MARGAO
Who will organise the Margao Shigmo festival this year - the Damu Naik-led Madgaon Shigmotsav Samiti, the Digambar Kamat headed Madgaon Shigmotsav Samiti or the Margao Municipal Council headed by chairperson Babita Angle?
While the Madgaon Shigmotsav Samiti headed by BJP leader and former MLA Damu Naik has been organising the Margao Shigmotsav annually since the last three years with government funding, MMC chairperson stated that the civic body is gearing up to celebrate the Shigmo parade this year, claiming that the government has instructed the chief officers to ensure that the Shigmotsav is organised by the civic body.
When The Goan contacted Damu for his comments on the MMC’s move to hold the Shigmo celebrations with chairperson Babita Angle as the ex-officio president of the Shigmotsav Samiti, he only reminded that MMC has no role to play in the organisation of the Shigmo parade.
“In Margao, the Shigmo has always been organised by the Madgaon Shigmotsav Samiti. This year too, the Samiti will hold the celebrations as usual. I have held discussions with the members of the traditional Samiti on how to go about celebrating Shigmo in the city this year,” Damu said.
The issue figured at the meeting of the Margao Municipal Council on Thursday, wherein MMC chairperson Babita explained that the government has asked the chief officers to constitute committees for Shigmo celebration with the Municipal chairpersons as the ex-officio president of the Shigmo Samiie.
Incidentally, after Babita explained the government's decision regarding the organisation of the Shigmo festival in the city, a couple of councillors demanded that the Margao civic body should adhere to the official decision.
Babita later told the media that she would hold consultations with the exiting Shigmotsav Samitis in a bid to involve members in the organisation of the Margao Shigmo under the Margao municipality. “I know that Margao Municipality might not have organised the Shigmo parade in the city in the past. But, at the same time, the Margao civic body will go by the decision of the government if they have asked the chief officers to co-ordinate the organisation of Shigmo festivities,” she added.
In the past, both the Damu and Digambar factions of Madgaon Shigmotsav Samiti had jostled to organise the Margao floats, claiming that they are the original and traditional Samitis. When Digambar Kamat was the state Chief Minister, the Samiti aligned to him had organised the Shigmo parade in the commercial capital, with the same privilege now being enjoyed by the Damu-led Samiti since the return of the BJP-led government in the State post the 2012 Assembly election.
