PANAJI
While hundreds rallied behind tribal activist Rama Kankonkar, who was brutally assaulted a day earlier, the massive protest on Friday brought life in Panaji to a grinding halt, leaving commuters, patients and ordinary citizens stranded for hours. Students too faced hardship as the protest reached peak post 12-noon.
A sea of protestors took to the streets carrying placards, shouting slogans and demanding uncompromising justice. But as the crowds swelled, the other side of the story unfolded on Panaji’s roads, where tempers flared, tears welled up and desperation grew.
One woman driver, nearly breaking down, said her epileptic underage son was left exposed in the sun inside their vehicle. “My son cannot stay in the hot sun for long as he has epilepsy. When I told the protestors to give way, they replied that their son (Kankonkar) had been beaten up. I understand their pain, but why should my child suffer like this?” she asked, her voice trembling.
Several students were also stuck in the chaos as the impact of the protest was also seen in the periphery of Panaji including Cujira educational hub. While school vans with children were stuck in traffic, several parents were unable to reach the schools in time to pick up their wards.
It was not just cars and two-wheelers but buses too stood immobile and their passengers locked in arguments with some of the protestors. One operator pleaded with agitators to at least let buses pass through, but to no avail.
Among the trapped were a senior citizen couple, heading for treatment at the Goa Medical College. Stuck in a private bus near the market, the husband said in annoyance, “We have to take another bus from Panaji bus stand to GMC, but look at this -- we are stuck here for hours. Why do common people have to suffer like this?” He rued that there was no prior intimation about this blockade.
Another instance was near the ferry point, where a group of daily wage labourers was unable to reach work sites. “We are paid by the day. Today we lose our wages because the roads are blocked. Who will answer for our families’ meals tonight?” one worker demanded as another added, “We travel by ferry from the other side of Panaji, to save bus fare. We did the same today but look at the crowd, there is no place for even a pedestrian. How are we supposed to reach our workplace?”
