MARGAO
Ahead of the Shiv Jayanti celebrations on February 19, tension rent the air at Sao Jose de Areal on Monday, bringing face to face the local residents and the landowner Mehboob Makandar over the damage and removal of barbed wire fencing in a tenanted field apparently to pave way for an access to the adjoining property playing host to the statue.
A team of Maina-Curtorim police led by PI Arun Desai rushed to Areal with a posse of policemen to avert a law and order situation. The police were later joined by Salcete Mamlatdar Vimod Dalal to work out a solution. Velim MLA Cruz Silva also made his presence at the site later in the evening.
The area had witnessed tension and violence last year around the same time after a group of persons carried Shivaji’s statue for installation on a hilly land.
Local residents maintained they are neither against Shivaji Maharaj nor his statue. In fact, they insisted the core issue facing Benabhat is not Shivaji’s statue, but land development.
Tension started on Monday noon after local residents rushed to Benabhat following reports that the owner of the adjoining plot, Mehboob Makandar, where a statue of Shivaji Maharaj was installed in his property last year, allegedly started clearing the fencing in a tenanted field ahead of his plot.
Landowner Makandar told the media that he had come to his property in view of the Shiv Jayanti celebrations scheduled on Wednesday, only to find barricading and fencing of the plot in question. “When we tried to enter, the local residents came in large numbers and stopped us. They also blocked my car by placing stones near the tyres,” he said.
A local resident, Cruz Tereza, who claimed to be the tenant of the plot in question, said he had fenced his plot as he had cultivated paddy and had drawn up plans to go for the second crop. He alleged that the fencing and barricading was dismantled and damaged and demanded restoration of his barbed wire fencing.
Local residents questioned PI Arun Desai when he asked the tenant Cruz Tereza to produce his document, claiming tenancy or land ownership to the barricade plot in question. They cried foul over the police stand, insisting that the police officer should first ask Mehboob Makandar to produce documents or any order authorising him to enter the tenanted plot and remove the fencing.
Another property owner grants consent for alternate access to Shivaji statue
MARGAO: After discussions between the authorities and the local residents and the Shiv Premis, it was finally agreed to use an alternate access to go to the statue of Shivaji Maharaj on Shiv Jayanti celebration on February 19.
Velim MLA Cruz Silva, Bajrang Dal leader Viraj Desai and Salcete Mamlatdar Vimod Dalal later told the media that the issue over the access to the Shivaji statue has been resolved after an owner of an alternate property has consented to provide access to the statue from his property.
Bajrang Dal leader Viraj Desai said the organisation has agreed to the alternate access to the Shivaji statue, even though he said nothing would have prevented its members from going to the statue through the other property. Out of respect for law and the advice of the authorities, we have accepted the alternate route,” he said.
He added: “The Shivaji statue at Sao Jose de Areal would have been a perfect example of community harmony in Goa. For, the land to install Shivaji statue has been provided by a Muslim owner and the village is inhabited by the Christian population. Shiv Jayanti is a victory celebration and an important event for the Hindus. We do not know why the people are creating issues over the statue and land access,” he said.
