User:YourTara/sandbox

Save Mollem Campaign
In December 2019, a newly constituted State Wildlife Advisory Board (SWLAB) met for approximately an hour. They discussed many projects, including the doubling of the railway line, a transmission line and a highway expansion proposal that would affect the Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary.

The projects first came into the public purview when wildlife scientist Nandini Velho, in May 2020, pointed out that two of these projects- the transmission line and the highway, were cleared during the lockdown. These projects will require the felling of at least 91 hectares (9,10,000 square meters) of forest.

On World Environment Day (June 5) 2020, a group of around 150 scientists, academicians, conservationists and concerned citizens from across the country wrote to Union Minister of Forests and Environment Prakash Javadekar. They urged him to reconsider the approvals granted to the three projects that threatened the Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary and the Mollem National Park. By this time, the number of trees to be felled were pegged at 55,000.

During the one day Goa Legislative Assembly session in July 2020, the Chief Minister of Goa, Pramod Sawant, who also holds the forest portfolio admitted that almost 70,000 trees would be cut down for the three projects.

Later, a couple of days after the Assembly session, the Leader of Opposition, Digambar Kamat, wrote to the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) of the Supreme Court stating that he was not in favour of the “dubious forest clearances” given to the three projects. He lamented that the projects were being viewed in isolation, instead of as partof Goa's largest protected area.

In October 2020, on a visit to Goa, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar said at a press conference that he wasn't aware about the opposition to the three controversial linear projects proposed in and around the protected forests at the Wildlife Sanctuary. He said that he had received no written objections to the projects, despite environmental activists and other various groups from the state sending the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change dozens of written representations digitally and by post.

A few days later, Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco sent a letter to the Ministry of Environment, as well as the Goa Chief Minister saying that their feigning ignorance on the protests was disturbing to Goans. He reiterated that numerous Goans including students, teachers, architects, artists, scientists, and travel and tourism operators, had written to him over four months on the issue, and that he had written to the Center over the issue of Mollem being stripped of its green cover.

Around the same time, noted Konkani writer Damodar Mauzo in a video on Mollem, urged Goans to unite and back the people of Mollem in their fight to save the forests from destruction. In the video, he also recited a poem on the ongoing struggle to save the forests penned by a Mollem local Sharaschandra Khandeparkar.

Greg Roberts : Music
In September 2020, the author released his debut single "Drive All Night." This was followed by the single "Lisa Run Away." His debut album "Love and Faith" is set to be released in December 2020,and is set to have 16 tracks.

Stan Swamy
In the 1970s, Swamy studied in the Philippines, where he was acquainted with a series of protests and demonstrations against the administration. During his further studies, he made friends with Brazilian Catholic Archbishop Helder Camara, whose work with poor people influenced him.

Fr Swamy has worked in Jharkhand for over three decades on various issues of the Adivasi communities on land, forest and labour rights. He has questioned the non-implementation of the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution, which stipulates setting up of a Tribes Advisory Council with members solely of the Adivasi community for their protection, well-being and development in the state.

(Tanmay, is something like this valid to be added to a wiki page?) In a video message circulated ahead of his arrest, Fr Swamy suggested his arrest was linked to his work, as it involves dissent against government policies.

Bhagwan Mahavir Waildlife Sanctuary : Threats Section
In October 2020, on a visit to Goa, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar said at a press conference that he wasn't aware about the opposition to the three controversial linear projects proposed in and around the protected forests at the Wildlife Sanctuary. He said that he had received no written objections to the projects, despite environmental activists and other various groups from the state sending the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change dozens of written representations digitally and by post.

A few days later, Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco sent a letter to the Ministry of Environment, as well as the Goa Chief Minister saying that their feigning ignorance on the protests was disturbing to Goans. He reiterated that numerous Goans including students, teachers, architects, artists, scientists, and travel and tourism operators, had written to him over four months on the issue, and that he had written to the Center over the issue of Mollem being stripped of its green cover.

Around the same time, noted Konkani writer Damodar Mauzo in a video on Mollem, urged Goans to unite and back the people of Mollem in their fight to save the forests from destruction. In the video, he also recited a poem on the ongoing struggle to save the forests penned by a Mollem local Sharaschandra Khandeparkar.

Early Life - Damodar Mauzo
Note for Tanmay - The following two paras have been re-written from the PeoplePill page. I did not pick this page myself, the person who created Mauzo's page lifted info straight off of this site called PeoplePill.com. The problem is that this site is blacklisted by Wikipedia. Please help.

Mauzo was born on 1 August 1944 to a Gaud Saraswat Bramhin family, in South Goa in the coastal village of Majorda. His primary education was in the Marathi and Portuguese languages, while his secondary education was in English. He studied at the New Era High School in Margao.

The writer lost his father at the age of 12. After this, he helped his uncle at the family shop alongside studying, until he passed the Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE) in 1961. After this, he moved to Mumbai to continue his studies. He graduated from R.A. Podar College of Commerce and Economics in Matunga Mumbai where he got his B.Com degree from Bombay University. (Now Mumbai University.) During his four years in Mumbai, he began writing short stories in Konkani which were well received by the readers. Some of these were translated and published into English.

Activism - Damodar Mauzo Page
In 2015, following the assassination of Prof Kalburgi, Mauzo spoke up against the freedom of expression in the country, as well as the "moral policing by the protagonists of mono-culturism". In a letter to the then president of the Sahitya Akademi, Mauzo demanded that the Akademi send a strong message to those in power that the writers’ body would not tolerate any threat to their freedom. He expressed concern over the threat to the creativity of free thinking writers, and what he called the rising trend of intolerance in India.

In June 2018, Mauzo's life was under threat. The fact came to light after a special investigation team (SIT) of the Karnataka police, which was probing the murder of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh in Bangalore, told the Goa police about the threat to Mauzo's life. The threat was allegedly from right-wing organisation Sanathan Sanstha, but the organisation denied the allegations.

In the aftermath of the threat, the author was given police protection. Several activists and writers got together to condemn the threat to Mauzo's life, while also calling for a ban on the Sanathan Sanstha.

Release of "Tishttavni"
In July 2020, on account of the Covid-19 pandemic, Mauzo released a book of short stories, "Tishttavni" via an online session. It was Mauzo's first-ever virtual book-launch.

Most of the stories in the book are set in Goa, but some which are set in other parts of the country. The story, "Jhel Vitalltana" (As the Ice Melts) is set against the backdrop of the warfare in Kargil. Another story "Sundarkayecho Upasaka" (The Aesthetist ), is about the fallacy of a wealthy man who claims to have aesthetic wisdom. The ambiance of this story is the affluent society of Mumbai.

List of animal rights groups in Goa
The region of Goa is on the west coast of India in South Asia. Goa is a tourist centre, and the concern for animals has been built up both by local and visitor interests in recent years. Issues of poaching and selling of wildlife meat and organs has also been raised.

Among its active animal rights groups are the People for Animals-Goa, the International Animal Rescue group, now managed as the WVS India and known as the Hicks ITC. PFA-Goa (People for Animals-Goa) is run by trustees and employs two veterinary doctors, two vet assistants, three admin staff and 12 workers at both its shelters. Advertising professional Lynn de Souza, right, with staff, at the SPCA in Torda, Porvorim, Goa. Over some time now, local youth -- including some women -- have also got interested and taken up volunteering in fields like wildlife and snake-rescue services. These are found to be useful as snakes can occasionally enter residential and other in-habitation areas, in a state which is still significantly rural. Lists of snake-rescuers in Goa are available online.

Issues of "stray cattle" have also been raised. After animal-rights campaigners took up the issues, Goa's traditional bullfights were also disallowed by the courts.

In 2014, a coalition of non-profit and campaign groups in Goa -- including International Animal Rescue, People for Animals Goa, South Goa Welfare Trust for Animals, Panjim Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), Goa SPCA and Goa Animal Welfare Trust -- came together with the Mission Rabies to undertake a campaign against rabies, with the aimof making Goa rabies-free by 2018.

Individuals have also taken up causes such as promoting veganism.

Following is a list of animal rights groups in Goa, compiled from various sources, some print and also online:

Contents

 * 1North Goa
 * 2South Goa
 * 3Animal Welfare Lawyers
 * 4External links
 * 5References

North Goa[edit]

 * WVS Hicks ITC, managed by WVS India, formerly known as International Animal Rescue]. Training centre for humane dog population control, rabies diagnosis and control, and a low-cost clinic for sick and injured dogs and cats. Based in Assagao. Offers animal ambulance, veterinary clinic with X-ray, shelter, sterilization, vaccination, wildlife rescue, awareness programmes and pet adoption. WVS Hicks' sister-charity Mission Rabies also undertakes the vaccination of stray dogs and their release back in their environment. Earlier, in 2007, IAR has also worked to save stray cattle in Goa.
 * Goa SPCA. Socrates Oliver Veterinary Hospital is located at the Torda area of Salvador-do-Mundo village. Services include animal hospital, shelter, anti-rabies vaccination, sterilisation, pet adoption, awareness, animal welfare workshops. It has been run by former Lintas chairperson and chief executive Lynn de Souza.
 * People For Animals Goa. Mapusa. Facilities offered include animal shelters, sterilisation, vaccination, pet adoption, animal ambulance, rehabilitation of abandoned cattle. PFA has also undertaken litigation in courts over the rights of animals. People For Animals Goa is one of the seven organisations from across India that came together to form The Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisation (FIAPO), according to yourstory dot com.
 * Green Cross, Dattawadi, Mapusa. Wildlife rescue and rehabilitation, conducting awareness drives. Green Cross has also held snake shows in the past.
 * Welfare for Animals in Goa. Set up in 2005 by Atul Sarin and Stephanie Panayiotou. Focuses on adoptions and sterilisations. Rescuing stray, injured cattle. Also a cattle sanctuary, vet rescue clinic and a shelter for injured cows, goats, pigs, chickens.
 * Panjim Animal Welfare Society, or PAWS, is located at St Inez, Panjim.
 * Corporation of City of Panaji Animal Shelter, St. lnez. CCP also undertakes other initiatives like ensuring animals have access to water during the pandemic lockdown.
 * Dwarkapuri Goseva Ashram, Kashyalye Tisk, Usgao. Runs a cow shelter.
 * Gomantak Gosevak Mahasang, Mayem. Shelter for cattle.
 * I Love Goa Dogs, Goa Dogs Trust, Arambol.
 * Noah's Animal Care Centre, Calangute. Family charitable trust for sterlisation and vaccination of street dogs primarily in Calangute.
 * PFA Ponda Shelter. This, together with the Vasco shelter (see below), is run by PFA Goa, whose president is Norma Alvares, member of the State Animal Welfare Board.

South Goa[edit]

 * Goa Animal Welfare Trust, Sonsoddo, Raia. Animal hospital, shelter, animal ambulance, sterilization, anti-rabies vaccination, pet adoption.
 * South Goa Welfare Trust for Animals. Sterilizing dogs in allotted jurisdiction, rescue, rehabilitate, and treating injured street dogs. In July 2020, Sandra Fernandes was undertaking activities of the SGWTA.
 * ARC South Goa. Set up in 2005 by UK-born ex-model and Bollywood casting agent, Janie O’Connor. Palolem area.
 * No More Puppies, Varca. Sterilises, feeds and looks after street animals in Varca.
 * PFA Vasco Shelter.

Animal Welfare Lawyers[edit]

 * Norma Alvares, Mapusa.
 * Joshua Gracias, Margao.

External links[edit]

 * ARC South Goa.
 * Goa Animal Welfare Trust
 * Goa Pet Life, Goa-based group on Facebook administered by Welfare for Animals in Goa (WAG)
 * Goa SPCA
 * I Love Goa Dogs, Goa Dogs Trust
 * International Animal Rescue on Facebook
 * Nirmal Kulkarni. Founder of Herpactive & Chairman of Mhadei Research Center. Podcast and interview.
 * Noah's Animal Care Centre, Calangute
 * No More Puppies, Varca
 * Panaji Animal Welfare Society
 * People For Animals Goa
 * Snake-rescuers in Goa, a June 2019
 * South Goa Welfare Trust for Animals
 * We For Animals Goa links. Lists groups and activities.
 * Welfare for Animals in Goa
 * WVS Hicks ITC on Facebook

The 2020 Hathras gang rape case

In September 2020, the village of Hathras in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh came into the spotlight after a 19 year old Dalit woman was allegedly raped by four upper caste men, and subsequently died of her injuries on September 29 in a Delhi hospital.

The victim was admitted to the hospital for treatment two weeks after she was allegedly gang raped, her family said.

The case led to widespread outrage and protests all over the country after a journalist, Tanushree Pandey, from a leading Indian television media house, India Today, reported about the victim’s hurried cremation in the middle of the night. Videos put out by Pandey on microblogging site Twitter, show the cremation of the victim in the dead of night, while her family begged to see her and cremate her themselves, but was kept away.

Another local journalist, who witnessed the cremation from a distance, said that the police kept her family and media away from the funeral pyre.

Her body was brought to Hathras around midnight. The victim's brother said that police officials were putting pressure on the family to cremate her immediately.

When the family refused, the police themselves took her body and cremated her at 2:30 am. This has been denied by the state administration and police, who claim that the family’s consent was taken.

In a video taken on the night, the victim’s mother is heard repeatedly pleading with officials to hand over the body to her so she could take it home a final time and perform some rituals.

Paid News in Goa - September 06, 2020
Paid news in Goa came under the scanner in the year 2011, when journalist Mayabhushan Nagvenkar exposed a leading Goan English daily, O Heraldo, for accepting money in return for printing press notes in the newspaper, without the same being labelled as “advertorials.”

This came to light after Nagvenkar carried out a sting operation. Posing as Bernard Costa, a would-be candidate in the State's Assembly polls to be held in early 2012, Nagvenkar asked the marketing manager of O Heraldo to give him a quotation of how much it would cost to have an interview of himself carried as “news.”

The then marketing manager of the newspaper was recorded offering to publish a scripted political interview as “news” for Rs. 86,400. The audios of these conversations were then made public in a bid to expose the paid news racket to Goan readers.

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Biography of Manohar Parrikar - August 30, 2020
In June 2020, a biography on the late Parrikar entitled “An Extraordinary Life : A Biography of Manohar Parrikar” was published by Penguin Random House India. The book penned by journalists Sadguru Patil and Mayabhushan Nagvenkar documents Parrikar's ascent to power and life in vivid detail.

The biography was published a little over a year after Parrikar’s passing away, and recaps three decades of political events in Goa. This book was preceded by one of the author’s– Sadguru Patil- Marathi book on the politician entitled “Goan Politics and Parrikar”, which came out in 2019.

"An Extraordinary Life" contains "interesting details, newsy tidbits and colourful anecdotes” from Parrikar’s life, as well as memories and quotes from his family and friends. The biography takes readers through his childhood and family situation, early years and dedication to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), his days at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mumbai, his marriage, setting up business as a young entrepreneur, and his first steps into electoral politics.

The book offers rare insights into the complex personality of the multiple-term Goa Chief Minister. It portrays him as someone who won as a legislator from Panaji on an anti-corruption and clean governance agenda, but later made several compromises while in power, often going back on his election promises.

Introduction (Parrikar page) - August 30, 2020
.....the first IITian to become the Chief Minister of a state in India, the first Goan to become a cabinet-rank minister at the Centre and a national leader of stature, and also the first Chief Minister of a state to continue in office for over a year despite being diagnosed with terminal-stage cancer.

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IIT Goa - August 9, 2020
In May 2020, four years after IIT Goa started running, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant handed over the documents of transfer of land (admeasuring 10 lakh square meters) in Melauli, Sattari, to the Director of IIT Goa, Prof. B.K. Mishra.

This was far from the first site on which the government was trying to build the IIT Goa campus. Prior to this, sites at Canacona and Sanguem were identified, but plans to set up the campus in these places were scrapped after resistance and opposition from local residents in both these areas.

However, protests by residents over the Melauli site which had started in February 2020, continued in the following months.

In August 2020, the residents of Melauli organized a particularly unique protest, tying rakhis to the trees that the government had marked for felling for the proposed IIT Goa project.

Reasons for opposing the project is that the site is a forest area. Located at the foothills of the Western Ghats, the land is covered with cashew trees that the villagers claim, have sustained them for generations. As such, they have been demanding that the government find an alternative site for the IIT campus, which will not cause as much loss to the environment. (2)

References :

(1) https://www.hindustantimes.com/education/iit-goa-finally-gets-land-for-campus/story-rZORjEQAPbelJ1YyHAYuDI.html

(2) https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/villagers-tie-rakhis-to-trees-in-protest-against-setting-up-of-iit-goa-campus/story-gE2q5mCbId7E1yh5FvlNeM.html

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Mollem Goa - August 2, 2020
In December 2019, a newly constituted State Wildlife Advisory Board (SWLAB) met for approximately an hour. They discussed many projects, including a railway line, a transmission line and a highway expansion proposal that would affect the Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary.

The projects first came into the public purview when wildlife scientist Nandini Velho, in May 2020, pointed out that two of these projects- the transmission line and the highway, were cleared during the lockdown. These projects will require the felling of at least 91 hectares (9,10,000 square meters) of forest. (1)

On World Environment Day (June 5) 2020, a group of around 150 scientists, academicians, conservationists and concerned citizens from across the country wrote to Union Minister of Forests and Environment Prakash Javadekar. They urged him to reconsider the approvals granted to the three projects that threatened the Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary and the Mollem National Park. By this time, the number of trees to be felled were pegged at 55,000. (2)

During the one day Goa Legislative Assembly session in July 2020, the Chief Minister of Goa Dr Pramod Sawant, who also holds the forest portfolio admitted that almost 70,000 trees would be axed for the three projects. He gave this information in a written reply to questions tabled by three legislators from three different parties, one being from the ruling BJP itself. Sawant stated that approval for these projects were given in the 56th and 57th meetings of the National Board of Wildlife held in December 2019 and April 2020 respectively. (3)

Meanwhile, a couple of days after the Assembly session, Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat wrote to the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) of the Supreme Court stating that he was not in favour of the “dubious forest clearances” given to the “environmentally destructive infrastructure projects in Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary.” (4)

(1) “During lockdown, MoEFCC panels cleared or discussed 30 projects in biodiverse forests”. Velho, Nandini. The Hindu. May 23, 2020. https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/during-lockdown-moefcc-panels-cleared-or-discussed-30-projects-in-biodiverse-forests/article31649606.ece

(2) “Scientists, conservationists urge Javadekar to reconsider forest felling for highway, railway expansion”. De Souza, Gerard. The Hindustan Times. June 6, 2020. https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/scientists-conservationists-urge-javadekar-to-reconsider-forest-felling-for-highway-railway-expansion/story-qtDKH5OCoLHNkNBx2o2EPP.html

(3) “CM admits 70k trees to be axed for three projects.” The Goan Everyday. July 28, 2020. http://epaper.thegoan.net/m5/2765356/The-Goan-Everyday/The-Goan-Everyday#page/1/1

(4) “Kamat opposes 3 central projects in forest areas; writes to CEC.” IANS. July 21, 2020. http://www.ianslive.in/index.php?param=news/-705751