MARGAO
After a brief lull during the festive season, the anti-coal and track doubling agitation is set to roar again in the New Year.
If the Railways are planning to resume work on the track-laying work in the New Year, anti-track doubling activists too appears to be bracing up to intensify the ongoing agitation and ensure that the government drops the controversial projects.
That’s not all. Given that the men-in-uniform have been found “proactive” in scuttling the protests as evident by the crackdown at Seraulim during Christmas programme, the organizations spearheading the anti-coal movement have made it clear that suppressive methods will in no way cow down the protesters, promising to take the civil disobedience movement to a new high during the peaceful movement.
Goencho Ekvott convenor Creson Antao said “something big” will take place in the New Year if the railways dare resume double tracking work. He also pointed out that the government and the police will be sadly mistaken if they think that people’s agitation can be crushed by deploying outside police officers. “Outside police officers are being misused to instruct the local policemen to crack a whip. But, we will not be cowed down by such tactics. You will learn that the Chandor turnout was just a trailer. Just wait and see something big unfolding in the New Year. Government will be solely responsible for aggravating the situation”, he said, while referring to the police action of stopping Christmas cultural programme at Seraulim.
Demanding to know what sort of discussions the railways plan to have with the people on the track doubling project, Creson conveyed a message loud and clear to the Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd that the demands to scrap the three linear projects are not negotiable.
Goyant Kollso Naka co-convenor Abhijit Prahudesai was categorical in saying that if the railways are hell bent on resuming work against the sentiments of the people, Goemkars in general will show their might against the controversial projects. “If the railways have drawn up a plan to take the people and the protestors into confidence, we will put across our views how the track doubling project is meant to transport coal to the neighboring states”, he said, asserting there will be no compromise on the demands to scrap the three projects.
The Goyant Kollso Naka leader said the government and the railways will be sadly mistaken if they think that they can bulldoze with the controversial projects. “We had been lying low during the festive season and will be back on the streets with the agitation cum awareness campaign against the projects in the New Year”, Prabhudesai said.
Accusing the government for trying to crush the people’s movement by citing the instance of Seraulim, where a cultural program centered on coal and environment was scuttled through the police, Abhijit said the government has gone paranoid after seeing the growing support of Goemkars to the ongoing agitation. “If the government tries to crush the movement, we will only step up the civil disobedience movement. The government cannot use the police force to stifle the voice of the people”, he warned.
Both Goyant Kollso Naka and Goencho Ekvott and other organizations have been spearheading the ongoing movement against coal and the linear projects since October last.
