In Goa, where an argumentative mindset is part of the local identity, there are always two sides to a story, sometimes three. The coconut tree issue, which catapulted the Goa Forward Party (GFP) from one MLA to three, is one such story.
For much of the debate, which started in December 2015 when the then Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government decided to strip the coconut palm of ‘tree’ status, the approach has been to save this ubiquitous tree or at least give the impression of saving it. Goa without its coconut trees is like the US. . .
