23:56 IST
the blue room
Baina, Goa
Sao Jose de Areal is a friendly, feisty tribal village in Salcette, south Goa, 8km east of Margao. It has a population of about 16000 people, mostly belonging to the Scheduled Tribe. Farming is their main occupation. The village is home to several polluting industries, scrapyards, stone crushers, and used to have quarries for black metal (till they were banished).
Two railway lines run through the village – the Konkan Railway, and the South Western Railway line. The South Western line carries both passenger and cargo carriers. The cargo is mostly coal, connecting Vasco to Kullem in Karnataka.
The people of this village are socially aware and active, and concerned about the welfare of its space.
On Sunday, 15th October, today morning, they held something called an Extra Ordinary Special Gram Sabha, a special meeting of the villagers called to discuss a specific urgent subject. Around 400 village folk attended the meeting. It was held in a massive, old panchayat hall and moderated by the village head.
The subject of discussion was – double tracking of the railways.
Sometime in May this year, some government officers knocked on the doors of 20 households by the South Western railway tracks, asking them to sign blank consent forms. Those forms were a means to acquire a part of the land of those people, to be used for the construction of railways. Now there was no explanation given. Just a form that stated something along the lines of “I hereby give up my land to you for a sum of ….rupees.”
Seriously?!
The village folk refused to sign it, obviously.
In September, some railway officials came to the village to measure the land. Village folk gathered around and did not let them do anything.
According to them, they need 17m of the land from the centre of the tracks. They already own seven metres, and need ten more. The land reaches to an area close to their houses. They need the land to double track the railways, and for construction of a railway yard and some other things.
The village folk are convinced that the double tracking is being done to bring in more coal into Karnataka. They say they have already been suffering from a number of respiratory diseases because of existing coal, and do not want to have more. Plus their homes will collapse.
So during the village meetings, they passed a resolution with a 100% unanimity to not allow any form of railway construction or acquisition of land by the government. It was a sight to see the village head ask a question, and the whole crowd give a resounding unanimous answer. The whole meeting was in Konkani so I guess it was coal yes or no type question.
I hung out with the kids mostly. Bright, sprightly, playful young things. And the women folk were assertive and friendly. I want to hang out here more, get to know them better. Areal, I’ll be back soon.
It was an extraordinary Sunday indeed.