The Mirabag dam project in Savorde constituency has ignited a storm of resistance. For over a year, the issue has been simmering, but after the success of the Chimbel agitation, the people’s confidence has soared. Now, Mirabag’s residents have taken a defiant stand, determined to fight for their rights and protect their land, culture, and faith.

The government insists the dam, designed to supply 50 MLD of water, is for “public welfare.” Yet, what welfare is this if the very public is left in the dark? No clear answers, no transparency, no respect for people’s concerns. Engineers and experts may have drawn plans on paper, but until they win the trust of the people, their studies remain meaningless.
Villagers fear that the Shri Sangameshwar temple could be submerged, that their homes and livelihoods may be threatened. Instead of addressing these fears with facts, the government dismisses them as baseless. Worse, ruling leaders claim the agitation is politically motivated. If that is true, why then did BJP leaders Vinay Tendulkar and Deepak Pawaskar visit the protest site and express support? The contradictions expose the government’s doublespeak.
History reminds us that after Goa’s liberation, Bhausaheb Bandodkar earned people’s trust. villagers willingly donated land for schools, roads, and factories. Today, that trust has evaporated. A government with 33 legislators cannot even convince its own citizens. Projects are launched in the name of development, but the people are treated as obstacles rather than partners.
At Mirabag, work has begun without displaying the project information board. A “no objection certificate” was forced out of the local panchayat, only to be withdrawn under public pressure. Ministers remain silent. The Chief Minister has not spoken. The Water Resources Minister has offered no explanation. This silence is not ignorance, it is arrogance.
If the government believes it can crush the agitation, it underestimates the spirit of the people. Chimbel proved that united villagers can force the state to retreat. Mirabag too may follow that path. through courts, through mass protests, through sheer determination. If the government will not listen, then the people must make it impossible to ignore.
This is not just about a dam. It is about dignity, faith, and the right to be heard. Mirabag’s struggle is Goa’s struggle. The question is simple: will the government respect the people, or will it bulldoze their voices in the name of development?
The people of Mirabag have chosen resistance. Now, the rest of Goa watches, Will this protest bend the government, or will it expose its contempt for democracy?

Kishor Naik Gaonkar
Editor