It seems to be a case of Freudian slip. A recent advertisement by a Mumbai-based realty firm – Lodha Group – boldly proclaimed: “Delhi, rulers of India, now conquer Goa”. It expressly declared Delhi’s takeover of Goa.
Unsettlingly, the advertisement made it apparent that earlier stealth moves by capitalist invaders on the coastal State were now being carried out openly, accompanied with chest-thumping.
The accidental, or intentional, phrase used by the realty behemoth in the advertisement, in some way, conveyed the subconscious mind of every swashbuckling investor in Goa – to 'conquer' the State for commercial gains.
Most of them don’t care about its consequences on Goans or the environment as long as they are able to make their fast bucks.
These modern-day invaders, who conquer with their capital heft, have already taken over Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad and Chennai, which feature on the bottom rung of the Global Livability Index.
Most of them don’t care about its consequences on Goans or the environment as long as they are able to make their fast bucks.
The latest index, which evaluates 173 cities across the globe on the basis of ease and quality of living, published by The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) includes these five cities.
Notably, Delhi and Mumbai were tied at the 141st rank with a score of 60.2 out of 100, followed by Chennai at 144th (59.9), Ahmedabad at 147th (58.9) and Bengaluru at 148th (58.7) in the index.
But, what is happening in Goa goes beyond livability. For long, Goa’s natives, or Goenkars as they call themselves, are feeling affronted by the financial muscle of the outsiders. They are, especially, severe in judging their Delhi counterparts.
Then, the over-four-hundred-year subjugation by the Portuguese has heightened their persecution complex, making them wary of any attempts to 'conquer'.
And so, when the "obnoxious" advertisement came to the notice of the locals, understandably, a wave of derision swept through the State, compelling the Goa government to swing into action.
And so, when the "obnoxious" advertisement came to the notice of the locals, understandably, a wave of derision swept through the State, compelling the Goa government to swing into action.
The State Home Department was quick to shoot off a letter to the manager of The House of Abhinandan Lodha to instantly withdraw the “objectionable” and “obnoxious” advertisement to soothe the “hurt sentiments of the Goan people”.
The real estate player was also swift to comply with the order, apologise and even issue a clarification on the slip-up. A slick damage control? Maybe yes, for now. But, it’s lifted the veil from the deceptive mindset of moneyed land-grabbers who have descended on Goa’s shore.
It’s been more than a decade since Goa’s fragile ecosystem has been under threat from irregular land deals, where every authority shuns responsibility or accountability for the NoC or the land conversion clearances granted for them.
It’s all been made possible through amendments to various sections under the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Act, 1972. These studied alternations and loopholes in the law have made it possible to sanction several luxury real estate projects, measuring lakhs of square metres, in Goa.
These studied alternations and loopholes in the law have made it possible to sanction several luxury real estate projects, measuring lakhs of square metres, in Goa.
Activists believe section 39A and 17 (2) of the TCP Act have been rampantly used for granting approvals to such projects. Goa’s eco-sensitive hills in the Western Ghats have also come under attack by financially armed invaders of Goa.
If one were to go by the numbers put forth by the civil society activists, the government has received over 172 applications under a new code of the TCP Act for converting natural hill slopes or no-development slopes into settlement areas over the last one year.
Figures uncovered by them show the government has already approved 45 applications that cover 8 lakh sqm of hilly areas. Apart from this, another 40 applications under Section 39A of the TCP Act, covering 3 lakh sqm, are awaiting clearance.
In a half-hearted effort, the government is considering slapping penalties of between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 1 crore for hill-cutting. This would hardly prove a deterrent to offenders, who are betting big on Goa’s land resources and the quality of living it offers to metro-dwellers.
The new age 'conquerors' of Goa want to capitalise on its intangible assets of tranquility, serenity, unpolluted environment and untouched natural beauty.
The new age 'conquerors' of Goa want to capitalise on its intangible assets of tranquility, serenity, unpolluted environment and untouched natural beauty.
The valuation of these assets has acutely depreciated in metro cities. And therefore, like the old-time buccaneers, they are out to plunder Goa to reign supreme in the kingdom of capitalism.