MARGAO
The five hour-long siege at the Chandor railway crossing finally ended in the wee hours of Monday, but not before the protesters submitting a written application to the Sub-divisional Magistrate, Margao Jyoti Kumari demanding that she either convince the South Goa district Collector to revoke the controversial order or call a meeting with a delegation of Goyant Kollso Naka, Goencho Ekvott and other organisations on November 3.
In the application made to the SDM, who was present at the Chandor police outpost till the wee hours of Monday, the protesters pointed out that they had demanded the revocation of the Collector’s order dated October 26, but their pleas have fallen on deaf ears.
The application stated that since the SDM had come as a representative of the district collector, the protesters request the SDM to convince the Collector to revoke the order. If not, the SDM was urged to request the Collector to set up a meeting with a 25-member delegation representing the protesters to convince the Magistrate why the order dated October 26 should be immediately withdrawn.
They warned in the application that the people of Goa will have no option than to continue with the agitation in the event the district Collector’s order is not withdrawn immediately.
SDM Kumari had was present at the Chandor railway tracks around 1 am Monday as the protesters refused to budge till the district Collector, South paid a visit to the spot of agitation.
For around half an hour, the SDM held talks with the protesters on the railway tracks, before conceding that she has no powers to revoke the order issued by the Collector. With the discussions ending in a deadlock, the SDM was later escorted to the Chandor outpost just adjoining the level crossing.
The protesters followed her and camped outside the outpost, demanding that the SDM get the Collector to meet their demands for the revocation of the October 26 order.
Goencho Ekvott leader Viriato Fernandes and other protesters continued a sit-in at the entrance to the outpost till the wee hours after a delegation of women protesters held discussions with the SDM.
