SANGUEM
Protests erupted after a group of 50 pro-IIT supporters stormed the meeting called by farmers from Sanguem and Cotarli villages to discuss the proposed IIT project on Sunday compelling the organisers to call it off barely five minutes after it started.
The meeting which was held at Shrison Plaza, Sanguem was basically called for people from Sanguem, Uguem, Cotarli and Devlamol villages to discuss the environment impact the IIT project would have if it was set up.
However, as the meeting started and activist Abhijit Prabhudessai had begun talking, a group of over 50 IIT supporters made a forceful entry and started shouting slogans in favour of the project.
They soon took centrestage and one Rajesh Gaonkar while complimenting the organisers for the huge gathering sought to know why they did not attend the meeting convened by MLA Subhash Phaldessai at the same place earlier.
This led to verbal clashes between the two groups with the IIT supporters shouting 'We want IIT' non-stop.
As the situation threatened to go out of hand with both the warring groups in no mood to relent, a large posse of policemen appeared on the scene and tried to pacify the IIT supporters.
DySP Nilesh Rane also reached the venue and made fervent attempts to bring the situation under control even as IIT supporters continued to shout 'We want IIT' slogans.
With no solution in sight and with the IIT supporters having no intentions to permit the conduct of the peaceful meeting, DySP Rane asked the organisers to call off the meeting and vacate the premises before any untoward incident took place.
He also assured the organisers of police protection. But as one of the organiser Constancio Mascarenhas was leaving the venue, he was abused and roughed up.
As Mascarenhas was being escorted to the car, the IIT supporters gheraoed him again damaging the windshield in the melee. A complaint to this effect was lodged by the car owner Santano Rodrigues.
The commotion continued for almost another half an hour on the main road till DySP Rane managed to pacify the crowd a second time.
Councillor and social worker Meshu D’Costa who had come to attend the meeting was hit by a bottle on his head. A complaint was also lodged at the Sanguem police station.
Speaking to The Goan, D’Costa informed that today’s incident was unwarranted. “There wasn’t any reason for IIT supporters to storm the meeting as it was basically meant for farmers to discuss the IIT project. We don't understand why the IIT supporters had to agitate”, he said.
Santano Rodrigues blamed the police saying instead of supporting the organisers and permitting them to conduct the meeting they were seen siding with the IIT supporters. “We had taken all permissions and despite that the police were seen rallying behind IIT supporters”, he claimed.
Constancio Mascarenhas who has been agitating on the issue since the time it was first proposed in Sanguem charged the BJP with making all attempts to silence the opposition.
“We do not understand why the government is trying to silence the opposition if they are sure that the project is for the good of the people from Sanguem”, he said.
