VALPOI
The ongoing protest against the IIT project gained further momentum after hundreds of people from three villages in Sattari marched to join the agitating locals at Shel-Melauli on Monday.
The Melauli locals, invigorated by support from other villages, have now served a10-day ultimatum to the State government to scrap the proposed IIT project.
Anticipating tension with the large numbers of protestors from different villages at the IIT project site in Shel-Melauli, the government survey team did not visit Melauli to conduct demarcation work on Monday.
SOLIDARITY: The stage was set for another clash between locals and police on Monday, when Melauli locals defiantly gathered at the IIT project site to resume their ongoing protest and to oppose the government survey team, following statements from Chief Minister Pramod Sawant that demarcation work for the proposed IIT project would resume on Monday after clashes broke out between police and Melauli locals last week.
The protest by Melauli locals then received a major boost when locals of Khotoda, Dhamshe and Mauxi decided to march to Melauli in support of the ongoing agitation.
Incidentally, locals from Mauxi are reported to have convened a special meeting late Sunday evening, where they decided to join the agitating Melauli locals.
After invoking the blessings of Lord Ravalnath on Monday, residents of Mauxi began marching towards Valpoi town.
Such was the unity and determination among locals of the three villages to support the Melauli locals, that they undertook a 15-km walk to Melauli.
There were some tense moments at Valpoi town, when a police team tried to stop the protest rally from proceeding towards Melauli. However, the police team was completely outnumbered and the protest rally simply marched ahead.
The protestors then walked past the Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Circle, Nanus, Sawarshe, Padeli, Dhamshe and Guleli, from where they proceeded to Melauli at about 2.30 pm.
Small police teams were posted at all entry points to Melauli to prevent outsiders from joining the Melauli locals, but these police team could offer no resistance to hundreds of people marching past them.
Locals of Melauli were delighted over the arrival of people from other villages and thanked them for their support.
ULTIMATUM: Later speaking to reporters, Melauli Panchkroshi Gram Bachao Andolan leader Shubham Shivolkar condemned the statement of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, insisting that the IIT project would be set up at Shel-Melauli, despite opposition from across Sattari taluka.
“This movement is not only to oppose the IIT but also to secure land ownership rights and as a result, people from several villages are supporting this movement,” said Shivolkar.
Another leader, Shashikant Sawrdekar, said all people from Sattari taluka who have been fighting for land ownership rights should support join in this movement.
Shivolkar said the locals have given the State government a 10-day ultimatum to revoke its decision to set up the IIT project at Shel-Melauli, failing which the villagers would decide their future course of action.
While reiterating demands for the suspension of Valpoi PI Sagar Ekoskar, they also demanded the release of Kalpesh Gaonkar, who has been arrested in an attempt to murder case following the clashes between police and locals, else they would stage a Valpoi Bandh and intensify their agitation across the State.
A senior villager, Rama Gaonkar sought to know why the State government was forcibly trying to set up the IIT project, if the locals did not want the project in their village.
“If the IIT project comes up in the area, our livelihood will be destroyed and hence, villagers from Mauxi have also joined us in demanding the relocation of this project elsewhere,” said Gaonkar.
A youth, Mahadev Gaonkar, feared that the violent clashes could end up in tragedy and recalled the death of a person in Saleli about 15 years ago following protests against the polluting stone crushing units.
