OLD GOA
Hundreds of locals from Old Goa and surrounding villages participated in a peaceful protest march from Gandhi Circle to the Old Goa police station before submitting a memorandum to the PI Satish Padwalkar demanding that Subhash Velingkar be barred from entering Old Goa till the Exposition of the sacred relics of St Francis Xavier concludes.
Among the protesters included the Old Goa sarpanch Medha Parvatkar, AAP president Amit Palekar, TMC leader Samil Volvoikar, panchas, activists and others.
The march started from Gandhi Circle and wend its way towards the Basilica of Bom Jesus and then towards the Old Goa police station where the memorandum was submitted demanding externment from Old Goa.
Along the way, the people prayed and sang hymns of St Francis Xavier. Later, the people gathered at the Gandhi Circle where various speakers urged the Goans not to fall prey to the divisive politics which they said was a ploy to divert attention from issues like land conversions, large-scale sale of forest land, mega projects.
Speaking on the occasion, Palekar said that the government is on the back foot as daily protests are witnessed in various parts of the State over land conversions done to promote mega land projects.
“And to divert attention, Subhash Velingkar has been used to incite religious hatred among the Christians and Hindus through his utterances against Goencho Saib,” Palekar stated.
“However, now that the real intent behind Velingkar’s utterances have been revealed we have to restrain ourselves so that the issue does not go out of hand and we have to focus ourselves back on the real issues that are plaguing the State,” Palekar appealed.
TMC leader Samil Volvoikar too voiced similar sentiments and condemned the statements of Velingkar against Goencho Saib who is revered by one and all as protector of Goa.
“St Francis Xavier is and will always remain as Goencho Saib and such derogatory statements will have no impact on the Goans who, irrespective of religion, come to Old Goa to pay their respects to the saint,” Volvoikar added while appealing Goans to protest peacefully.
Activist Anthony D’Silva, former Old Goa sarpanch Vishal Volvoikar, former Carambolim sarpanch Wilson Valladares, former Goltim-Navelim sarpanch Prasad Harmalkar and others also spoke.
