OLD GOA
The usage of the word ‘criminal’ by a local at the Santa Cruz gram sabha resulted in chaos, with several villagers and even the panchayat authorities taking objection to the same.
The villagers asked the person concerned to apologise and said that they wouldn’t allow the gram sabha to go ahead if an apology was not forthcoming. As the situation was going out of control, Sarpanch Jennifer Oliveira called off the gram sabha.
“It is actually criminal to be participating in the gram sabha like this,” local Elsa Dias had stated while speaking at the meeting. Later, addressing reporters, Sarpanch Oliveira said that Dias asked if there are criminals, how she would be able to speak.
“Is this the way to talk?” Oliveira posed while asking whether it is right to call the villagers criminals. Oliveira further stated that the gram sabha has not been postponed but ended.
The panchayat authorities also informed that this is the second instance when such offensive words have been directed against the villagers.
“Earlier a member of the same group in another meeting had abused the villagers,” a panch said. But Elsa said that the gram sabha was out of control from the beginning itself.
“From the very beginning, there were incidents of shouting, mike snatching, etc. If the same had happened to me, then would it not have been criminal?” Dias posed while clarifying the context in which the word was said.
Dias further said that she had written to the police to provide protection at the gram sabha, but there was no lady police present. Meanwhile, some villagers expressed disappointment over calling off the gram sabha as their proposals could not be taken up.
