PERNEM
A little over a month after violent clashes erupted between police and locals agitating against the IIT project in Sattari, clashes broke out between locals and police, this time in Pernem on Friday, over survey work for the proposed road access to the Mopa airport project.
Police arrested 67 protesters objecting to the survey work and later released them.
According to reports, trouble began when a government team had gone to the site to conduct survey work for the proposed road between Dhargal and the Mopa airport project.
Anticipating protests from farmers, locals and activists, a huge police force accompanied the survey team.
The large number of farmers, locals and activists initially held talks with Pernem Deputy Collector Ravishankar Nipanikar.
Speaking on the behalf of protesters, Vinayak Chari requested Nipanikar to stop the survey immediately.
“We are fighting this in a democratic way. We have sent appeals to the government and even knocked on the doors of the court. We are awaiting justice,” Chari told the deputy collector.
In response, Nipanikar asked the people not to oppose the survey.
“The chief minister has already discussed the issue with the farmers. The Mopa-affected locals will be duly compensated and other benefits for the loss of their land.”
“The survey is being conducted lawfully and those attempting to disrupt the survey work will face action,” warned Nipanikar.
Upset over the adamant position of the officials, the protestors said they were not interested in the benefits and wanted their land returned to them.
Warning that they were prepared to lay down their lives for the cause, the protesters then began chanting slogans against Deputy Chief Minister Babu Ajgaonkar.
The police officials also tried to pacify the protestors and when attempts failed to get them to disperse from the site, the police arrested 67 protesting farmers, locals and activists, including Adv Jitendra Gaonkar, former ZP member Tukaram Harmalkar, Praveen Arlekar, Prakash Kambli, Narayan Redkar and several women protesters.
The protesters were taken in police buses to Mapusa and Anjuna.
There were allegations that police also arrested Dnyaneshwar Varak, a local who was present to cover the protest live on the Revolutionary Goans’ Facebook page. It is learned they snatched his phone even after he showed his ID proof.
