The writer is an OCI Goan presently in the UK
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The Detailed Project Report (DPR) of Karnataka is a direct shot on the chest of Mother Mhadei directly, and to all Goans in general, which will have dire consequences for our future generation.
With great gratitude to Motherland Goa and Mother Mhadei, I greatly regret and with sadness as a Goan-origin OCI cardholder that the basic source of our living, where we all grew up using and drinking water of Mother Mhadei since our childhood, is in great danger for our future generations for certain, but also the present generation will have to live with great hardship in the days to come.
As an OCI of Goan origin, my analysis of the report through our environmentally concerned and responsible persons of Goa is that the diversion of the Mhadei river will have a direct effect on the natural environment, social, economic and financial burden to Goa, for the benefit of a few selfish and greedy persons.
It is high time for Goans all over the world, and in the UK, especially where we are highest in number compared to other parts of the world, to come together on a common platform to support those who are genuinely fighting this noble battle on behalf of all Goans, whether they are in Goa and or outside Goa, to save us from this irreversible bad effect on Goa through the bad management of the state and central governments.
We need to spread awareness and request all our family members back home to help this movement by coming out of our ‘Susegad’ mindset. We need to support a movement which has been started by our concerned brothers and sisters back home in Goa, which is similar to the one which we did during the Konkani language agitation.
At this point, all Goans should come together to fight this ‘Save Goa, Save Mhadei’ battle so that we retain our identity again for the second time after the Opinion Poll agitation.
As Goans in Goa are fighting these battles since they are physically present in the state, it is our moral responsibility as Goan brothers and sisters across the world to save Mother Mhadei as and when the need arises, which is likely to be very soon.
We Goans in the UK, who are over 40,000 in population, should come together at this cause and contribute to the fight for Mother Mhadei so when we go back to our motherland, we need to drink water from the same Mother Mhadei and we should feel proud of ourselves for the efforts everyone is putting in.
As one can see all NGOs, opposition parties coming together and concerned religious leaders joining hands, I also appeal to all OCI cardholders of Goan origin to give a helping hand so that we all can unitedly save Mother Mhadei even though we are not physically present in Goa.
We all have to realise the importance of the river and the magnitude of damage it will cause to Goa if the DPR is not withdrawn and cancelled once and for all.
Finally, I appeal to all Goans in the UK, especially to come together like how Punjabi brothers and sisters who are OCI cardholders came together to support their farmers’ agitation in Punjab a few months ago and succeeded in getting positive results.
We all need to act now before it is too late.
