Dr Claude is a real nationalist, Govt should support him: MGP
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 09 December 2015 17:58 IST
Ruling Bharatiya Janata Party legislators may call Dr Claude Alvares an anti-national, but their alliance partner – the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party – feels he is a real nationalist.
“Dr Claude Alvares is an environmentalist and fighting to protect Goa’s ecology for our future generations. I find nothing anti-national in him, in fact he is the real nationalist”, says Lavoo Mamledar, the Ponda MLA.
The three-member MGP is not only supporting the BJP-led government but had fought 2012 Assembly election together.
But Mamledar, a former police officer, does not agree with the way his senior partner is treating Goa Foundation and its director Dr Claude Alvares.
After the Supreme Court upheld Goa Foundation’s contention about illegal mining, Dr Alvares has now once again challenged 88 mining leases Goa government has renewed in the process of mining resumption.
The government, in its counter-affidavit, has not only opposed Foundation’s petition but has accused Dr Alvares of functioning with an ulterior motive of creating economic unrest in the state.
Following this, four BJP legislators representing mining areas – Pramod Sawant, Ganesh Gaonkar, Nilesh Cabral and Subhash Phaldesai – have demanded inquiry into Goa Foundation’s assets.
One of them has even called him anti-national while Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar has agreed to their demand.
“This is not fair. In fact government should support such NGOs rather than opposing them. Goa Foundation has saved Goa from disaster”, feels Mamledar.
According to the former government official, NGOs (non-government organisations) are set up when government machinery does not function properly.
“They do the work selflessly which the government sometimes fails to do”, he says.
But has his own government done something wrong by renewing mining leases and granting it to the same people who were accused of rampant illegal mining?
“I don’t know, I have not studied the issue. But let the court decide about it. Why should we bother when we trust the judiciary”, asks Mamledar.
While speaking out his mind to goanews.com, the Ponda MLA however does not fail it make a point that this is his personal opinion and not of the party.
Mamledar is also the general secretary of the MGP.
Well Lavoo Please resign with your 2 colleagues. And more importantly please go to the mining areas and tell them that Claude is right and that mining should be banned.
We are not fools Lavoo. Please demonstrate your love for Claude and the environment