MAPUSA
Former chief justice of the Allahabad High Court Ferdino Rebello fired a political salvo against prolonged one-party rule, declaring that no political party should remain in power for more than 10 years and asserting that democracy must periodically bring about a change in government.
He asserted that “in a democracy, there can be no one-party rule forever” and warned that prolonged single-party rule could be detrimental to Goa’s future. “In a democracy, there can be no one-party rule forever. There has to be a change. No party can be in power for more than 10 years. But that is for the people, not for us,” Rebello said while addressing a meeting of the ‘Enough is Enough’ movement in Mapusa.
But his sharpest attack came over Goa’s rapidly shrinking land resources, with Rebello alleging that most sitting MLAs had applied for conversion of their own land or some other land.
The former Chief Justice questioned how Goa could claim to be protecting its identity while agricultural land continued to be converted and sold. We say that we are from Goa and will protect and preserve it for future generations. But if all our land is going to be sold and if we become a city like Mumbai, then what will be left?” he asked.
Rebello said the proposed Goa Agriculture Land Protection Bill was crucial to preventing further erosion of the State’s agricultural land. He said the movement had submitted a draft Bill to the government but it had not been accepted. “We have hope with the Opposition party which had tabled the Bill,” he said, calling for a movement to press political parties to enact the legislation.
He said the Bill, if passed, would stop conversion of agricultural land and restrict its sale to non-Goans and outsiders.
Rebello also unveiled a 10-point charter for protecting Goa’s land and environment, including a complete ban on hill cutting on ecological grounds, except for projects in the public interest.
The meeting was attended by social activists and NGO representatives including Dr Claude Alvares, Norma Alvares, Bosco George and others.
