'There is an anti-BJP wave'

'The projects that the government started to bring within Goa were totally anti-Goa and anti-people.'
'Can anyone describe a project as development when it is going to cause wanton destruction of people's houses, their surroundings and livelihoods and destruction of forests?'

The first MLA to quit the Bharatiya Janata Party in Goa Alina Saldanha, also the state's former environment and forest minister, tells Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com why she quit the BJP that got her elected twice as a legislator from Cortalim, why she joined the Aam Aadmi Party and why she believes Goa will vote for the AAP.

What made you quit the BJP and join AAP?

I spent two terms as a BJP legislator and part of the government in Goa. The first five years were good and I was happy with the development being done in Goa.

Somehow, towards the end of the first term and the beginning of the second term the projects that the government started to bring within the state were totally anti-Goa and anti-people. I am specifically referring to the three linear projects.

I have been opposed to the highway through the Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary, the doubling of the South Western railway track through the villages of South Goa and the Tamnar power project.

I was Goa's environment and forest minister and I know the rules that govern development projects passing through forests. I know the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, is so strict that it does not allow any development within the forest area.

I wanted to build a small road through the forest area for benefit of villagers who reside in the interiors, but I was told that roads, either asphalted or hot mix, cannot be constructed within those forested areas. Only thing we were allowed to do was levelling the ground and covering it with a black top.

As informed by the South Western railway department, 14-metre is needed from the Centre of the existing track for doubling this railway line. With the help of some environment-conscious youth of Goa we marked the areas through which the second track would pass.

To our horror, in most cases we found that the second track would land inside the compound of the houses along the existing track; in some cases they would land inside the verandah of many houses.

Can anyone describe such a project as development when it is going to cause wanton destruction of people's houses, their surroundings and livelihoods and destruction of forests? Where are these people supposed to go?

Secondly, it is a known fact that the second track is being constructed exclusively for transport of coal. This will further increase coal dust pollution risking the health of Goa's people. I can't call such projects development.

The main question still remains: For whose development, for whose benefit, whose progress are these projects going to achieve?

Wouldn't it generate employment and power for people of Goa?

Nobody would be interested in such employment and power in Goa.

Are you (the government or those who support such projects) saying that people's homes and livelihoods should be destroyed? Who is going to provide these people with houses to live in?

Wouldn't the Goa government resettle and compensate the people who would lose their houses for the double-laning of tracks?

No. They are not.

You must remember that many of the houses that will be demolished along this route are heritage houses. There are houses that are a hundred years old, three hundred years old, five hundred years old.

All over the world, heritage houses are protected by special laws. It is only in our country we forget that heritage speaks about the history, people and wealth of our nation.

Keeping that aside for a few minutes, I want to know where will the people, who will be literally thrown out of their houses, go? Where will they live?

Who will benefit from this project and in whose behest is the Goa government going ahead with these projects?

Definitely, (this project will benefit) the person who is interested in transporting coal through this corridor.

My office, for six years, was right in front of this railway track. I could see only two passenger trains passing through this track every day: One each in the morning and evening. But there were umpteen trains carrying coal wagons through the day on these tracks.

You would have coal falling all along the route. In fact, once we carried out the exercise of collecting all the chunks of coal and we could fill ten big bags full of coal just in one of the villages along this route.

Why did you prefer AAP instead of the Congress or the Trinamool Congress?

I had heard a lot about the Aam Aadmi Party government and the work they are doing in Delhi for the common people. Before I decided to join AAP, 12 of us went to Delhi and met the common people there.

We visited several people at their homes and they told me that power and water are free. We asked them to show us some kind of evidence, and they showed me the water and electricity bills.

Then we went to one of the government-run schools and I saw one of the most beautiful schools with the latest infrastructure for the benefit of the students and common man. I met a few parents in the school and they were quite happy and confident about their children's education.

I was lucky that the headmaster of the school called for the entire staff and we discussed issues. I saw the latest infrastructure that would promote modern learning in schools. Interestingly, the best part was this school was for the rich and poor students; no differences whatsoever.

Then I went to see two health clinics. I saw the facilities provided at these health clinics were at par with those that the rich avail.

I had also heard about the free bus service for the ladies who have to travel far for work. This free bus service has proved to be of immense help to women who go to work and come back home safely.

This made me realise that here is the government working really, sincerely, taking every effort for the sake of common people and make their lives better. I knew that this is the kind of government people of Goa need.

The 12 of us who had gone to Delhi took a decision right there that we are going to join the Aam Aadmi Party. Then we went to meet the chief minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal. I asked him how it is possible for him to do so much for the common people for free.

His reply was: 'Madam, I am not giving my money to the people. I am giving people's money back to the people. Then I realised how true what he said was because we are all taxpayers and the government's budget is nothing but people's money, which should go back to them in different forms.' And AAP was doing exactly that in Delhi.

That's why I decided to join AAP and wherever in Goa I am going people are convinced that this is the government that has to be given a chance because most other governments have not bothered to take so much care of their people.

The principal reason why you quit the BJP was your opposition to the three linear projects...

(Interrupts) Not only the three linear projects. There are so many other anti-people projects this government has undertaken.

Take, for instance, the Sagarmala project where it is envisaged to build roads on certain stretches of beaches. Goa is known for its beaches all over the world. We have tourists who visit Goa precisely to enjoy the beaches. Can we then have 20-metre wide roads on certain beaches to destroy the natural beauty that has made Goa so popular as a tourist destination and earns us huge revenues? This is bizarre planning.

My question was your main concern the policies of this BJP government? What is the guarantee that if AAP forms a government in Goa, then it will not succumb to corporate pressures?

The guarantee is that I have discussed this issue with Arvind Kejriwal and immediately after we decided to join AAP, we had a press conference in Delhi and his very definite statement was 'If I am given an opportunity to rule Goa I will make sure that the linear projects are scrapped.' And I believe in what he said.

Are you concerned that AAP and TMC entering the fray in the Goa assembly election will split like-minded votes among the Congress, TMC and AAP and the BJP will benefit from this three-way vote split?

To be sincere, I have not thought so much about this aspect because I strongly believe the common voters have the brains to reason out, to think and decide what is best for them.

I am quite sure, especially from the response I am getting, people have started realising that at the end of the day what they need is a government that takes care of their basic needs and ensure their standard of living will be better and easier than what it is.

You were the first BJP MLA to resign. Soon after, many more MLAs from the party resigned to join the Congress, TMC or AAP. Have these resignations put the BJP on a weak wicket in this assembly election?

There is an anti-BJP wave, but I am not going to discuss this in detail. I am going to focus more on my campaign. I am sure the common people of Goa will be happy if AAP comes to power and their standard of living will see a huge difference for the better.

That is what I am focused upon. I can feel a sense of surge in support for AAP and we are bettering others by leaps and bounds.

People are beginning to realise what they have missed all this while.

Lastly, this is what I have been saying again and again that people of Delhi have shown their faith and trust in the AAP style of governance and that's why AAP won 64 out of 70 seats in Delhi. What more evidence do we need that people are happy with AAP!

But this is Goa and not Delhi and there are no AAP cadres on the ground.

I am confident that the people of Goa will replicate what happened in Delhi.

Will you be contesting from Cortalim from where you won two terms?

Definitely!

Do you see yourself as Goa's next chief minister?

Today, AAP has declared Mr Amit Palyekar as its chief ministerial candidate and we are all fine with that decision.