The nearly 10 days of raging fires have left a trail of destruction along Goa’s ecologically sensitive forests in the western ghats but quite miraculously, the man at the centre of it all has gone unscathed -- Forest Minister Vishwajit Rane.
The damage is yet to be quantified, yet its a no-brainer that the loss in terms of biodiversity and forest cover is extensive. Yet, the political Opposition has been largely jaded in their attack on the government and Rane, despite the fact that the disastrous fires were believed to be largely man-made.
Most deafening has been the silence of the ever vociferous Vijai Sardesai, leaving us to wonder what is the deal between the two? Or, are we reading too much into it? Time, we hope, will tell.
