Oppn’s mega protest in city against TCP’s Sec 39A today

Panaji: The anger and frustration against the rampant conversion of land across Goa under Section 39A of the Town and Country Planning Act was palpable on Sunday, at Azad Maidan, where St Andre MLA Viresh Borkar’s hunger strike unto death entered the second day.

With govt refusing to agree to Borkar’s demands, a decision was taken to gather around 4,000 people for a massive protest on Monday to demand that Section 39A be scrapped.What began as a protest by a clutch of people of Palem-Siridao village has taken a larger life with environmentalists, activists and the opposition parties coming out in support of the protesters and Borkar.On Sunday, around 600 people gathered at Azad Maidan with support pouring in from Sattari, Mandrem, Usgao, Salcete, Tivim and several other parts of the state.RG treasurer Ajay Kholkar said, “We have decided to take this movement against Section 39A ahead and on Monday, we, small people, together with the activists and political parties, we will hold the ‘Karo ya Maro’ andolan. Let us show BJP govt the unity of Goans and show them a massive agitation.”This protest, which began with a march to the TCP department on Feb 20 for revocation of land use change for 76,000sqm in Palem-Siridao for the benefit of just one company, has now snowballed into a larger demand for scrapping all approvals under Section 39A.

“We have been taught to put our lives on stake, but the villages should be protected at any costs. All villagers, all gaonkars have one hope, that it should be a better and a peaceful place. The stambh you see at Azad Maidan, is a symbol of agitation, an agitation for freedom and peace. People have sacrificed their lives for freedom. We should fight for the freedom of our hills and our villages,” said Borkar.With the state assembly set to meet in less than a fortnight, the opposition parties also see the protest as an opportunity to form a cohesive voice and take on Pramod Sawant-led govt.Leader of the opposition Yuri Alemao said that elected representatives have a right to raise public issues in the assembly and to protest against policies detrimental to their respective constituencies.“Govt only understands the language of protests. It was the duty of the speaker to come to Azad Maidan to meet Borkar. Our ultimatum to govt went unanswered. All opposition parties and NGOs have to set aside their differences and mobilise 4,000 to 5,000 people at Azad Maidan,” said Alemao.GFP president Vijai Sardesai met Borkar and demanded action against the police inspector who issued the verbal order to lift and drag Borkar out of the TCP office.“This is a legislator who was elected by his constituency and if an MLA is manhandled for standing up for his people then no person, no resident is safe in Goa. No procedure or due process was followed. Govt must immediately suspend the police inspector because that is not how an MLA can be treated,” said Sardesai.Initially, Goa police deployed one police van of personnel but as the crowds swelled, three vans of police personnel were deployed to keep the protest in check. The protesters spent the day speaking out against govt and TCP minister Vishwajit Rane interspersed with slogans and traditional songs.“The manner in which a legislator was dragged out of a govt office is not right. This agitation against the TCP department began in Pernem and now it is spreading to other parts of the state.

Seeing this is heartening,” said a Mandrem resident Babli Naik.AAP MLA Venzy Viegas pitched for an alliance, saying that all opposition parties must come together. He said that if the AAP leadership disagreed, the AAP MLAs will take their own decision.Earlier in the day, RG’s Manoj Parab gave Goa govt a two-hour ultimatum to scrap 39A and terminate police personnel who allegedly manhandled the MLA. However, with govt refusing to engage with the protesters, a decision was taken to reconvene at Azad Maidan on Monday at 4pm.Borkar and his close supporters and villagers remain encamped at Azad Maidan.An ambulance with a team of paramedics has been kept on standby to monitor Borkar’s health condition.