MARGAO
Hundreds of protesters participated in a candlelight protest rally at the Margao municipal square to protest against the police atrocities against the Melauli women and to demand the withdrawal of charges against all the villagers and people supporting the movement.
Armed with placards and banners, various organizations joined the protest rally to stand in solidarity with the Melauli villagers.
After a brief meeting at the MMC square, the protesters took out a candlelight rally around the Margao municipal garden, demanding the suspension of PI Sagar Ekoskar and scrapping of the IIT project planned at Melauli.
During the meeting, the protesters demanded the upholding of democracy at Melauli and stop atrocities on the indigenous communities of the State. While calling for a stop to the land grab, the protesters called for a stop to the violence on the village.
General Secretary of GAKUVED, a federation of Gawda, Kunbi, Velim and Dhangar communities, Rupesh Velip, termed as dictatorship the government’s decision to invoke the attempt to murder offence against the IIT protesters.
While condemning the police action, Velip demanded that both Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Health Minister Vishwajit Rane should immediately resign for inciting violence and abusing the human rights of the poor protesting villagers.
“We stand strongly in solidarity with the Melauli villagers. This is an attack on the entire indigenous communities of Goa and other villagers, who are peacefully and happily living in Melauli village since generations,” he said, and warned that the state government may face law and order problem if it does not back off from Melauli.
“We will make sure that all the MLAs in their constituencies face the heat of the Melauli protests,” he warned.
John Fernandes, representing the Quepem Adivasi Sangh, said the government has the option of setting up the IIT project at the Food Park land acquired by the government in Quepem. “We have come out in solidarity with the people of Melauli. The government should not thrust the IIT project on the poor people,” he warned.
Activist Zarinha Da Cunha said that people have come to participate in the candlelight protest to support the truth and fight against injustice. She made a plea to the police not to succumb to the government pressure and mete out harassment to the innocent people of Melauli.
Fr Eremito Rebello, trade union leader Prasanna Uttagi, Sarzora Sarpanch Sabita Mascarenhas and others also addressed the protesters. The protest was supported by Members of Goencho Ekvott, Human Rights Confederation of Goa, GAKUVED.
