DEEP DIVE : DOUBLE TRACK OF TORTURE : THE VELSAO SIEGE #goa #goapolitics #goanews

Added: 2026-05-23

[00:00:04][music] [music] [music] [music] [music] >> We are living over here for the past so many years.

[00:01:02]Nearly 3 to 400 years this is our property.

[00:01:06]Even the one [music] beyond the railway beyond our compound wall is belongs to us.

[00:01:12]But the railways have [music] taken over without our permission.

[00:01:15]And we are going through so much of hardships. My mother is 91 years old.

[00:01:20]If we have to [music] take her to the doctor or to anywhere we have no access to any road.

[00:01:25]Yesterday we had to bring her carry literally dragging her across the tracks.

[00:01:30]This is very unfair and this was done without asking us.

[00:01:33]If you are talking about progress, it should be something [music] that will also help us.

[00:01:38]But I think somewhere along the line >> [music] >> we have not thought of our grievances are not of any concern to anybody.

[00:01:48]Tomorrow if we like my cousin's place there was a fire, we could not even get the fire brigade over here.

[00:01:53]It scares us if anything happens to our mother we cannot run across >> [music] >> to get medical aid for her.

[00:02:00]So, please those who are going about doing their duties and thinking that they [music] are in the name of progress, please see that when we say progress, it should be begin with the people who are living over here.

[00:02:17]In the quiet summer stillness lies the track of misery in Velsao, a coastal village in South Goa, the center of a story of the South Western Railways double tracking project that has taken trapped them and taken their lands.

[00:02:44]>> [music] >> The South Western Railways are not just building a double track.

[00:02:59]They have doubled and tripled the miseries of the people in this village.

[00:03:03]And here's how.

[00:03:05]The Railways are proudly claiming, and even the government of Goa is that not a single house here is going to be affected when the second track comes in right in front of these homes.

[00:03:18]Technically, that is true.

[00:03:21]But, when this track expands to this track, the houses in front of this get literally blocked in and the people here become prisoners.

[00:03:31]What the South Western Railways have done because of the double tracking is that they filled this land. They filled this completely.

[00:03:38]And And instead of being 0.5 m below, it's literally 2 and 1/2 above.

[00:03:44]Now, what has happened is now look at this car of Sandra's.

[00:03:48]It is full of coal.

[00:03:50]The tiles above are full of coal. This is coal dust blowing from the trains into these homes. These homes are black.

[00:03:57]And she's literally a prisoner.

[00:04:03]Residents of Velsao between Cansaulim and Pale are fighting back and resisting what [music] they call is the government's encroachment on their land.

[00:04:12]The flashpoint happened on 13th February 2025 when the railway started dumping mud for the laying of second track in front of people's homes. But the South Western Railways rapid moves to take over and for building the second track started earlier. In 2023, notice was issued stating that the railways would start work on the double track at Velsao. 100 residents filed objection of which 46 were sustained as they had preliminary documents. South Western Railway moved to Inspector of Survey and Land Records to get land notified. ISLR to determine land claims by villagers to counter railways move.

[00:04:53]>> [music] >> The battle is clear.

[00:04:56]Railways wanting survey numbers on the land, which they still don't [music] have, and legal and ownership documents flagging the railways claims as illegal.

[00:05:06]On 8th July 2022, South Goa Collector referring to a tree cutting application from Majorda to Vasco by SWR mentions stand of the Director of Land Records that unless specific title is given to the railways by the then Portuguese government, it is not possible to certify ownership of the land with the railways. On 9th July 2023, the Forest Department bypasses all of this and gives permission to fell trees from the land under operational occupation of Indian Railways.

[00:05:38]The phrase operational occupation is not present in any rule or document pertaining to land titles and indicates to what extent Goa government departments went to favor the railways.

[00:05:49]Moreover, these lands forcibly occupied by the South Western Railways did not even have survey numbers.

[00:05:56]In Goa, visited the office of the railway casting on limited, which is executing the project on behalf of the South Western Railways in Margao to ask the questions that people are asking. Senior officials declined to speak on camera.

[00:06:11]But had a conversation with InGoa.

[00:06:14]And during that conversation, they clearly indicated that to them in the exact words of the official who declined to be named, the government comes first.

[00:06:25]Personal things come later. These are quotes. This is the gist of the detailed conversation InGoa had with them. We will soon get the final survey numbers.

[00:06:35]By logic, this is railway land. Because we have been using it since it's under our occupational operation. We have reduced the acquisition.

[00:06:45]We have not gone into people's homes.

[00:06:48]The villagers claim that the land up to the railway track belong to them.

[00:06:52]But that is only a perception.

[00:06:54]Even they don't have survey numbers in their favor. I agree fire brigades and ambulances can't go to their homes.

[00:07:01]But this path is not even meant for these vehicles. They have to come from other way.

[00:07:05]If the residents in Velsao agree to give some portion of the land, we can make a narrow road next to the tracks for access to vehicles. Uh next I can begin by asking you firstly about the right of way issue, because this double tracking has actually blocked access to homes, uh which have become cages and people almost like prisoners.

[00:07:30]Yes, this the land revenue code very clearly specifies that lands which are not do not have a survey number belong to the government subject to right of way in any other in any other subsisting rights.

[00:07:53]But the government in their wisdom have chosen to put a full stop after belong to the government.

[00:08:04]Very conveniently forgetting the right of way issue that subject to right of way and subsisting titles.

[00:08:13]Based on that they have been pushing their way through with police protection.

[00:08:19]Let us visit Sandra Rodrigues at Primeiro Vaddo Velha to show how her right of way has been throttled by the railways.

[00:08:27]From the time that they have landfilled this area, uh the it has disrupted it has my right of way has been denied. So, the access that which I was using from so many years, you can say almost now three decades for me and uh my ancestors uh long you can say more than 100 200 years. So, this is the only access that I have and uh it is really very difficult. If you uh my car is still lying in the property. It is almost like more than uh 1 and 1/2 to 2 years that the car is still trapped out in the property. Actually, when they had started the work, um it was like uh I was busy with my dad uh like he was having very bad health and he is no more now. So, that is the time like they have landfilled this and uh we could not like though we were agitating all the time, but it was like not possible all the time to be out there. So, they have uh basically encroached our area. Now, actually if you see like according to the transcription, description, and the matrices, the property is right up to the railway track.

[00:09:33]So, actually and also it it a right of way. It is like everybody in this village is using this right of way. We actually my ancestors have given this area for the people to pass by. So, earlier people would walk and go. Now, everyone has two-wheelers, four-wheelers, so everybody has been using. Now, uh like now if anyone is not well, like my dad was not well. I could not actually take him out from here because the ambulance there's no access for the ambulance to come in out here. If there is any fire taken place fire is taken place out over here. You are one of the 46 people respondents.

[00:10:11]46 respondents. And you you claim to to state that you have all the ancestral papers Right. to actually prove your ownership of the land which the railways is claiming. Right. I do have all the papers, the transcription, the description, the matrices, which shows the property right up to the railway track. Whereas the railways have no documents to no title documents to show that they the land belongs to them.

[00:10:49]>> [music] >> Developed areas are today being uh you know, we are ghettoed.

[00:11:06]The people do not have all the In the monsoons, we don't know what calamity will befall us because all this storm water which will come down gushing from this area, it will be about I think about 3 ft or more during the monsoon. It will be gushing towards all these residences, which are some of these which are up to 400 years old. Uh this was a motorable road which we would take to Velasao Beach.

[00:11:32]Now, with this raised thing, all our entrances are blocked.

[00:11:37]Our daily life is stopped because during the monsoons, we can't go on the east side to church, post office, and other needs which are needed. So, we find it very difficult and they have raised it such a highway that we can't walk on these things also because we trip and fall also. That is another thing and it is dangerous. Ancestral houses which used to be here, there's nobody living.

[00:12:06]Nobody living in here.

[00:12:08]The people have relocated to Vasco or to Consua or elsewhere because of this the second track which is coming right in there at their door steps. But, is the Goa government, its past and recent MLA's listening?

[00:12:23]For a long time when this agitation started, you had different public representatives claiming to be your really being a part of the people's people's movement to take this forward.

[00:12:36]You earlier had Mr. Nilesh Cabral who was who I I know he walked along the way. He was present on the tracks and so on and so forth.

[00:12:44]And then you know, you had Reginald Lourenco of Curtorim who came and pledged support of saying, "I'm not going to leave the people." and so on.

[00:12:54]And of course, the new Cortalim MLA who came. My point is, do you feel that their commitment was genuine? Do you feel that it was sustained? And where is that commitment now?

[00:13:05]See, Nilesh Cabral did walk along the track because he was deputed by the then Chief Minister whom we met along with our local MLA at that time, Alina Saldanha. Right.

[00:13:20]And he directed the environment minister, Nilesh Cabral, to walk along the track.

[00:13:25]And see what are the genuine.

[00:13:27]In my view, he assessed and told and the railway officials were also along had come along. Mhm.

[00:13:35]In our presence, he told the railway find solution to the problem. Mhm.

[00:13:40]But nothing happened. So, one gets a feeling that there's no full trust, commitment of the government to the concerns being raised by the people.

[00:13:54]Right in front of me and we will we will show show this to you is the home of Dr. Sanjay Coelho.

[00:14:02]And in August last year, there was a very big fire at his place.

[00:14:09]Now, you must know that around that time, August last year, this track in front of you was not yet laid.

[00:14:16]The danger was about to come, but even at that stage, when there was only one track, and the acquiring and capturing of this track was going on, the fire brigade that was called was ultimately stuck there because the fire brigade could not move through this gravel and they could not put the hose pipes up there.

[00:14:35]So, they had to go right round and while the fire was burning, they had to go all right round, come in from the other side and then literally drive down this narrow track when the track wasn't there.

[00:14:50]So, the house was more or less saved, though there was a lot of damage inside. Now, imagine almost 1 year later when this track has been laid, and God forbid if there's any other fire along this track, the rail the fire brigade will not even be able to come in front of the homes here.

[00:15:16]The big question now is what is the way forward?

[00:15:20]In the last hearing, it was shockingly learned that the authority which accords the titles ISLR in Vasco had given provisional rights to the railways. ISLR are executing or attempting to provide title titles to those lands under section 56 of the land revenue code.

[00:15:45]Section 56 of the land revenue code requires section 6 57 and 58 to be complied with.

[00:15:53]Which involves asking the people who are around that side, the neighbors, to be consulted when the survey was being done. None of that ever happened.

[00:16:04]Actually, the notification came was published on 29th of uh July, I think. Mhm.

[00:16:14]Which was a Saturday. Mhm. Sunday, Monday were holiday. And when some of the villagers went to ISLR Mormugao and said that we want to be present for the survey, we were told, "Sir, the survey is already completed." Which means the ISL Mormugao completed the survey for the full stretch of Mormugao in just 2 days. You have seen a very human side of the struggle of the people in Velsao, Pale, Consua, Issorcim.

[00:16:41]You've seen old ladies struggling to walk through the tracks. You've seen homes that are completely surrounded and people living like prisoners.

[00:16:50]The double tracking issue is not just an issue of of lonely land and legal rights. It's a very strong human rights issue.

[00:17:00]People's lives have been jeopardized like no other. And what is very, very crucial to look at is that the government of the day is turning a blind eye to the actual sufferings of the people, their own people, people who vote for them, people who elect them.

[00:17:18]It almost seems that the government of Goa and the and the Ministry of Railways have joined hands to inflict this torture on the people.

[00:17:28]Now, look at this sign board behind me.

[00:17:30]It says work in progress inside railway boundary and then it says unauthorized entry is prohibited.

[00:17:38]All of them are cruel and probably illegal words because inside railway boundary, who is deciding this boundary?

[00:17:46]There is litigation going on in the ISLR, in the survey of land records office.

[00:17:52]People have challenged the very nature of the survey, the manner in which the survey has happened.

[00:17:57]And most importantly a major violation of sections 14 of the land revenue code 1968 and rules very clearly says that if a land does not have a survey number it belongs to the government provided that the right of way of people who've been traditionally staying here are not affected.

[00:18:19]But while we are right here, you can see people getting choked by the railway coming coming literally literally through the houses.

[00:18:26]So, these are cruel words. Inside railway boundary who says so? Has it been finally proven? Have the rights finally been given beyond any litigation?

[00:18:37]Unauthorized entry is prohibited. People ask who is the unauthorized person here?

[00:18:43]People living here for generations or the railway coming in and occupying land which was given in good faith by generations of people before that.

[00:18:54]The railway sees progress.

[00:18:57]People see coal. Railways see development. People see torture.

[00:19:02]And the government sees a massive expansion of wealth and opportunities.

[00:19:10]The people here see only tears and torture. Who's going to listen to this? But [music] please bear in mind that when you are doing something called progress, you have to keep in mind [music] the people who are going to be affected by this progress.

[00:19:24]And this is definitely not progress in our favor.

[00:19:31]With video journalist John De Silva, this is Sujoy Gupta for Inkwire.

[00:19:41]>> [music]