MARGAO
As the stage is finally set for the takeoff of the Mopa international airport later this week, a host of questions may come to haunt the stakeholders and the political class -- why the storm that hit the Saxtti coast and down South over a decade and half ago against the new airport lost its steam before it finally fizzled out.
In fact, many a question still remains unanswered -- whether the political class from Salcete let down the people waging a battle against the new airport. Or, whether the change in political guard in 2012 with the return of BJP in Goa under the leadership of late Manohar Parrikar and the BJP regaining power at the centre under Prime Minister Narendra Modi changed the complexion of the game in favour of Mopa.
For, there’s been no dearth of agitations against the new airport, beginning with the agitation launched by the South Goa tourism stakeholders, before the political class and then the Civil society took over the battle with a one-point agenda to scrap Mopa and retain Dabolim as the state’s only airport.
In fact, if one goes down the memory lane, the first voices of opposition to Mopa were heard around Salcete coastal belt, around two decades ago. When the Centre had first proposed the airport at Mopa, stakeholders, mostly small and medium hoteliers had a meeting in July 2002 at Hotel Dona Samaria to discuss the issue, years before the anti-Mopa movement acquired political colour around mid-2005. The political movement in support of Mopa gathered momentum in the run up to the 2007 Assembly election with former MP Churchill Alemao forming the Save Goa Front. The SGF immediately tasted success by winning the two seats of Navelim and Curtorim, defeating Congress heavyweights Luizinho Faleiro and Francisco Sardinha respectively, before the regional party was merged lock, stock and barrel with the Congress months later.
Post-2012 polls, the anti-Mopa movement again gathered momentum, this time when Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai, who had got elected to the Assembly as an Independent, launched a movement to save Dabolim under the banner of Goemkar. A host of meetings took place in Saxtti countryside, right from Cavelosim to Raia and Canacona, before the movement fizzled out since it could not sustain its momentum.
The launch of the first serious non-political movement with a group of social activists led by Fr Eremito Rebello taking forward the agitation under the banner of Goans for Dabolim Airport Only (GFDO) held out a promise to stop Mopa from becoming a reality. The movement soon spread across Saxtti countryside and outside, spreading awareness amongst the people how Mopa will eventually shut down Dabolim and adversely affect the tourism in down South and Goa’s economy.
Since then, GFDO waged a long-drawn battle to save Dabolim from closure, stressing on the oft-repeated question whether two airports can co-exist and survive economically in a tiny state of Goa, but in vain.
