Fwd: Will we back down now?
Tallulah D'Silva
Together with your continued help and support - we continue to build on our successes and move to even greater heights. We are truly grateful for all your invaluable support - be it through your writings, poems, discussions, peaceful protests, social media posts and engaging with the issue.
Goa’s green heart is in danger
Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary and Mollem National Park form Goa's largest protected forest area. They are currently in danger for the needless and undoubtedly illegal infrastructure projects - the double tracking of a railway line, the widening of NH4A highway and laying of LILO transmission line. They are part of the 150-million-year-old Western Ghats, they are the green heart that makes our state a beautiful, lush, habitable sanctuary for thousands of species - plant, animal (and human) alike. They are a source of water, a carbon sink, and one of the main supporters of the web of life in this part of India.
Today, as the world slowly but surely transitions to a more holistic, life-supporting understanding of sustainable development, we in Goa cannot afford to lose our forests, our lifelines, to outdated ideas of "development" and "progress". This video is a reminder of what our forests mean to those of us who are lucky to call Goa home, why they are truly unique and irreplaceable ecosystems, and why it is therefore so important that we protect them while we still can.
You can watch the video in:
- English: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EeabUxScKI
- Konkani: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J380XyutDsA
Spreading our wings and gaining momentum
Our sustained efforts to educate ourselves and an increasing number of Goans and Indian nationals to understand the gravity of this situation, continue. Artists continue to create beautiful art to educate about the perils of giving in to unplanned development.
Infact, our movement is gathering momentum and recognition across India with vloggers and influencers adding their voices - with an increasing number of videos and social media presence which include:
- GOA needs your help | Goa Mollem protests explained | Abhi and Niyu
- Why Are Goans Protesting To #SaveMollem
- Mollem marta ulle | Rap
United Goa Says No To Coal!
On the evening of the 1st November 2020, over 5,000 people gathered at the South Western Railway Line, near the level crossing at Chandor, Goa until 4:00 am the next day, reclaiming the night to protect their home - there were speeches, announcements, dancing, even a folk dance performance, and the infectious, rallying beats of a dhol-tasha band filled the air.
This move comes as a last resort, after the elected Government and Railway Ministry refused to respond to growing requests and concerns over steady planning and infrastructure projects being passed through Goa's protected regions - all to lay a path for a thriving coal hub.
The Government will not silence us
Following the peaceful protest in Chandor, the Goa Government has filed an FIR against some of our supporters for 'unlawful assembly and rioting'.
There is nothing unlawful about peacefully protesting. Let's join together in solidarity. Take a pic of yourself with messages like: "I want to preserve the forests of Goa's Western Ghats" or “if exercising my fundamental rights is a crime, then #arrestmetoo"
(Please add hashtags #GoenchoEkvott #GoyantKollsoNaka #SaveMollem #climatechangeisreal ) Tag us @savemollemgoa on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter so that we can amplify your message. Thank you.
How else can you help?
Here's how you can take action to protect Mollem:
- Please sign the LetIndiaBreathe petition asking the government to acknowledge our written oppositions:
- Volunteer your skills. Amche Mollem needs you! Email us at savemo...@gmail.com with relevant contact details, area of interest or expertise and details of how much time you can contribute.
- Pressure your local panch members, MLA and government leaders to protect Mollem.
- For those of you already an active part of this movement, help us continue to spread the word. Share this link with friends and family and ask them to sign up, even if it is to be our strength in numbers.
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Yours gratefully,
Amche Mollem
