MARGAO
The Margao police on Wednesday called a meeting of citizens belonging to different religions as part of an exercise to ensure peace and harmony and seek cooperation from the society in nipping communal tensions.
The meeting chaired by IPS, Sunny Gupta was attended by Margao Municipal councillor Mahesh Amonkar, BJP leader Sharmad Raiturkar, Fr Silvester, attached to the Carmelite Monastry, All Goa Muslim Forum president Shaikh Iftikar, George Barretto was called against the backdrop of the recent communal incidents at Vasco and in view of the ensuing festivities.
Appreciating the gesture of the Goa police, the participants assured all support and cooperation to the men-in-uniform and the administration in maintaining law and order.
Gupta said help and cooperation from the public is essential in maintaining peace and harmony, adding that information provided to the police can help in averting troubles and tensions in the society.
Shaikh Iftikar drew attention of the Police officer to a suggestion to put in place Moholla peace committees in the city on the lines of Mumbai, which was set up by former Mumbai Commissioner Julio Rebeiro. Iftikar pointed out that he and others and gone to personally meet Julio Rebeiro some years ago to seek his guidance how to go about forming the peace committees.
When a participant pointed out to the recent incidents at Sancoale, Rumdamol housing board and Jamia Masjid, Margao and the role of an individual association with a particular organisation, he was told that the individual does not belong to the Hindu organisation.
Margao Municipal councillor Mahesh Amonkar said the police should form the peace committee to maintain social harmony amongst various sections of society. He also said the police should find out the number of persons staying in the city and verification, while stressing on the need to maintain vigilance in the city.
