The executive body of the comunidade resolved to hand over the 10 lakh sqmts land of the Bhagwati Plateau, Loliem-Canacona, to the Entertainment Society of Goa for a Film City project. The foremost question in everyone's mind is what has changed between then (in 2017, when an IIT project was shown the door) and now.
Not too long ago, the Biodiversity Management Committee, while undertaking a plantation drive at the plateau, had reiterated its opposition to any development at the Bhagwati plateau because of its rich biodiversity. The locals have been stoutly rooting for the preservation of the rich heritage, flora and fauna of the plateau and have, in the past, undertaken protests that got national attention, forcing the then Manohar Parrikar government on the back foot, leading to calling off the IIT project at Loliem.
The confidence of the comunidade behind approving land for a Film City remains a mystery, especially when locals had unanimously rejected an earlier proposal for an IIT. If IIT destroys the vibe of the land, so would a film city because the infrastructure will trample upon a vast portion of the greenery.
For example, the Mumbai film city, officially known as Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari, which was built over 520 acres of land in Goregaon East, has several recording rooms, sets, gardens, theatres, a jail, a church and different types of studios. The Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad is set up across 2,500 acres of land, recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's largest film studio, has enough space to handle 20 movie units at one go and offers a range of shooting locations with models of airports, hospitals, houses, labs, gardens, London Street and various world architectures. The point here is that the nature of land changes completely.
The comunidade approval may be the first step towards welcoming a Film City in Goa, but the question is whether the people want it. Are the people of the area and the panchayat taken into confidence about this decision? If yes, what are the compelling reasons that have propelled this change?
Revisiting the plateau for a project of this magnitude must be backed by convincing answers; otherwise, this could go the IIT way. Answers will be sought as to whether the people of Loliem have given up on biodiversity and heritage, which they have been protecting all along. Or is the development elsewhere ” Manohar airport at Mopa and the IIT proposal at Rivona - triggering a change in the thought process? Or is the hope of jobs for locals and an aspiration to come out of the rural ambience fuelling the idea?
The comunidade has said it has put up the Bhagwati Plateau proposal before the Entertainment Society of Goa, which is for them to choose. The body holds optimism in the Loliem land because of the feasibility, but it does not touch upon the contentious issues faced in the past and how it will negotiate possible public opposition when the attention shifts to the panchayat.
In the current turmoil that Goa is witnessing, with land development becoming the fulcrum of debates and protests, people's power cannot be taken for granted, irrespective of which way the wind blows. Winning the confidence of locals is primary.
