The Forest Department’s drive to protect the environment and wildlife extends only to government land, while private forests on Mokaso lands have been spared. These lands are owned by the influential
While dozens of villages in Sattari area have been put underprotected forest area, the fact remains that these are government forests. Theprivate owned forests have been left out of the reaches of Mhadei or BhagwanMahavir Wildlife Sanctuary in North Goa. “Since 1999, when our areas werebundled into protected areas, the land owned by the Ranes, Sardessais andDesais have been left out” says Hivrem’s Mahadev Futigaonkar.
This unique privilege comes to the forest dwellers ofprivate forests owned, amongst others, by the influential Rane family under theMokasdari system. The land in question called Mokaso is privately owned byformer landlords as per Portuguese law so much so that even the land revenue isnot paid by them to the government, unlike other private and other lands in thestate. Forest dwellers on these lands who owe their allegiance to thelandowners, will also remain unaffected by the buffer zones, allegesFutigaonkar. Even in the protection of nature, the Government of Goa willensure that there are haves and have nots when it comes to buffer zones.
Mokasdari system started during Portuguese regime invillages of Sattari including Sanvordem, Keri, Poriem, Saleli, Advoi. Rane andDesai families in Sattari were the title holders to fiefdoms granted to them bythe old rulers as a reward for military services rendered by their ancestors.The deal included receipt of benefits of land and rights on the condition thatthey would assist their sovereign with men and arms in times of need. Theseprivate lands called Mokaso whose revenue went directly and exclusively to thelandlords continues after Liberation.
