Sunday, May 19, 2013

15TH OF NOVEMBER – A DAY EXPERIENCE IN THE INDIAN OCCUPIED GOA by Pedro Lopes


Flight No. AI- 866 was supposed to leave Goa at 07:10 am to Bombay on the 15th of November. This same Flight AI-984 had to leave Bombay at 05:30 am reaching GOA at 06:30 am. But due to the rumours that Thackray was dead the crew couldn’t travel to the airport. The flight was delayed.

In a normal world this would be understandable that the flight would land and leave late. But not in the Indian occupied GOA, in this part of the world the Flight was not given clearance to lift off from Bombay to GOA as the flight would land in GOA after 09:00 am.

The Indian Navy who has its home base illegally at the Dabolim International Airport. Does not allow flights to land and leave the Dabolim airport from 09:15 am till 12:45 pm. The reason is, the navy has Military manoeuvres at the Airport at this time slot.

The flight was full, there were people like me who had a connecting flight at 10:00 am, there was a Pregnant women, a person had lost his brother and wanted to be at a funeral, some had to attend business meetings and so on. I like many others didn’t mind to buy a new ticket even if it would have cost me 10,000 rs. But there were no flights up to 02:00 pm leaving GOA. The people travelling on this flight were stranded at the Airport from 05:30 am till 03:00 pm. I myself left home at 04:00 am.

I ask myself how come the Government of GOA allows the navy to close the Airport at this prime time between 09:00 am till 01:00pm. This is ridiculous, the answer that you get is simple this is a Military airport and not a civilian airport. I had arguments at the airport that India illegally invaded GOA and now has our airport build by the Portuguese for GOA as their bounty. The answer by some Indian was its high time GOA builds an airport at MOPA. The Ghattie Government of Goa says the same, we should build another airport in GOA so that indirectly the Military / Navy has its last laugh.

It’s through invasion that the navy has occupied Dabolim Navy has not build the Dabolim Airport. Dabolim airport is an illegal occupation by the occupied force. Our Ghattie Government can’t see that. If our Government was not a Ghattie Government than the navy’s occupation would have ended a lot time ago.

The Airport is badly organised, it’s drop and go /leave as fast as you can. From the departure you get no taxis to leave the airport. One has to go to the arrivals. Now a question is how do you go the arrivals? There is no way but walk all the way down with your luggage.

One can’t walk to the Departure either, one can’t use the public transport to the departure either. The only way is by private transport. That too one has to go through a military check post. From Dabolim Airport to the main city of Panjim there are no public BUS transports, one has to use a TAXI. In GOA I’ve noticed you have to pay more for the unorganised transport than I would pay in Switzerland.

With the only Airport we have, the navy is showing its Muscle by blocking the airport. If MOPA comes up than the whole Airport will be closed for civilian and traffic diverted to MOPA:

At the Dabolim Airport our Konkani is hardly spoken, The Police officers are all from Bihar, the custom officers are all from north India, mostly sardajis with their turbans. The Dabloim airport makes you feel you are a stranger in GOA. Dabolim Airport doesn’t make you feel at home unless a family member picks you up. Only Konkani speaking personals or locals should serve at the Dabolim airport.

A proof of Indian occupation in GOA, when you leave GOA or when you arrive in GOA.

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