MARGAO
Saying the movement to save Goa from destruction will be peaceful based on Mahatma Gandhi’s satyagraha, retired Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court Ferdino Rebello on Thursday called for building a strong grass- root organisation to take the movement forward on the lines of the Konkani language movement.
Justice Rebello said the movement to save Goa would give a call to the people of Goa after a strong organization is put in place across the towns and villages.
Addressing an impressive public meeting at the MCC hall, Margao on Thursday to explain the 10-point charter of demands, he called upon the people to cut at the root of the corruption, saying that 90 per cent of corruption will end if the 10-point charter of demands is achieved.
When the media asked him whether a revolution is in the making in Goa as he resolved to stage a satyargraha to save Goa, Justice Rebello quipped “Satyagraha was employed by the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi against the British rule, This is a strong weapon in the hands of the people in a democracy”.
Conceding that the movement will not move forward unless there is a strong organization on the ground, Rebello unveiled a road map to build the organization in the towns and villages through a strong volunteer base on the lines of the Konkani movement. “We will give a call to the people after the organisation is put in place across Goa”, he said.
Giving a call to the people of Goa to report to the Committee of volunteers cases of illegal hill cutting and land filling, he said the Committee will do the rest to ensure that the paddy fields, hill and orchard land are preserved for posterity.
In his speech, Adv. Uday Bhembre, a leading figure of the Opinion Poll Movement, said that five different groups had worked in their own ways to save Goa from merger. “The time has come for the people of Goa to unite save Goa from destruction. People of Goa had fought for Liberation, during the Opinion Poll, for recognition of Konkani as office language and statehood”, he reminded.
President of the Bhandari Samaj Sanjeev Naik called upon the youth to come forward to save Goa, reminding that the Gen Z has been responsible for revolutions after revolutions across the world.
Naik said there is huge corruption in the running of casinos in the state with large scale revenue leakage.
International footballer, Savio Madeira termed Justice Ferdino Rebello as an angel sent by God to save Goa from destruction. Saying that this is the last resort to save Goa, Madeira wished good health and people’s support to the movement to the logical conclusion.
Social activist Sohail Furtado read the 10-point charter of demands before the people, while Adv John Fernandes highlighted how the government has neglected the constitutional provisions to empower the scheduled tribes.
Activist from Navelim Roshni Rodrigues urged the people to attend the gram sabha meetings and question the powers that be over decisions and projects passed by the Panchayat body.
Youth leader Stephen Fernandes reminded that it is the right of the people to question the elected representatives in a democratic polity.
