By Dominick Rodrigues
Panjim: Fishing in troubled waters is not just a saying
but has become literally a fishy political issue in the
2022 Goa Legislative Assembly elections alongside the
seafarers issues with their livelihoods also being at stake
amidst the three year-long ongoing pandemic.
Goan fisherfolk are complaining about the State
Government Fisheries Department not being proactive
enough in preventing fishing boats from neighbouring
states from encroaching illegally in Goa’s territorial waters.
Fishermen allege that these encroachers use illegal
fishing equipment in trapping even small fish, which is
against the law. Such illegal boats that were caught by the
law were found to be later still fishing illegally without fear
of the law, Agnelo Rodrigues, President, Goenchea
Ramponkarancho Ekvott (GRE), said while also
highlighting the illegal use of bull trawling, LED lights and
other illegal fishing gear.
“Such unchecked activities will witness Goa soon ending
up like Norway, Denmark, Oman, Australia and New

Zealand where their fishing has come to a standstill,” he
said.
Noting that such illegal fishing equipment have been
banned in the territorial waters and Indian Exclusive Zone
since 2016—but still continued in use, members of the
GRE and National Fishworkers Forum (NFF) said that fish
breeding is being destroyed by such activities as catching
small fish meant that the species would not be allowed to
grow and thus lead to lack of fish in the sea.
The fishing community also urged for higher diesel
subsidy, timely reimbursement of VAT at also trip-wise
rates – especially for trawler owners. They also highlighted
better infrastructure for the fishing community including
improved fish cold storage facilities, holistic welfare
support to staff etc.
The fisherfolk also urged for compensation to small boat
owners, whose vessels were destroyed in rough sea
conditions and suffered losses amounting to lakhs of
rupees and their source of livelihood.
The fishers also highlighted the need for “better control of
the main fishing market which was being dominated by
non Goan traders and non-Goan vendors taking away
the business of traditional Goan fisherfolk.”
The fishing community also urged for protection of their
dwellings from being demolished in any Coastal

Regulation Zone (CRZ) issue since they have been
working and living there for generations.
Velim the fishing hub of South Goa is home to the
largest fishing jetty of Cutbona and is seeking better and
sustainable development without affecting the area’s
natural heritage. Its polluted river Sal – which is the lifeline
of also two other villages is being highlighted in the
wake of untreated sewage being discharged into its waters
Meanwhile, on land, Goa’s taxi-drivers are lamenting their
problems that include: mandatory fitting of digital fare taxi
meters, demands for scrapping the App-based Goa
Miles+ and other issues. “We want government policies to
be amended in favour of local taxi business,” the president
of the South Goa Tourist Taxi Association Vincent
Carvalho said.
The tiny state of the erstwhile Portuguese territory of Goa
is facing another disaster erosion of its 140-kms-
coastline that feature beautiful beaches, which have been
attracting crowds of tourists since the hippies arrival in
the 1950s/60s.
A 28-year satellite study by the National Centre for Costal
Research (NCCR) revealed that 28% of the coastline has
vanished since 1990, and another 20% is accreting, while
the remaining 60% is normal.

Meanwhile, electoral political campaigning continued on a
high note in Goa during the last week before the election
date as the All India Congress Committee (AICC) leader
Rahul Gandhi emphasized that if the Congress was
elected to power, it would not allow Goa to become a
coal hub.
Blaming the BJP for “dividing the nation into Amir
Hindustan and Garib Hindustan”, he said if the
Congress won the Goa elections to form the state
government, it would implement a “Nyay” scheme for
providing every poor Goan family Rs 72,000 annually.
Criticizing demonetization as “having caused suffering to
poor people,” Gandhi said “GST implementation benefitted
the rich, while small businesses suffered losses, and most
of BJP schemes benefitted rich people.”
His sister Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra too
came to Goa, where she lashed out at the BJP for
“compromising the welfare of Goa in their greed for power
and helping their industrialist friends.”
Addressing a public rally at Santa Cruz in Goa, she
criticized the BJP for the rising unemployment in the State
despite Goa being rich in resources, natural beauty and
skills.

Congress leader P. Chidambaram, who carried out door-
to-door campaigning in Olaulim Aldona constituency,
urged Goans to end BJP rule in Goa.
GPCC president Girish Chodankar alleged that the Goa
BJP government had sold jobs and were indulging in
delay tactics where resuming mining was concerned.
Former Congress Chief Minister Digambar Kamat
highlighted his party’s openness to post-election alliances
with parties opposed to the BJP. Kamat also told local
news media that he had been framed in the JICA scam
in which he was not involved.
Goa’s political scenario is also witnessing a unique entrant
in the electoral fray through the youngest advocate
general in India named Carlos Alvares Ferreira who was
appointed at age 33 and is now standing as a Congress
candidate from Aldona constituency.
Ferreira is currently highlighting a petition opposing
railway double tracking and destruction of Goa’s huge
forests and rivers besides the illegal structure at the Old
Goa heritage site.
AAP supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal,
who has been making numerous trips to Goa to boost the
party’s electoral chances with his charismatic presence,
urged BJP and Congress supporters to vote for AAP.

Kejriwal alleged that “the Congress ruled Goa for 25 years
and the BJP for 15 years, but what both parties did was
scam after scam without any agenda for the State’s
development or uplift of Goans.”
“Goa’s ministers are tainted by allegations of scams in the
power sector, jobs, labour, ventilators and even sex
scandals. The Congress was allegedly involved in
corruption in mining amounting to Rs 36,000 cores and
was protected by the BJP for a decade,” he added.
Kejriwal said that the BJP had sent its people into the
Congress to contest on a Congress ticket and then rejoin
the BJP after the elections. “The BJP has outsourced
their government formation to the Congress in many
states and there is this fear in Goa too,” he said.
Describing the Goa election as different and one of
hope, Kejriwal noted that all political parties had
“corruption” charges including on their leaders who had
“looted in previous years,” but the AAP represented
hope and a vote based on hope would not remain
silent.
Kejriwal lashed out at Union Home Minister Amit Shah for
criticizing him in promising free electricity in Goa. “Amit
Shah has no issues in using a government
accommodation in Delhi with 4,000 units free electricity
from people’s money, but he has an issue if people get

free electricity from their own money,” he said, adding
“They take the money to Swiss banks, but we will stop this
money going to Swiss Banks and channel it towards the
people.”
Pooh-poohing national political ambitions, Kejriwal said he
only sought the country’s improvement to finish corruption,
provide quality education and good health facilities to the
people.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor stated in Goa that the
BJP is a “major menace that is transforming India into a
cauldron of prejudice and bigotry. With Goans migrating to
Europe, India needed to open up its economy.”
However, All India Congress Committee (AICC) general
secretary Randeep Singh Surjewalla described AAP’s
Arvind Kejriwal as a “Chhota Modi and imposter
highlighting what the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
(RSS) and BJP represented.
Describing the BJP’s “Double Engine” government as a
+Trouble Engine” government for the people, he said the
BJP has become the symbol of Inequality, Injustice,
Income Disparity and Inflation in Goa.
“Over 16 lakh Goans have been duped, deceived and
defrauded by the BJP’s Misrule and Misgovernance,” he
said, adding that the mining activity closure in Goa had
resulted in the BJP snatching the livelihood of three lakh

mining dependent people after failing to restart legalized
mining in a responsible and sustainable way.
The BJP, in turn, dared its former BJP Minister turned-
Congress candidate Michael Lobo who is presently
contesting the assembly elections from Calangute to
reveal the name of his allegedly quoted Super CM who
controls the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and the Goa
Government.
Noting that Michael Lobo should be ready to “face the heat
for his wrong deeds,” BJP spokesperson Urfan Mulla
challenged Lobo to disclose the “name of this person who
allegedly runs the BJP Government.”
Meanwhile, the Goa BJP has promised Goan voters three
free cylinders, DDSSY pension of Rs 3,000 and
resumption of mining in Goa.
Goa BJP incharge Devendra Fadnavis said the party’s
double engine+ government was needed for Goa to
continue its speed of development.
Meanwhile, Goa declared three days mourning on the
death of legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar, whose
contribution to Goa’s freedom struggle included her
singing free-of cost on May 2, 1954 in Pune to raise funds
for the liberation effort. Lata’s ancestral home was in
Mangueshi of Goa’s Ponda taluka.

Goa’s famed Carnival is set to take off this year from
February 26 in the four major cities of Panjim, Mapuca,
Margao and Vasco. The famed festival draws crowds of
revellers and tourists worldwide to Goa and several other
countries including Brazil and New Orleans in the USA for
their unique celebrations.
Tourism Goa will be organizing a float parades in Goa’s
four cities (Panaji Feb 26, Margao Feb 27, Vasco Feb 28
and Mapuca March 1) while following all COVID protocols
and also ensuring that there are no commercial floats on
political themes.