'SEZs will reduce Goans to minority'

Q&A

Former MLA and minister Mathani Saldhana, who is leading an anti-SEZ agitation in Goa, talks about his warning to tourists to leave the state.

How many SEZs are going to be set up in Goa?

The state government has received applications for setting up 18 SEZs, out of which seven have been given in-principle approval by the board of approval (BoA). The state government has sent another eight for BoA approval. Even if we accept that Goa needs SEZs, can a small state like Goa accommodate so many SEZs? This is nothing but land-grab in the name of SEZs. The developers of SEZs will be more interested in setting up hotels, other recreational facilities and residential properties in the non-processing zone, rather than bringing some genuine industry to Goa.

You have asked tourists to leave Goa as you fear that your agitation may leave them stranded in the state. Don't you think the violent agitation will tarnish Goa's image as a serene and peaceful place internationally?

See, we have not threatened any tourist, what we are merely saying is that if our agitation intensifies, they might have to bear the brunt, which we don't want. We are asking the government to stay the process of development of SEZs, listen to the people, take them into confidence and then take further action. But the government is simply not listening to our genuine demands.

We should be ready to sacrifice one tourist season for the future of our tourism and hospitality industry. After SEZs come, Goa will become more overcrowded than Mumbai. Who would like to visit a crowded and polluted place which is devoid of any scenic beauty?

The average population density of the country is 300 people per square kilometre, but we already have a population density of around 400. One can imagine what will happen after more than 1 million people come to Goa for jobs in the SEZs.

What exactly is your grouse against SEZs?

Goa is not only about white beaches, green hills and ample sunshine. All these are available at umpteen number of places in the world. The reason why millions of tourists come to Goa is because of its unique culture. But with the onslaught of so many people, this very culture would become extinct as Goans will become a minuscule minority in their own land.

But despite high levels of education, Goa has a high unemployment rate. Don't you think this will solve the state's unemployment problem?

It is not just about we turning into a minority. It is estimated that nearly 900,000 jobs will be created by these SEZs. Along with these 900,000 people, their families will also come to the state. Therefore, one can safely assume that another 1.5 million people will be added to Goa's population. All these people will require houses, electricity, water and other amenities. There is already a scarcity of all these resources in Goa. One can only imagine the strain the additional population will cause to the civic services.

Garbage disposal has already become a big problem in Goa. With all these people coming in, where are we going to find the place for dumping the garbage?

The state government's claim that the SEZs will take care of Goa's unemployment problem is a hoax. There are already around 300,000 people in Goa who have come from outside the state and are working in the state's tourism and hospitality industry. According to government's own estimates, the number of unemployed people in Goa is between 80,000 and 100,000. So, if these unemployed people had the required skills and desire to work, they would have found the jobs anyway. There is no need for creating SEZs for that.

So, unlike other places, your agitation is not against land acquisition?

Yes, the agitation is not exactly against land acquisition. The land has already been acquired by the Goa Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) for industrial estates. But in this case, when you change the land-use purpose from industrial park to SEZ, land is going to bring much more price. It is completely immoral and improper for a state government to become rich at the cost of farmers.

Most of the land notified by the government for acquisition is fertile and what we call in Goa, 'communidade' land or community land which belongs to the local community as a whole and not to any individual. How can the state government acquire communidade land without having the consent from the local community?

What will be the future course of your agitation?

We would not like to reveal our strategy at this stage. But we will go to the people and ask them to support our agitation. We are confident that our agitation will succeed as except Congress, all political parties, and even their alliance partner in the government, are with us. The government will have to accept our demands. As a last recourse, we can think of moving to court also.