from Ares
for Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji (GA)

Panaji, Jun 10: While Special Economic Zones (SEZ) meet with opposition for various reasons across the country, the state,  Cipla's Meditab specialities Pvt Ltd's pharma SEZ in North Goa's Keri village is garnering objection for 'God's sake.'
 
"For the first time, since time immemorial, we could not perform our annual religious worship ritual at this place," Ramakrishna Jhalmi, a local youth, who is spearheading anti-SEZ agitation stated.
 
, a 12 lac sq metres spread location, atop Keri village, is a place where people belonging to twelve different sects perform their annual ritual of worship to their ancestors during February month every year.
 
Cipla has planned 304 acres pharma SEZ at this plateau which is approved and notified by the central government. This is one amongst the three SEZs which are hanging in fire after state government's order to stop work.
 
"The ritual has been going unabated for ages. For the first time, we could not enter the place as it is given to SEZ where huge compound wall and security guard forbid people from entering in," 60-year-old village elderly Vinayak Jhalmi said.
 
The 12 vangods (sects) -- Jhalmi, Parpati, Gurav, Kolshekar, Gobrakhanekar, Mhalo, Mhar, Gawada, Satarkar, Devli, Chari and Dhanagar -- have an unique tradition of getting together at this place on the plateau and offer "Khichadi'' (hotpotch) near the Banayan tree located here during paush month of HIndu calender.
 
"These traditions are integral part of our culture," Raja Naik, another villager said.
 
The villagers in their letter to the chief minister Digamber Kamat had briefed him about the issue. "But nothing happened. Twice we sought to meet him personally to explain him about the problem," Jhalmi said.
 
The villagers, who had opposed tooth and nail Thapar Du Pon's Nylon 6,6, project at the same place in 1995 launching a massive agitation, have once again raised their banner against Cipla's industrial enclave.
 
"Even during Nylon 6,6 days, we could perform our rituals. It is getting tough with the SEZ," Ramakrishna Jhalmi said.
 
The villagers are opposing the SEZ as they fear that the project will affect their water resources as all the five villagers surrounding this plateau depend on farming for their livelihood.