MARGAO
Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai has refused to accept a suggestion that government’s refusal to rescind the amendment on the coconut tree provides him the necessary oxygen to make his presence felt across the State to occupy the opposition space and also make inroads into Congress territory than do damage for the BJP.
“I do not agree with the suggestion that the government is not rescinding the amendment because it wants me to carve a niche in political space occupied by the Congress. My tirade against the government has been clear from day one. I have exposed the BJP government’s misdeeds during the past four years. Unlike the Congress, I have not hobnobbed with the ruling party. And, I will continue to oppose the bad policies of the government," he said.
A day after the Maad Yatra, the Independent MLA said the yatra has given a befitting reply to the Forest Minister who had tried to misguide people as well as mock the yatra on Sunday morning through posts in the social media.
Addressing the media, Vijai said it is ironical that the Forest Minister who moved the amendment to declassify the coconut tree, thus paving way for destroying Goa’s heritage (which is the coconut tree), comes to Curtorim and bowing to a popular cross, says government wants to declare Curtorim as a Heritage village. “In a similar contradiction, the BJP appoints a person held responsible for destruction of mangroves to have a garbage treatment facility at Panaji and is now talking of having a mangrove park. This is akin to what is happening on the coconut tree issue, where there seems to be lot of activities off late after civil society protests and independent MLAs and Goa Forward Party declaring its intention to make coconut tree as a State tree in the true sense," he said.
Vijai pointed out that government’s 2016 amendment essentially deletes section 1A by which the coconut came within the scope of trees under the Preservation of Trees Act 1984. “Thus there is neither permission required to cut a coconut tree nor any obligation to replant a coconut tree if they are cut. The talk of now enacting a Coconut Protection Law that is emanating from the government as well as from the principal opposition party effectively means that the government on one hand legislates that and on the other, no permissions are required to cut coconut trees and then set up a task force, on lines of a law in Philippines, to formulate plan of action to control rampant cutting of trees. Such a contradictory after thought exposes the Goa government’s coconut amendment as a link in a series of legislations meant to destroy Goa and its identity," he said.
Saying that it is clear that 'Coconut is a Symptom, the Government is the disease', Vijai said, “With the Maad Yatra, we show Goans the symptom and appeal to them to treat the disease. The Maad Yatra will go to every part of Goa and intends to convert the symptom into a symbol of democratic cure."
