Villagers use festival to send ‘Boycott Vadhvan’ message

Vishal Rajemahadik The intensity of protest against Vadhvan port, the Central government’s pet project, grows every passing day

Vishal Rajemahadik

Villagers form a human chain at Vadhvan beach HT Photo

The intensity of protest against Vadhvan port, the Central government’s pet project, grows every passing day.

This Ganesh festival, thousands of villagers have decorated their pandals with the “Boycott Vadhvan” message. Many of them have themes replicating their century-old culture and also how important the ecosystem is for the livelihood of various communities and industries in and around the area designated for the port.

They say that the environment will be destroyed once the port work begins, which according to them involves reclamation and construction activity.

“Villages like Chinchani, Varor, Satpati, Dahanu Khadi, Zai, Uttan and Vasai participated in spreading the boycott message,” Vaibhav Vaze, secretary of Vadhvan Bunder Virodhi Samiti, said.

On Friday, villagers who had come to Vadhvan beach for immersion of idols formed a human chain to showcase their resolve to fight against the project. Slogans like “Vadhavan bandar hatao (do away with Vadhvan port)” and “Samudra aamchya hakkache (the sea belongs to us)” rent the air.

Vaze said that several gram panchayats had on August 15 passed a resolution to oppose the upcoming port.

“We are fighting to save our footprints so that the next generation will know what their roots were,” a villager said.

The locals have been opposing this project from day one. In fact, during the 2019 assembly elections, around one lakh voters abstained from exercising their franchise. Many politicians have unsuccessfully tried to persuade the fishermen’s community, tribals, dye makers (micro industries), and farmers.