Destroy ecology, enjoy charity !

Sandesh Prabhudesai
9 May 2000  

Is charity subject to free hand given for destruction of environment ?

The question is being asked in Goa today as Goan patients visiting a naturopathy centre in Bangalore are denied admission, branding them as troublemakers, while a controversial industrial project of the same group is presently being opposed here.

A patient from Goa received a letter from Bangalore-based Institute of Naturopathy & Yogic Sciences, run as a charitable institute by the Group of Jindal Industries, informing him that his bookings at the hospital for 20 days are cancelled.

"No Goan is allowed here, hence please do not come", states the letter signed by the reservation officer N A Natarajan. The patient suffering with rheumatism is also informed that his reservation deposit would be refunded within a short period.

Incidentally, lots of controversy has surrounded the Meta Strips Ltd, a copper processing plant worth Rs 250 crore promoted by Dr Sitaram Jindal and owned by his son-in-law Sushil Khaitan.

Following violent protests by the villagers in South Goa near port town of Vasco, the state government here has closed the factory while appointing an experts committee to probe into the allegations of air, noise and water pollution.

As the local Church has also been supporting the year-long agitation against the controversial project, Dr Jindal had once published an advertisement, accusing the Church while claiming that he is personally involved in lot of charitable work for the society and preservation of the environment.

As the news of denying admission to a Goan without giving any reason was flashed in one of the local newspapers, the institute immediately sent a clarification, justifying their action though they claimed that there is no bar for admission with regard to caste, creed, religion, state or region.

"Some Goans brought in alcohol and smoking material which are considered taboo as per nature cure philosophy. Goan patients refuse to obey when it comes to discipline and on the contrary start quarrelling with the staff claiming that they pay money and are entitled to do anything like in hotels", the clarification states.

"It's a stupid clarification which exposes themselves. Do they mean to say that all Goans are alcoholics and indisciplined lot", asks Dr Claude Alvares, an environmentalist. Whatever may be the intention, but the clarification indirectly reiterates that no Goan is allowed at Dr Jindal's 'charitable' institution.

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