the goan I network
MARGAO
Benaulim villagers on Monday kicked off their awareness campaign under the banner of “Benaulikarnacho Ulo” over the presence of migrants in the village and to explain how outsiders have been trying to dominate the locals in their own homeland.
The first meeting was held at Pedda-Benaulim on Monday evening. The local youth have vowed to take the movement to the nook and corner of the village before taking concrete steps against the migrants.
Sarpanch Eslinda, who attended the Pedda meeting, told the locals that the panchayat body will deliberate on the sentiments raised by the local populace against the presence of migrants before convening a special gram sabha meeting.
Jose Fernandes, who had last week submitted a letter to the gram sabha on the presence of migrants in the village, said the people of Pedda will not tolerate the presence of migrants without documentation and sanitation facilities.
He further explained that the movement will be taken to the every nook and corner of the village before chalking out the next course of action.
Seeking cooperation of the people for the movement, Jose said plans are afoot to contact each and every household in the village on the movement launched by the villagers to protect their interests.
He made a fervent plea to the villagers to attend the meetings saying their views and opinions on the issue will help them to come out with a plan of action to protect the interests of Benaulim.
Another villager Grrayfans Fernandes, who had submitted complaints to the village panchayat and the Colva police on the activities of a resident of Moti Dongor, told the villagers that similar complaints have been sent to the authorities, right from the district collector to the office of the Chief Minister and the Panchayat Minister.
Saying that the ongoing movement has caught the attention of the people of Benaulim, Grrayfans said people have volunteered not to lease out their premises to the migrants if that is the unanimous decision of the village.
The movement launched by the villagers assumes significance and comes against the backdrop of the decision by the locals not to allow reopening of the shops operated by the Banjara community in the village.
