A major complaint of environmental groups and activists in Goa in recent years has been how, during elections, mainstream political parties avoid the complex issues linked to land use and environment, and instead focus on development. With the addition of newer parties in the electoral fray, these issues seem to be finally getting their place of pride among poll issues.
Environmental activist Claude Alvares, who for the past many years has been involved in legal battles against illegal mining told The Hindu that political parties “do not care, but we must and we do continue pushing the issues of environment in every election.”
He pointed out the Justice (retd.) M.B. Shah report on illegal mining — which accused private mining groups and State authorities of having deprived the exchequer of around ₹35,000 crore through iron ore expert over the years — helped activists force the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party to take up “stopping of mining loot and environmental destruction” as a major issue in the 2012 election.
After coming to power, the BJP acted upon a Supreme Court direction based on a public interest litigation plea and banned mining in the State for two plus years, but no action was taken against those accused of illegal mining, the activists allege. They are nevertheless happy that such mining is yet to pick up pace in the State and most parties this time around are promising to allow only “legal mining.”
The Goenchi Mati Movement (GMM), which has promoted the conservation of the State’s natural resources saying that the “minerals belong to the people… children and future generations of Goa,” has come up with a manifesto that calls for regulation of mining and allowing only minor mining leases.
Mr. Alvares, who is part of the GMM, says that only two political parties have endorsed their manifesto — the fledgling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the regional Go Su-Raj Party (GSRP).
“It is a significant step that two political parties in the fray in the February 4 election have written to the GMM accepting the Goenchi Mati proposals for mining. This is a change in the way politicians are now seeing mineral resources,” said Mr. Alvares.
“I hope other parties and candidates also agree not to consume or fritter away what is rightfully our children’s inheritance,” said Rahul Basu of the GMM.
The GMM is a single issue movement which is not aligned with political parties. Apart from the illegal mining, other issues that concern environmentalists are: degradation of the coast, industrial projects pushed through a ambiguous mechanism called the Goa State Investment Promotion Board skirting all land use rules and regulations, the treatment of wild animals as vermin on the pretext of damage to agriculture, earmarking and preserving private forests.
Important poll issue
The activists are happy that the withdrawal of protection for the coconut tree by a recent amendment to Forest Protection Act by the BJP government has caught the attention of the Opposition and is a poll issue.
The government justifies the amendment saying it was carried out to help horticulturists rejuvenate their old palm cultivations.
All the Opposition parties, including the Goa Forward, the Congress and the AAP have promised to undo the amendment if they came to power. They claim that the amendment provides powerful real estate and construction firms a free run over coconut palm trees.
Mr. Alvares and Sabina Martins of the Goa Bachav Abhiyan are are also pushing for the Regional Plan on land use, which has not been implemented by successive governments.
Other environmental issues such as Out Line Development plans for urban areas being pushed by builders have also become poll issues.
