MARGAO
The Sao Jose de Areal gram sabha on Sunday unanimously resolved to demand withdrawal of the FIR registered against the villagers in connection with the incident over the installation of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj last month.
While demanding a detailed inquiry into the lathi charge on the villagers on February 19, gram sabha members further demanded a FIR against the rival group for forming unlawful assembly at the site on February 18-19. The meeting resolved to write to the Governor, Chief Minister, Chief Secretary and other authorities to bring to their notice the injustice done to the villagers, including the registration of FIR for unlawful assembly.
At the gram sabha chaired by Sarpanch Linda Fernandes, which was attended by Velim MLA Cruz Silva, gram sabha members came in strength with placards demanding justice. They not only demanded withdrawal of the cases registered against the villagers, but blamed Social Welfare Minister Subhash Phal Dessai for disturbing the village peace and tranquility.
Grams sabha members demanded to know how come the Goa police are still deployed in the property where the Shivaji statue has been installed, when the property owner has time and again maintained that property in question is a private property.
Gram sabha member Freddy Travasso, who was injured in the incident on February 19, explained the sequence of events that took place at the site, starting from February 18 evening and culminating in the installation of Shivaji statue on February 19.
In fact, he claimed that DySP Santosh Desai had allowed a group of persons to go ahead with the statue in the property, but stopped the villagers from questioning them over the permissions. He also alleged that Maina-Curtorim police station in-charge, PI Arun Desai did not allow the panchayat to conduct an inspection of the site where the Shivaji statue was installed.
Freddy later told the media that Areal villagers are not at all opposed to Shivaji Maharaj or his statue in the village. “Shivaji was a great warrior and a hero. We have no objection for his statue in the village. When Shivaji is a warrior and a hero, why the statue is installed at a secluded area in the property when it should have been installed at the starting point of the property,” he questioned, adding, ‘this only goes to show that the statue has been installed at the far corner of the property in order to take a six or eight metre wide road to the statue to develop the property’.
Deputy Sarpanch Valente Fernandes told the media that the gram sabha has resolved to demand an inquiry into the lathi charge against the villagers on February 19. He further said the gram sabha has resolved that police should not provide security in the private property when the owner has time and again asserted that the land in question is his private property.
