the goan I network
MARGAO
Warning the BJP-led government not to play with the sentiments of the people of Goa, the Mhadei Bachao Andolan on Saturday said the Andolan will intensify the ongoing agitation if the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant does not fulfill his promise to resolve the issue by December 5.
The MBA had its Salcete taluka meeting in front of the Comunidade building here on Saturday evening after taking out a rally around the Margao Municipal Council garden.
Addressing the meeting, MBA leader Subhash Velingkar said the people of Goa will not rest till the water that is rightfully due to the state is protected by the government. Velingkar warned the elected representatives that they will have to face the wrath of the people of Goa on the streets if they downplay the Goa’s interests on the Mhadei issue.
“Here is an issue which concerns the life and water of the people of Goa. The elected representatives should know that Goans, irrespective of religion, caste and creed, will not compromise on Mhadei come what may,” he warned. He claimed that water from Mhadei river has already started flowing into neighbouring Maharashtra and the Goa government has done nothing to protect the interest of the state.
Issuing a warning to the government not to underestimate the power of the people, Velingkar said the MBA is gaining from strength to strength with each passing day. “From just 10 institutions when the movement was started, it has now the support of 170 groups. I am confident that MBA will get the support of more 350 organizations by the time we cover all the talukas,” he said, while asserting that the MBA’s ongoing meetings are not a show of strength, but meetings to spread awareness amongst the people.
In his address, N Shivdas said that the people of Goa will not allow the BJP government at the centre and in Goa to convert the state into a desert by diverting Mhadei water into Karnataka. “We are on the streets today to protect the interests of Goa, but this is the job of our three MPs and the government,” he said.
Saying that Salcete had played the role in the historic Opinion Poll and other agitations, Shivdas exuded confidence that people of Salcete will join the ongoing agitation to teach the rulers a lesson. He warned that the water taps will run dry if the water resources are not protected for the present and future generations.
Freedom fighter Nagesh Karmali said Union Minister Prakash Javadekar should have been chased away during his visit to Goa for compromising on the interest of the people on Mhadei. Karmali said the MBA has been launched because the people associated with the movement have concern for Goa, asserting that the ongoing movement will continue till their last breath.
