OLD GOA
The Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) has officially announced that it will go solo on Mhadei agitation and will have no truck with any political party as it wants to keep the movement pure.
The announcement was made during RGP’s awareness meet on Mhadei at Azad Maidan, on Sunday, with the party launching the ‘Together For Mahadayi Movement’. The over three hours meeting was attended by hundreds of people from all over Goa.
The movement was launched with RGP’s Ponda leader Vishvesh Naik reading out the manifesto of the movement in Konkani. The manifesto, which ran into several pages, took Naik nearly 20 minutes to read out to the audience.
Though the details of the movement were not divulged in totality, RGP supremo Manoj Parab informed that in the coming days, awareness would be made in the nooks and corners of Goa with the party providing all support to organize such meetings.
Speaking at the meeting, Parab opined that political parties like the Congress and BJP are responsible for virtually gifting Mhadei to Karnataka.
“Both these national parties did nothing to ensure that the State’s interests on Mhadei were protected as they failed to form a detailed project report (DPR) despite the Mhadei Water Dispute Tribunal urging for the same,” Parab informed while at the same time targeting MGP which was in coalition with either the Congress or the BJP during this period.
Parab then targeted the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for its Karnataka unit demanding that Mhadei waters be immediately diverted to that State. He also targeted Goa Forward’s Vijai Sardesai for singing one tune when he was part of the government and now singing exactly a different tune when in opposition.
Though Parab did not target the Trinamool Congress, MLA Viresh Borkar targeted the TMC by stating that when that party could not solve its water dispute with its neighbouring state Jharkhand, how would it solve the Mhadei issue.
“We are not available and we are not reachable to any political party when it comes to the agitation on Mhadei. Therefore, we are going to go alone as we want to keep the movement pure by keeping such dealers away,” Parab stated.
He also targeted late CM Manohar Parrikar for gifting Mhadei to Karnataka through his consent letter while castigating those who are calling him a visionary.
Parab also targeted RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat for failing to utter a single word on Mhadei during his Goa visit despite having full knowledge that Mhadei is akin to the sacred Ganga for Goa.
Also on Parab’s target was Porvorim MLA Rohan Khaunte who apparently was targeting CM Pramod Sawant on the Mhadei issue when in opposition.
Earlier, Parab made a detailed presentation to the gathering on the disastrous effect it would have on Goa if the waters of Mhadei are allowed to be diverted.
He also gave details of how six talukas of Goa are dependent on Mhadei for their water requirements, with the talukas of Bicholim and Sattari totally dependent.
“Mhadei is our mother and if today, we are not going to rise to save it then we won’t be able to save ourselves from perishing,” Parab said and called upon the people to join the RGP in its movement to save Mhadei.
“Look at Karnataka, they are ever ready to hit the streets when it comes to Mhadei, then why are we silent?” Parab posed while making an impassionate plea to the Goans to rise now or never, as it is a do-or-die situation as the survival of Goa and Goans is at stake.
Meanwhile, Parab also urged the people to judiciously use water in their day-to-day activities and also ensure that they do not contaminate water bodies like ponds, lakes, streams, rivers, etc.
