my dear dear vc & her undefatigable spirit

THE REASON I LOVE THIS WOMAN SO MUCH!!!
Yes, I did the disappearing act again.

Bombay got on my nerves for the umpteenth time. I chucked up my job and headed back to sleepy Goa. But Goa has been far from sleepy these last few months - and I have been right in the middle of it! I have been part of a flying squad that swoops down on tree cutting... organizes local protests...co-ordinates mass rallies and generally urges the public - UTT GOENKAR!

To begin at the beginning. In August the Government announced the Regional Plan for Goa. This is the long term planning document that the government is duty bound to do for each region. But this one was a disaster. Over 50% of agricultural land was being converted to settlement zones. Mining areas were being increased by 400% and five of these were in the middle of national forests. There were Special Economic Zones that would mean the cutting and filling of mangroves - overall it was less a plan for development and more a plan for disaster. Rumour had it that the government had accepted over 1500 crores in bribes from builders lobbies to shape the plan the way it was. And so the fight began.

It started with absolute amateurs who just wanted to do something to stop this Plan. The Goa Bachao Abhiyaan was formed. It is led by a doctor, a housewife, an architect and a motely crew of people who had nothing but their indignation to fuel them. We started with public rallies - and were overwhelmed by the thousands that turned out in support. We began going from village to village explaining the fallout of the plan and how Goa would become a concrete jungle. We formed a flying squad that began to visit construction and destruction that had begun to force the authorities to stop it. We got stay orders, and filed FIR's and camped at the government offices. It was crazy - but what a blast! I'd never been an activist in my life. Just a fighter.

I suddenly found myself meeting with lawyers and town planners, and communidade representatives, and organizing villagers, and leading cops on raids - and stopping to wonder from time to time what the heck I was doing!

And here is the INCREDIBLE NEWS. A peoples movement has actually achieved the impossible. The government yesterday announced the scrapping of the Regional Plan with retrospective effect. It's still sinking in. We actually got a government down on it's knees.

Hooray!

Just thought I'd share this happiness with you.

Venita the Activist ( VENITA COELHO)

No Government better mess with me!