Protesting against Land Sale

by S KAMAT
Posted on 2009-02-06
THE papers are full of the news that the Government of Goa is proposing to ban the sale of agricultural land to foreigners. Is this news in the nature of a red herring? Is it something that is put out to fool the people?We all know that in India one cannot buy agricultural land unless you are a farmer or there should be a farmer in the direct family at least two generations removed.
Celebrated cases have been covered in the papers relating to Amitabh Bachchan having to give up his claim on agricultural land in Barabanki and another Bollywood actress running into a similar problem with land just outside Nasik.
Thus are we making a big thing in Goa on a non-issue? Meaning where there is no way one can sell agricultural land to locals, where is the question of selling the same to foreigners?
Mr Manohar Parrikar in his usual nit-picking style has come out on this issue against selling of all kinds of land in Goa to foreigners. For once, he is right. In fact the scope of this legislation should be expanded and ensured that no land in Goa can be sold to outsiders. This shuts the door on foreigners also.
We need not wait for Goa to attain any kind of special status like Himachal Pradesh or the North East or Kashmir to do this but go ahead and implement this straight away.
The Centre may ask Goa to hold this until the special status issue is sorted out but then Goa would have made its intent clear. That is the way we need to approach these matters and not go bumbling around like we are doing on the offshore casinos.
While the government is considering legislation to regulate casinos, more and more of them are popping up on the River Mandovi.
There is a related matter on the sale of land to foreigners wherein some UK citizens have expressed regret on Goa’s proposed decision and threatened that they will move the UK government to do likewise for Goans holding land in the UK.
On such matters each country should go ahead and do what it thinks fit. There is no restriction on the UK seeking to protect itself just like Goa is doing since land is scarce here.
But then those UK citizens who write on this matter should know that even within the UK, specifically Wales, the beachside villages are up in arms against outsiders coming in and building villas and gated communities which are threatening the way of living and the livelihood of the villagers.
This was covered by BBC news. Thus everywhere around the world people seek to protect themselves as they consider and deem fit. Why is it that only when Goa does it there is uproar?