Shel-Melaulim, Loliem, Sanguem, anywhere there is a plan of IIT, there is a protest. There are private universities coming up in North Goa, and nobody seems to be bothered. Why?
Let us be clear: IITs are not factories or commercial complexes. They do not pollute, they do not displace thousands, nor do they privatize public resources. On the contrary, they create knowledge, empower youth, and serve as engines of innovation and local development. In every state where IITs have been established — whether it’s Kanpur, Madras, Hyderabad, or Guwahati — they have brought long-term economic, academic, and infrastructural benefits.”
Shel-Melaulim, Loliem, Sanguem, anywhere there is a plan of IIT, there is a protest. There are private universities coming up in North Goa, and nobody seems to be bothered. Why?
The establishment of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Goa is more than just a development project – it is a symbol of academic excellence, national progress, and the bright future of our youth. In a country where access to world-class technical education is still unevenly distributed, Goa being chosen as the home of an IIT is a matter of pride and opportunity.
Yet, what should have been a moment of celebration has been clouded by a series of protests — first in Dharbandora, and now in Codar. It is imperative that we pause and ask: are these protests truly rooted in community concerns, or are they politically motivated and driven by selective misinformation?
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant recently defended the project, rightly calling it one of “national interest.” His statement that “someone is instigating the people” cannot be brushed aside. In a state that boasts 100% literacy and a highly aware population, the repeated resistance to a premier educational institution raises serious questions.
Let us be clear: IITs are not factories or commercial complexes. They do not pollute, they do not displace thousands, nor do they privatize public resources. On the contrary, they create knowledge, empower youth, and serve as engines of innovation and local development. In every state where IITs have been established — whether it’s Kanpur, Madras, Hyderabad, or Guwahati — they have brought long-term economic, academic, and infrastructural benefits.
Why then is IIT Goa being treated with suspicion?
Some residents of Codar-Bethora claim that agricultural land is being taken away, that there was no consultation, and that the ecology is under threat. These concerns deserve to be heard — but they must also be grounded in facts. The government has clarified that the site is largely rocky and barren, and official procedures like the public notice and the lease application are being followed through the Comunidade framework. In reality, the land in question is not densely populated, and suggestions of widespread displacement appear exaggerated.
Moreover, one must ask: where were these environmental concerns when private projects — including mining, real estate, and commercial tourism — were slicing through Goa’s green cover? Why is it that a publicly funded, non-polluting, educational project is being met with more hostility than ventures that have far greater ecological impact?
Unfortunately, the pattern is becoming familiar. As with the protests at the Sanjivani Sugar Factory site, there appears to be a recurring attempt to stall the project at every location. This raises the possibility that the opposition is less about the location and more about preventing the project altogether. If so, that is not activism — it is sabotage.
In any healthy democracy, people have the right to protest. But that right comes with a responsibility to act in the larger interest. Blocking a project that will provide quality education to thousands of students — not just from Goa, but from across India — is not progressive. It is regressive.
Goa’s youth deserve access to an institution of the highest calibre. Local businesses stand to benefit from increased demand and employment. Infrastructure in the surrounding areas will improve, and the presence of an IIT will raise the academic and economic profile of the entire region.
The government has shown flexibility and patience in shifting sites and addressing concerns. But endless delays and politicization cannot become the norm. It is time for Goa’s civil society, community leaders, and well-wishers of the state to rise above narrow interests and support a project that will serve generations to come.
The IIT Goa campus is not an imposition. It is an investment in knowledge, in youth, and in the future. Let us not let short-term noise drown out long-term vision.
