PANAJI: The ‘Enough is Enough’ campaign will hold a simultaneous awareness programme across all 12 talukas of Goa on August 14, the eve of Independence Day, with organisers planning torchlight demonstrations to take their 10-point charter of demands to the people.
Addressing a press conference on Monday, the organisers said the programmes will begin at 7.15 pm and will be held at prominent locations in each taluka as peaceful demonstrations aimed at creating awareness about their demands and strengthening their grassroots network.
Spokesperson Swapnesh Sherlekar said the initiative was aimed at taking the organisation’s demands directly to people and strengthening its grassroots network.
“Our 10-point charter of demands needs to reach the common people. This is an exercise from our side to connect with people on the ground, listen to them, explain the demands we have placed before the government and seek their support,” Sherlekar said.
Spokesperson Devidas Amonkar said the programmes would feature the lighting of mashaals (torches) as a symbol of carrying forward a thought and bringing light to Goa.
“This is an awareness programme and will be a peaceful demonstration. We will light mashaals as a symbol of carrying forward a thought and bringing light to Goa,” Amonkar said.
Participants will carry the organisation’s banner and the Tricolour, while organisers at each location will explain the 10-point charter and seek public support.
According to Amonkar, the charter is aimed at preventing what the organisation describes as the ongoing “destruction” of Goa.
“If these 10 demands are fulfilled and accepted by the government, the ongoing process of destruction of Goa can be halted, and we can preserve it in a reasonably good state,” he said.
Amonkar said the campaign had already taken up several issues included in its charter, including Section 39A of the Town and Country Planning Act.
He said the group had demanded that Section 39A be scrapped and had submitted a repeal bill, while also seeking that it be tabled.
The group also reiterated its opposition to a proposed 2,000-capacity casino, saying a court stay was currently in place on the project.
“Next week, there is another hearing, and we will make the maximum effort to realise the dream of Goans for a ‘Casino-free Mandovi’,” Amonkar said.
He added that the organisation was simultaneously working to strengthen its taluka-level committees and expand its presence across Goa.
The programmes will be organised by the respective taluka committees.
In Canacona, the programme will be held near the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue near the KTC Bus Stand, while Ponda will host it at Kranti Maidan near the police station.
In Quepem, the venue is the Quepem Bus Stand. Sanguem and Salcete are undecided yet, while the Mormugao programme will be held near St Andrew’s Church Circle in Vasco. The venue in Dharbandora is yet to be finalised.
The Pernem programme will be held at the Chopdem Junction. Bicholim will hold the programme in the open space in front of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Football Ground, where rickshaws and taxis are parked.
In Bardez, the programme will be held in the open space opposite the Hanuman/Sateri Temple in Mapusa.
The Tiswadi programme will take place at the KTC Bus Stand in Panaji. The venue for Sattari is yet to be finalised.
Spokesperson Govind Shirodkar said the programme would also provide citizens with an opportunity to raise local grievances directly with the organisation’s taluka-level representatives.
“People wonder, if we have grievances to raise, whom should we approach? There will be prominent local faces of our group at the taluka level whom people can approach with their grievances,” Shirodkar said.
He appealed to Goans to bring their issues to the programmes so they could be examined against the organisation’s 10-point charter.
“If they align with our 10-point charter, we will include them, discuss them with the jurists and try to resolve them to a large extent,” he said.
IPS officer Bosco George said the campaign was aimed at making citizens aware of what he described as the stakes involved in the development and environmental issues facing Goa.
“People have to realise what is at stake. What are we going to lose? Our hills, waterways, all these things that were gifted to generations much before,” George said.
He said the torchlight programme was intended to symbolise enlightenment and awareness among citizens.
“Through the light of this torch, we want to bring enlightenment to the minds of all citizens of Goa. This is an awareness programme,” he said.
George also alleged that there had been pressure on members of the organisation and referred to an alleged attempt to demolish the restaurant of worker Samir Govekar following an earlier meeting.
“There was an attempt to demolish the restaurant of our worker, Samir Govekar. We condemned that act, and ‘Enough is Enough’ has taken the responsibility to restore it. We will not leave our workers stranded,” he said.
Amonkar added that the organisation was seeking to build collective strength across the State and reiterated that its 10-point charter had been submitted to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant.
He claimed that the charter, prepared with the involvement of Retired Chief Justice Ferdino Rebello, had also been sent to Governor Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, but alleged that there had been no response from the Chief Minister so far.
