the goan I network
MARGAO
Margao’s historic Lohia Maidan once again braces up to host public meetings in the run up to the election for the South Goa Lok Sabha constituency, but the intervening Holy Week services in the last leg of the campaign seemed to have had a bearing on the meeting schedules of the political parties.
The BJP seemed to have got the better of its immediate rival the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party. Aware that Maundy Thursday and Good Friday falls on the last three crucial days before curtains come down on the fortnight-long campaign, the BJP has booked the Lohia Maidan and has managed to get the slot on Saturday “ the penultimate day of the campaign.
Left with no option and knowing well that public meetings during the Holy Week will not go down well with the public sentiments, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has booked the Lohia Maidan on April 13. On the other hand, the Congress is yet to take a final call on holding a public meeting in Margao and cap its campaign for the South Goa seat.
Inquiries by The Goan with the Margao Municipal Council has revealed that the Congress has not booked the Lohia Maidan for a public meeting till date. When The Goan contacted South Goa district Congress Committee chief Joe Dias to shed light on the Congress’ plan to hold the final meeting at Margao, he was candid in admitting that the intervening Holy Week and the services at the Churches has made the party leaders to think over the schedule and ensure that the meeting dates do not clash with the Holy Week services.
“We have still not decided on holding the mega meeting in Margao for the simple reason that the last leg of the election campaign coincides with the Holy Week services. That is the only reason why the Congress has till date not booked the Lohia Maidan for a public meeting before campaigning draws to a close on Sunday,” he added.
The district Congress president, however, pointed out that party leaders, including those closely associated
with the party election campaign, will sit and decide how to go about the mega public meeting.
The historic Lohia Maidan, from where nationalist Dr Ram Manohar Lohia, had on June 18, 1946, gave a clarion call for the people of Goa to arise and revolt against the Portuguese regime, has since become a symbol of free speech and expression in Independent Goa. Post-Liberation history, the Lohia Maidan in the heart of the commercial capital has offered a platform for all sections of society, including the political class, civil society et al to express their opinion and draw the attention of the authorities as well as the public at large.
Attempts made in the past to curtail the freedom of speech and expression of the people by restricting the use of the Lohia Maidan by the Margao Municipal Council had met with stiff resistance, forcing the civic body to bow down to the sentiments
and make available the maidan to the public without restrictions.
