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Accidental Activist

The Mysterious Regional Plan

By Venita Coelho
I met my friend Sabina Martins of the GBA the other day. She
looked grim. When I asked her why she said that it was very
worrying – the Regional Plan 2021 seemed to have gone missing.
‘It was on its way to being passed by the Government and made
law – but someone seems to have kidnapped it.’ The GBA had
done it’s best to trace the plan. The aam aadmi got brief glimpses
of it – then it vanished again. The GBA had put out an all points
alert. But they thought the best place to search was the Chief Minister’s
residence. After all he seemed to be the only one with the
answers to where it was. But the RP2021 was such a tricky fellow,
he had even given the CM the slip a couple of times. After a huge
hue and cry across Goa, several postponements of deadline, and
general frenzy, the RP2021 had been declared finished. We sat
back satisfied – only to have it vanish on us for the first time.
Nobody in power seemed to know where it was, or what was happening
to it.

We Are The Champions

By Venita Coelho

What a protest it was! It made my heart so proud. I arrived at the TCP office to be welcomed by a sea of banners that ranged from ‘Town and Country Selling Dept’ to ‘Good always triumphs over evil’. Over 500 people had turned up. I was touched and overwhelmed by the number of people who came up to me and said they had come for the rally because my column had motivated them to. Thank you to each and every one of you who stood up that day for Goa! Here’s a report from the front lines.

Do You Have It In You?

By Venita Coelho

It was a room full of accidental activists. They had come from across Goa. From the hills to the coastlines, they were all there. And they were there because they had seen for themselves the havoc that the government’s policy of dragging its feet on the Regional Plan was causing in their villages. The reports were shocking. Villagers reported virgin cashew plantations and forests being purchased for as little as Rs1000 per sq m, and being razed for settlement and mining activities. Khazan lands were becoming residential colonies with marina attached. Illegal borewells were devastating the supply of water in villages all over Goa. Every single person was there because they were personally concerned that disaster awaited around the corner if something was not done.

Back to Square One

By Venita Coelho

Well, here we are back to square one – fighting one more time to get a Regional Plan that we are happy with. What a long journey it has been – all to end up in the same place all over again. Three years ago Goa spilled out onto the roads to protest a Regional Plan that was disastrous.

So vociferous were the protests and so many were the protestors that the Government actually cancelled the RP2012 and promised that it would include the people’s sentiments in the next plan. While the next plan ended up making no one entirely happy, there was a window for villages respond to the plans and to fill in a questionnaire asking for the development they wished for their own villages. It was months of hard work for both – the GBA and various villages.

I got laryngitis, twice, after explaining day after day just exactly how to tackle the RP2012. GBA members ended up exhausted and mentally drained. With no official training from the government, village regional committees and concerned citizens struggled with the task set them. Deadlines were extended time and again, but finally it was done. We heaved a sigh of relief – too early, it now turns out.

How To Start A Protest

By Venita Coelho

First you have to be very angry. Indignation won't do. Any battle worth fighting takes a long time and your anger will have to simmer through months and maybe years. It will have to sustain you when family try to talk you out of it, neighbours quit talking to you and the panchayat sends you notices for trumped-up violations. Really hopping mad? Willing to put yourself on the line? Here's some simple advice on how you can get going.

How I Started A Riot

by Venita Coelho

I did. Really. This is a true story.

It sneaked up on me. All I was doing was keeping my appointment with the Mamlatdar. Having applied for my Voters Identity Card I had been issued a receipt and an appointment for 10 a.m. on Monday 4th at the Mamlatdars office, Mapusa. I arrived to discover that not only me, but, by a mistake, the entire district of Bardez had been given exactly the same time. There were people jammed in the corridor, on the steps, breathing in each others armpits, jostling, shoving and wondering what the hell was going on. There was no information to be had at all. We didn’t know if we were in the right place, how long we would have to wait, where exactly we were supposed to go…nothing.

How to get a Voter's ID and keep your Sanity

by Venita Coelho

July 24, 2008: A year ago I was a Hindi film writer and my biggest battles were fought with producers in trying to keep item numbers out of my scripts. One year of GBA later – my battles are with the Panchayat, the Block Development Officer, the Town and Country Planning Department … all entities that in my earlier life I was hazily aware existed, but what were they for beat me. Ah me! The innocence of my youth.

This blog is the story of an accidental activist. Who wandered all unaware, an innocent wet behind the ears, into the Goa Bachao Abhiyaan. A year later the ears are grimy from lack of washing.

Accidental Activist

The Mysterious Regional Plan

We Are The Champions

Do You Have It In You?

Back to Square One

How To Start A Protest

How I Started A Riot

How to get a Voter's ID and keep your Sanity

Venita Coelho

From the Discussion Forum