Papers, books, files, petitions, court orders. Add to them,countless bus tickets. These are the priceless assets of Nagoas smiling footsoldier who fights illegalities on the ground and in court rooms, undertakingcountless journeys by bus, ignoring threats and turning away from “offers”.
Scratching his head while sitting in his balcao, Joao PhilipPereira awaits a phone call that will give him the contact number of the homeunder-secretary to sort out a legal wrangle that the Digambar Kamat governmenthas put him in.
“In 2011, we went to meet the then Chief Minister DigambarKamat to complaint against the rampant illegal hill cutting taking place acrossSalcete. He threw us out of his office. (and reportedly told three ladyactivists that he didn’t need Goan votes). In the bargain my wife, DelanoD’Costa, Diana Pinto and I were assaulted and jailed along with twenty others,including other very young boys. The others gave fake names in the FIR but thefive of us had given our real names, while a friend stood surety for a sum ofRs 2,50,000. I need this falsely implicated case to be with withdrawn or thesurety has to be paid. For all this I need to speak to the home secretary,”explained Joao.
The social activist from Nagoa is involved in many legalbattles against the state. It all started when the SEZ land was notified andthe scam came to light. Joao has moved court against the government in the SEZscam, illegal bore wells, owned salt pans in Goa Velha that were illegallyoccupied by a private party, alleged illegal construction in Vasco by a reputedbuilder, illegal hill cutting and illegal construction in Nagoa and Consua,20-point programme scam in Verna, illegal landfilling in Verna and many suchcases. But his battle continues with the airport land denotification scam andmany others. He is in no mood to stop at the age of 55 and is ready to fighttill his last to see that he preserves Goa for the future generations.
“In 2000 when I returned from the Gulf there were electionsfor the Nagoa Communidade and I got appointed as the Attorney of the Communidadeas the gaonkar. All I saw was a corrupt practice where communidade land wasacquired by the government for a pittance amount ranging from Rs 3 to Rs 12 andthe land was sold for Rs 3000 per sq mts. That’s when I decided to stand andfight for m y communidade,” said Joao.
Joao explains how he didn’t want to be branded the NRI whoonly spoke from abroad but didn’t really do anything. “Abroad there is no suchword as corruption, but in Goa nothing would move until money changed hands.Everybody needed a bribe. But I have faith in the judiciary even though it maytake some time. Goa is ‘sussegad’ and not made for demonstrations, morchas andviolent rallies. My matters in court have always come to a logical conclusionand I have achieved a certain level of justice.”
