed by the Chief Minister. Its de facto
chairman is the internationally famous architect Charles
Correa, and assisting him is former Chief Town Planner of the
Government of India Edgar Ribeiro. They relied on Survey of
India topo sheets. On this count alone, the Goa government
could not have recommended the project for environment clearance.

However, under the EIA Notification of 2006, anyone can apply
directly to the MoEF for environment clearance, bypassing the
state government. Ever since the Ministry disembowelled the
entire procedure and turned it into a set of empty
formalities to be speedily gone through -- data or no data --
environment clearance has become easier to get than a
driver's learning license. In fact, you don't even have to
submit a photograph of yourself!

Once you have it in your pocket, all other clearances come
automatically. The environment clearance is granted within a
maximum period of six months. For housing projects, there is
not even the courtesy of a public hearing. There is,
therefore, no scope for any inputs from the state government
or from the public. The applicant can fib and get away with
whatever it wants an extremely gullible EAC to believe.

The environment clearance becomes a label trademarked by the
Ministry for officially sponsored forest and hill
destruction. That the issue of environment clearances has
ruined the reputation of the Ministry is already common
knowledge. The Prime Minister himself -- as Cabinet Minister
of Environment -- acknowledged before the States' Environment
Ministers' conference in August 2009 that ECs had become a
source of corruption.

It is most unfortunate that the new Minister of State for
Environment -- who is trying hard to dispel the notion that
the Ministry is a red light area -- has not succeeded in
introducing any changes in this most important section of the
department, which has actually pioneered the ecological
destruction of the country through its atrocious clearances.

In the short space of two years, the MoEF has
issued environment clearances for over 150 mines in
Goa, cumulatively involving the excavation, dumping
and extraction of some 120 million tonnes of mud
and ore annually, sanctioning unparalleled
destruction of Goa's interior, forested areas.
Environment clearances are being granted now to
airports, more mines, four lane highways, bridges,
sea bridges, mega housing -- all in a tiny state
that is not more than 3,200 sq km in area.

In an unprecedented move, Goa Environment Minister Aleixo
Sequeira wrote to Union Minister of State for Environment and
Forests Jairam Ramesh, officially protesting the policy of
granting such clearances without even the knowledge or
consent of the state authorities and mostly on the basis of
false or deficient environment impact assessments (EIAs).

Can Goa's environment survive this onslaught?
Hardly. The coastal parts of Goa already look as if
they have been battered by a typhoon of concrete
and garbage. Thanks to unrelenting mining, the
interior areas look like the surface of the moon.
The MoEF, in the meanwhile, is considering
environment clearances for eight more five star
hotels in Goa (all owned by Delhi businessmen) and
even more group housing projects for sale to
speculators. It appears it will cease its efforts
only when the last tree and the last blade of grass
in Goa is overrun, climate change and sea-level
rise notwithstanding.

[Dr Claude Alvares is a prominent environmentalist, founder
of the Goa Foundation, and the author of 'Homo Faber:
Technology and Culture in India, China and the West: 1500 to
the Present Day, Allied, Bombay 1979. More of his writings
here http://www.typewriterguerilla.com/ ]

Villagers say 'No' to Syngenta sponsored medical camp in Mangado

Villagers opposing pesticides plant Syngenta in Mangado added one more significant step in their movement when they compelled Lions Club of Old Goa to call off Syngenta sponsored medical camp in the village on last Sunday January 03, 2010.

Mangado villagers questioned the former Syngenta offcial Rataboli as to how their village is missing from EIA report on Syngenta expansion. Rataboli was accused of using Lions Club of Old Goa to carry on the Public relations exercise for the pesticides company. Lions club officials admitted this fact and resolved not to let the club name to be tarnished in this manner.

After getting hostile reception from the villagers Syngenta staff that had assembled to conduct medical camp along with Lions Club officials and some government doctors Police was called in to pacify the situation. On the arrival of Police force villagers quickly evacuated the medical camp campus - a school building - and came on the public road. Syngenta staff left the venue with police protection in the face of angry public.

Mangado and Dhulapi are twin villages that has suffered major loss of their land livelihood 40 years ago when the fertile land was handed over to the Pesticides plant then known as Ciba of India limited. Villagers revolt then was violently put down by the State then headed by Chief Minister Dayanand Bandodkar.

Villagers invited Lions club of Old Goa to conduct their programs on health including medical camps sans sponsorships from Syngenta. Villagers current agitation to reclaim their land taken over by Syngenta and converted for industrial purpose.

What Are We Waiting For?

Squeezed between the calamities of tourism and mining, Goa is on the brink, says CARMEN MIRANDA, as she calls for change

Herald 01 January 2010, Panaji

As 2010 dawns, ending another decade, Goa’s destruction continues unabated, driven by the greed of a few people inspired by an economic system that has enormous shortcomings, such as the environmental crisis that threatens to engulf us all.

We could have been the lucky ones, living in Goa with a pristine environment, enjoying the simple things in life, enriched by an idea of prosperity and happiness that did not know the hunger of consumerism that dominates society today and which comes at an enormous cost to planet Earth, and a deadly cost to Goa.

Goa, ‘the Pearl of the East’, among the smallest states in the country, could have been a jewel in the crown of India – a model of sustainable development that valued and cultivated its unique environment, culture and traditions which sustained and guided countless generations. It could have been an inspiration to the rest of the country.

Instead we ended up with a Goa which has lost its ‘pearl’ while being stripped from its lush forests and disembowelled by mining operations, and cursed by the worse kind of tourism one can imagine, fuelled by sex, gambling, drugs and crime.

Our biggest misfortune has been the unscrupulous and ignorant politicians with a misguided approach to development who have dominated politics for decades and whose governance amounted to protection of narrow interests, an assault on Goa’s dignity, traditions and environment, an assault on its capacity to provide a happy, prosperous and peaceful existence. We have been fooled into believing that this is the road to progress, but it has in reality been just a long rugged path of decline.

Economic growth has become an end in itself, and the narrow business interests of building contractors and mining barons have become sacred, riding way above the interests of the rest of the population.

Why?

Why do they have more rights to destroy the environment which is vital for our survival than the rest of us, who want to preserve the fine ecological balance of nature, and who know that our real wealth is in our irreplaceable forests and biodiversity, our water resources, our fertile agricultural land? What about our right to fight for our survival, and mitigate the impact of extreme weather episodes that are about to hit us hard as result of climate change caused largely by business and industry?

The environmental destruction has been justified as being in the pursuit of ‘sacrosanct’ economic growth – a myth that has spectacularly failed and enslaved society, and failed the fragile ecological systems on which we depend for survival.

Fortunately the search for an alternative to current destructive economic model is on, and already producing interesting sustainable possibilities, more in tune with the limitations of a finite planet. The sooner we accept them and put them into practice the better. But first we must challenge the status quo which is threatening our very survival.

Meanwhile Goa, ravaged by greed and irresponsible governance, lingers on precariously, between the Arabian Sea that is beginning to engulf its crowded beaches and the ever-increasing number of denuded gigantic dark brown dusty craters of the mining belt. Squeezed between two calamities, the Goans will soon have nowhere to run…

It’s obvious that many fellow Goans are aware of and fed-up with what is happening in Goa. Their criticism of the politicians in power has been so relentless that if the politicians had any shame and conscience, they would have by now resigned and gone into hiding!

But they cling on, and the list of blunders continues to grow, together with the list of measures that need to be taken urgently, before Goa reaches the point of no return. It is these measures that we need to concentrate on. We need to be clear about what we would do differently in Goa if we were in power, and we must be careful to avoid the pitfalls and perceived developmental needs that have misguided successive governments.

Given that criticism has not budged the culprits an inch nor moved them into changing their ways, I ask you: are we going to continue being merely helpless spectators of the destruction of Goa, or are we going to say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! – and actually do something about it, such as offering or even imposing alternatives?

How can we move forward from just writing about it, into some concrete action that will provoke a radical change? Are we going to get organised, and get down to the business of stopping the plundering and looting of Goa, or are we going to just sit down under a coconut tree singing “adeus kortso vellu pauta, ai mujem kallizo fapsota” and writing excruciatingly painful descriptions of the mess that turned Goa into a place I don’t recognise any longer?

A growing number of Goans now share the feelings of a shattered Goan dream and are yearning for change. There are also potential leaders in Goa who together have the power to provoke a profound and radical change in politics without the colourings of partisan politics.

This is a call to those leaders that have acted in the past, and can do it again now, to unite and focus on the real enemy of Goa – the ruling powers. This ‘cause’ is bigger than our individual ambitions, and calls for bold and swift action to put the culprits in their rightful place – on top of a pile of garbage in the nearest street corner.

Goa’s reputation around the world is practically in the gutter – ruled by clueless men, corruption and crime, Goa does not have much time before it is irrevocably destroyed. It is in our hands the power to impose the end of impudent and shameless cynicism, the end of endemic corruption and institutionalised banditry.

What are we waiting for? For the next election, to recycle the same people into power again?

Enough of this affront of corruption at all levels of the administration and the unruly and unsustainable exploitation of Goa’s resources – everything has limits and we must draw the line now – else the destruction can be irreversible.

When our streets are pilled high with garbage; when agricultural land is piled high with buildings; when all our beaches are polluted and infested with shacks; when our hills and forests are bulldozed flat for mining; when our water tables are emptied by the mining operations, leaving us with dry wells and fountains and silted and polluted rivers; and our politicians have become billionaires – it is time to say enough is enough!

I hope that 2010 will be the year of unity and action among Goans who share a different dream for Goa – the year of courage and vigorous popular movement that produces a real reform in politics and radically changes governance.

It is not going to be an easy ride, but our genuine actions will explain themselves, while conformity and inaction will explain nothing to future generations. It is in our hands to systematically provoke a reform that will scare away from public life those swindlers and crooks who are sucking the blood out of Goa! Otherwise nothing will ever change.

Carmen Miranda is a Goan who frequents between Panjim and London

Corlim Panchayat ditches villagers on Syngenta

Here is a very interesting insight into how huge multinational companies functions in the villages of third world countries and how their elected members in democracy in place go ga ga over the lures and perks offered to them. This case is of Syngenta, the Swiss pesticides manufacturing firm located at Dhulapi in the Corlim Panchayat Jurisdictions in Goa, India.

The industry has been facing stiff resistance for the expansion of Pesticides plant in the Dhulapi, Corlim, Tiswadi taluka. Few days ago villagers along with Environmentalist Dr. Claude Alvares carried on inspection of Syngenta file at Corlim Panchayat. They found that Corlim panchayat has ditched the villagers royally and granted the construction license to the plant even before it could get Environmental Clearance from Ministry of Environment and Forest, New Delhi. The original copies of the license granted is missing from the file at Corlim Panchayat.

While the villagers gathered to pass resolution to oppose Syngenta's expansion plans in a Gram Sabha on April 26, 2008, the village Panchayat elected body gave construction license one day before on April 25, 2008. Subsequently after the construction was carried by Syngenta Panchayat elected body went ahead and granted occupancy certificate to Syngenta.

Due to RTI application village Panchayat authorities got the duplicate copies furnished from Syngenta company! Original copies are missing as per current trend missing of files from government offices with regard to major projects in the state. In the copy of construction license submitted to the Panchayat by Syngenta no discussion is recorded and all the elected members of the Panchayat included two from Dhulapi are recorded as supporting Syngenta expansion for pesticides expansions. The permission is granted under section section 66 of the Goa Panchayat Raj Act.

This entire episode is danger sign to the health of democracy in Goa. This is anything but certainly not rule of the people. It is for all of us understand whose rule is in operation and how. Things certainly are becoming increasingly visible...


Sebastian Rodrigues

Mining- the enemy of agriculture in Goa

Talukas of Sattari, Bicholim, Sanguem and Quepem has been historically witnessed flourishing agriculture with rice as a major multiple crop. This was largely possible due to the availability of abundant water. People worked hard in their fields and got their sustenance and livelihood from the paddy fields.

However all this is rapidly changing with the coming of open cast mining industry aggressively plundering iron ore, manganese and bauxite from Goa. The agricultural fields are one of the prime targets of the mining industry mostly for the reasons of dumping of mining silt and for the ore that lies under the soil where fields are located. The most favorite strategy in place by the mining companies is that of paying of compensation for the loss caused. This is the case in Pissurlem in Sattrai, Sirgao, Mayem and Advalpal in Bicholim, Colamb in Sanguem and so many other places. The ideology of compensation is monetary benefit to the person who has lost his agriculture due to mining. This is however rejected by some bold communities in the agriculture and instead decided to take up cudgels against the mining industry.

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.

Sebastian Rodrigues