Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s announcement of scrapping the IIT project at Sattari will come as a huge relief to the agitating locals of Shel-Melauli and their relentless fight has finally yielded results. However, this is not the end of the script. Just as one ordeal appears to be ending, there is another one staring at the locals right in their faces.
The vexed land issue will continue to haunt people, this time in greater measure. The land in question is already transferred to IIT, and official records as per Form I & XIV reflect the transfer of ownership. Given the decision to scrap the project, the ownership of land will be reverted to the government of Goa, and not to the people. Eventually, locals will have no rights over these properties shunting them in a no-win situation. In view of this, although a battle has been won on IIT, the war is still not over. The locals will face an uphill road in getting land ownership rights.
The announcement brings to light few other aspects. The swift decision by the chief minister to scrap the project soon after Health Minister and Valpoi MLA Vishwajit Rane backed out of the project, makes interesting political reading. In a veiled game of one-upmanship, and courtesy to the pull at the Centre, Vishwajit managed to put one past the CM forcing him to concede on this one. The Valpoi MLA may have been forced to beat a retreat and accept defeat at the hands of the locals of Shel-Melauli, but he has scored a major political victory.
While the CM states that the people of Melauli were not convinced about the benefits of the project to the locality, and were misguided. The question here is, whether there was an error of judgement once again. Or did the government fail to get locals on board? The opposition to the project was projected to be a handiwork of those against development. In fact, the CM and the local MLA was on record that only a few families, in all 17, were opposing the project. Did the government under-estimate the people opposing the people, or did it fail to bring about an amicable resolution?
By trying to bulldoze with the help of vague assurances, the government only allowed the agitation to fester. If there were people from surrounding villages who walked in with support, it was only on humanitarian grounds, not because they were opposed to the BJP government. The decision to scrap IIT at Sattari has nothing to do with respecting sentiments of the locals, but everything to do with the political repercussions it would have in the run up to 2022 assembly elections.
The victory on IIT will stand testimony to the fact that people's power can't be taken for granted for it can shake governments from their perpetual numbness. It was a motley crew of people who began this agitation with integrity upright and concerns genuine. This movement will give hope to the lakhs of people across State who continue to wage their battles to protect the environment and the unique identity of Goa.
