Even as the nation is in the grip of the fast spreading anti-CAA and anti-NRC protests, Chimbel, the village on the outskirts of Panaji which houses the Indira Nagar slum, could well be first on the radar, if and when the CAA-NRC regime is implemented here.
A few weeks ago, indications that the local BJP-led government may opt to implement the NRC regime in the State, came at Chimbel’s gram sabha held in November.
A Chimbel local and secretary of the Chimbel Manch, Tukaram Kunkolkar had opened the pandora’s box at the recently held Chimbel gram sabha when he raised suspicion that Bangladeshis and Pakistanis could be residing at Indira Nagar. He demanded that a survey on the lines of NRC should be conducted to ascertain the identity of the residents in the locality.
Speaking at the gram sabha held in November, Kunkolkar had pointed out that the ‘migrant menace’ is growing every passing day in Indira Nagar and there is no check on the persons residing there.
“There is a possibility of Bangladeshis and Pakistanis residing in Indira Nagar due to which the panchayat should write to the Union Home Minister Amit Shah to conduct a survey on the lines of NRC so that the identity of the residents is established,” Kunkolkar had demanded.
Members of the Chimbel Manch had been time and again raising the issue of Indira Nagar, and have been demanding that the panchayat should conduct a survey of the area to ascertain the number of houses which are given on rent as well as those which have been sold by the original allottees.
However, the claims made on the presence of Bangladeshis and Pakistanis at Indira Nagar were immediately brushed aside by Sarpanch Chandrakant Kunkolkar who stated that there are no persons belonging to these countries in the area.
“No Bangladeshi or Pakistani is present at Indira Nagar,” Kunkolkar had told the media when questioned on the claims made at the gram sabha.
The panchas of Indira Nagar had also come out to defray the claims stating that these are false and misleading.
“These people have been residing at Indira Nagar for over 30 years. They have voter cards, aadhaar cards, etc,” Indira Nagar panch Mohan Narve had pointed out.
A large number of Indira Nagar residents also came out against the allegations and submitted a memorandum to the panchayat stating that no Bangladeshi or Pakistani is residing at Indira Nagar.
Meanwhile, sources in the Goa Police’s Crime Investigation Department (CID) informed that its personnel conducted investigation on the claims made at the November gram sabha but could not find any evidence of the presence of any Bangladeshi or Pakistani at Indira Nagar.
