Ramdev's party to take up anti-mining campaign
PTI, PANAJI | 21 March 2011 19:19 IST
Bharat Swabhiman Trust (BST), supported by Yoga guru Swami Ramdev, has decided to take up the anti-mining campaign in Goa by bringing activists under one banner.
"Pan-India there is permission for only 200 mining leases but one lakh illegal mines are operational in the country," BST's North Goa Chief Bhartesh Ghullanawar today alleged.
He also said that Swami Ramdev will hold a public meeting here on March 25.
"Goa will have Japan-like crisis considering the current pace of mining, which is extensively polluting our water-bodies and converting paddy fields into mining pits," Ranu Prabhudesai, an anti-mining activist, said.
As per rough estimates, 18 per cent of the iron ore exported from Goa comes from illegal mines. The state has 100-odd (legal) mining leases.
Dattaram Desai, another activist, said they were only opposing illegal mining. "We are against irrational and illegal mining. But legal mines, too, should be regulated," said Desai, who earlier headed massive agitation against Thapar Du Pont Limited's project here.
Kalidas Sawaikar, an award-winning farmer, said the mining industry can be replaced by cashew cultivation, which can fetch equal amount of foreign exchange.
Other activists including Krishna Pednekar said some mines which were abandoned 57 years ago are being revived without proper clearances. "These mines should have been shut down permanently," he said.
Besides the earnings of mining going to a few pockets, it goes to a huge no. of employees and those in supporting services to mining which helps to sustain a large share of the population of Goa. The need is only for systematic regulation of mining, which is not happening due to vested interests.
In the recent session of the Vidhan Sabha, the Speaker, Mr. Rane himself, saw he said looking down the plane, he called it "the rape of Goa" taking place. What more anyone else can say, in order to get the machinery to act to stop this.
It is no surprise that Baba Ramdevji's Bharat Swabhuiman is taking lead to raise voice against the massive Mining activity in the tiny State of Goa. In fact anybody who visits any mining infested village--can see for himself --the massive loot of the natural resources and the devastation caused to the Land and its people. The whole tragedy of Mining --is the profit goes in the pockets of a few but the harmful fall outs ----- to be borne by the Land and its people......But one thing is sure that - any fight against any Lobby which is accustomed of earning easy money---is very tough as such fight means fighting against the money force, against the muscle force and may be against the whole of the Governmental Machinery... For saving this God's Land from total destruction--it may be necessary for the voice against the exploitation to succeed....
Baba Ramdev pls keep out of mining. You could not survive 8 days of fast, and neither will our families in case mining shuts down.