Let development have a heart, don’t destroy Mother Earth which feeds us, say Loutolim farmers

LOUTOLIM: India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru said development is not about building bridges and destroying houses. Development should have a heart. The proposed construction of the new Borim Bridge has created fears and tears and shattered hearts among the people of Borim, Loutolim and those in the line of fire of the new Borim Bridge, as Goa rides on the juggernaut of unhindered development.

Khazan farmers are pleading that theirs are life-giving fields reclaimed by the ancient ancestors from the River Zuari, on which their livelihoods solely depend. Even the frail 95-year-old Domingo Costa, is pleading to save his fields which have been handed down from generations. He says they have to be handed over to his children. O Heraldo walked the talk with the farmers of Loutolim on a fascinating country life journey, where land is cherished from the heart and many lives and survives in harmony with nature’s bounty.

Albert Pinheiro, Matheus Gracias, Valerian Fernandes and 95-year-old Domingo Costa are all passionate farmers. 

They own between 5,000 to 18,000 sqm of khazan lands. They pride themselves that the khazan fields of Loutolim are unique and not like any other khazans in Goa. 

They claim that their khazans are clayish and have evolved from silt, unlike other khazans which are made of mud or sand. The farmers say the soil is so rich that they don’t even have to use manure for their paddy crop, each year.

Their fervent appeal is not to destroy their farms. They are upholding the centuries old tradition of growing the unique Azgo-Khorgut variety of salt-resistant-rice in the lap of Zuari River. The fields are completely soaked with river water since they are on the same water level as the Zuari River. Even a bridge on stilts and accompanying service road will forever destroy the unique clayish khazans of Loutolim.

They say that the government should work out other means of regulating traffic and speed limits and work by repairing the present Borim Bridge, rather than destroy their thriving fields.

Albert Pinheiro, president of the Carbot-Cantor Tenants Association, says, “Last year, I reaped 35 sacks of rice which is over one tonne. Once we sow them, we can directly reap them in October without even spraying manure. We need manual labour to cut the sheaves since the crop bends and doesn’t stand upright. No machinery can be employed to sow or to harvest. We don’t have to spend any money on the fields, except for labour. This is totally organic. We do not want any compensation. Even the Union Minister Nitin Gadkari was surprised that we don’t want compensation.”

Matheus Agnelo Gracias, a former lecturer-turned farmer says, “I’m growing this field for the last 55 years. When I started they were laughing at us that we were cultivating waterlogged fields. I have given my sweat and blood to cultivate this field. Even though I am a senior citizen I work in the fields, because I love the land and even as it is physically energy sapping. Only Azgo-Khorgut paddy variety grows here, no other variety.

Valerian Fernandes, another farmer, cautioned, “The bridge cannot go this side. Once they put mud for the service road, our khazans will forever be destroyed. Even though they claim it will be just one-metre wide for heavy machinery to pass, it will extend to two metres on both sides, making it five metres. No machinery can be brought to these khazans since it will sink, since this land is absolutely soft. If there is need to establish an industrial corridor, let them find another route. Just because you need a short cut, don’t crush us under the weight of development.”

Ninety five-year-old Domingo D’Costa says with great pain in his heart, “I still go to supervise my fields. I don’t want the bridge to destroy my fields. These fields have come to us from our ancient ancestors. We are zonkars (drawing zon from the comunidades). We are saving our heritage and we have to pass it on to our children. I’m praying with folded hands to God, for the entire community, that the bridge may not come through our fields. Please take some other route. Do not pressurise our fragile community.”