Panaji:
Former Bombay High Court judge Justice (Retd.) Ferdino Rebello has cautioned the Goa government against branding citizens protesting for environmental protection as “urban naxalites”, stating that such remarks are unjust and unfortunate.

Justice Rebello was speaking during the book launch of the fifth edition of “Fish Curry and Rice”, edited by environmentalist Claude Alvares, held at Kala Academy, Panaji, on Saturday evening. The event, organised by the Goa Foundation, also featured a public lecture by Justice Gautam Patel and a felicitation of Goa’s environmental defenders.

Referring to Article 51A(g) of the Constitution of India, Justice Rebello said that every citizen has a fundamental duty to protect and improve the natural environment, including forests, rivers, wildlife and the overall ecology of the country.

He pointed out that people who raise their voices to safeguard land, environment, ecology, animals, birds and nature are merely exercising their constitutional responsibility and democratic rights. “It is unfortunate to label such citizens as ‘urban naxalites’ when they are only fulfilling their duty under the Constitution,” he said.

Justice Rebello also reminded that the Chief Minister and ministers are constitutional functionaries who have taken an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution and therefore must be careful in the choice of words used while speaking about citizens’ movements and protests.

He further stated that people fighting to protect their land and environment are exercising their fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution, and urged those in positions of power to show restraint and responsibility in their public statements.

The book “Fish Curry and Rice”, first published in 1993, chronicles Goa’s ecological heritage and the many citizen struggles to defend it. The newly revised and expanded fifth edition explores Goa’s rivers, forests, fields and coasts, and the growing movement to protect them. Proceeds from the book will support the work of the Goa Foundation.