Melauli locals protesting against the proposed IIT campus in the area were in for a surprise when Chief Minister Pramod Sawant marched through the landscape for over an hour with officers in tow familiarizing himself with the contours of the land. Sawant's assurance to residents that the project will move forward only after taking people of the area into confidence may have come as a soothing balm against the defiance shown by the government till now. However, the locals are unlikely to fall for such assurance because one can see through the diplomacy.
Ironically, the seriousness behind Sawant's visit is suspicious, and the timing opportune. The agitation was simmering in the background for the past few months. The land handed over to the IIT, and preliminary work of the compound wall begun. While all this happened and people continued to plead, protests and agitate against the project, Sawant never made any attempt to reach out to the people and listen to their problems. On the contrary, the government was of the unanimous opinion that the IIT has to come up at the designated area. Period. All along, the government stayed defiant and attributed the opposition to be a handiwork of a few NGOs and opposition parties trying to extract political mileage. So, why such an outreach now, especially when the local MLA Vishwajit Rane is out of station?
If there were genuine concerns for the aggrieved locals, the chief minister should have engaged them much earlier, before the land was handed over to the IIT. Even if the government is ready to make some compromises, Sawant should have gone there with a clear Plan B. He could have at least spoken on areas which could be negotiated. Instead, all he has done is given a patient hearing to the people and spelt out vague assurances. He announced plans of forming a committee of 15 people designated to discuss the project with him, including the issues raised by the locals.
The one point unflinching demand of the locals has been that the State government shift the IIT project from their village, nothing less or nothing more. The root cause of the opposition is over land and livelihoods. There is a distinct fear among locals that they will be rendered homeless and jobless. Is the government in the position to negotiate on land rights and provide them security? Why have lessons not been learnt from the Canacona IIT proposal rejection which met with similar opposition?
The intentions of addressing issues lack seriousness because the CM, on the very next day in Salcete questioned why the people are objecting to the IIT project when there is a job potential for around 1000 to 2000 locals. This clearly indicates that the pulse of the people has not been felt, and his visit only appears to be political showmanship and a way to corner rivals within his own government, nothing else.
