VASCO
Severely criticising the police for detaining the youth of Goa for several hours on Saturday, an anguished Chicalim Parish Priest Fr Bolmax Pereira said they were not terrorists but ended up being terrorised by the police.
Narrating the sequence of events on Saturday, Fr Pereira said the youth of Goa had no protest planned at Panaji.
“They had only planned a song/dance, skit and street play with flash mob along with a small speech to commemorate Liberation Day. It was initially planned at Azad Maidan, but since the venue was not available due to the president’s visit, the location was changed to the Panaji Church Square.”
“The youth had also written to the President seeking an audience with him, but received a call on Saturday morning from the President’s office declining their request. They then decided to have an hour-long programme at Panaji church steps in the afternoon,” said Fr Pereira.
He said the bus carrying the youth of Chicalim was stopped by police even before they could enter Panaji at around 2 pm.
“As their mentor, I advised the youth not to resort to violence or protest. When the police entered the bus, the youth said they were going to Mapusa for a performance with the striking Drishti lifeguards and then return to Panaji.”
“The bus was, however, diverted to Porvorim and later crossed Mapusa. At this time, the youth became worried and asked questions, but the police who did not have name badges kept silent. The youth then panicked and began shouting in the bus, while appealing for help on social media.”
“I also got worried and requested with Goencho Awaaz Convenors Captain Viriato Fernandes and Swapnesh Sherlekar who along with the people who heard their cries managed to stop the bus at Colvale. Upon enquiry, the police said the bus was being taken to Pernem police station.”
“Some members of Goencho Awaz also entered the bus and were informed by the police that youth were being detained under the National Security Act. I later demanded with the DySP, Uttam R Dessai on the phone call that the police get the youth back to Panaji and we were assured that the bus would be dropped at Agassaim and we agreed,” said Fr Pereira.
Fr Pereira said two police buses had some more youth and old persons, including two priests, who were picked up from Panaji.
“The buses kept moving from one place to another from 2 pm to 6.30 pm, till they reached Ponda police station. The youth were without food, water or allowed the use of washrooms. Two youth felt giddy and a 108 was summoned at Ponda and they were given glucose,” said Fr Pereira.
The parish priest said he alerted their advocates that the youth were being harassed by police.
“I went to Ponda police station at 7 pm and the police were collecting details of the youth. I demanded that their names should not be recorded because they had done nothing wrong.”
“The police insisted on recording names, so Captain Viriato and I gave our names for the sake of the youth. The bus was released from Ponda police station at around 9 pm after procedures and we sent the bus to Chicalim,” said Fr Pereira.
“The youth were certainly not terrorists, but were treated as terrorists by the police,” he added.
“Capt Viriato and I were then asked to sign a bond before the SDM as a condition for the youth to be released. We were then taken to Panaji police station in a police jeep. The police inspector was good to us and even went to the SDM’s residence himself to get the order.”
“When we were asked to sign the bond, we realised that Sections 107, 109 and 110 were charged against us. When I questioned him about my crime, he told us about some WhatsApp message stating that Fr Bolmax and Capt Viriato had planned a protest along with the youth.”
“We were shocked and as it was nothing of that sort. We may have been targeted because of the WhatsApp message. We had to sign a personal bond that we should not come to Panaji as long as the president is there. Are we some terrorists? It was only around midnight that we were released from the police station,” said Fr Pereira.
