Team Herald
VASCO: Calling it a clear case of human rights violation, the Goa unit of All India Council of Human Rights, Liberties and Social Justice (AICHRLSJ) has decided to approach the State government as well as other State and Central authorities to get justice for Inacio Dourado and his family, who have been living on private property near Hansa beach without an electricity and water connection.
Addressing a press conference with Inacio Dourado on Friday, AICHRLSJ chairman Michael Ferns informed that out of six families staying in a private property near Hansa beach as tenants, five families had vacated their houses allegedly due to harassment by the Navy. He claimed that the Navy, citing security concerns, prevented them and their relatives from accessing the property.
“Even though there is no proper access, no water and electricity connection, Dourado, who is a fisherman, still continued to live in that property with his family with the belief that they would continue with traditional fishing operations. But Dourado was wrong as the Navy started harassing them by blocking their access. Slowly, even the workers who were working on the fishing canoes owned by Dourado stopped working for him, due to which he had to give up his fishing business,” said Ferns.
He further said, “Inacio Dourado later approached the High Court, and in 2001, the HC passed an order asking the Navy to give him rightful access, which is via the naval residential gate. Later, due to untold reasons, the State agencies even disconnected their electricity supply. Today, the Dourado family is living without water and electricity, besides others basic amenities, which is a clear-cut violation of human rights. Thus, AICHRLSJ Goa unit has decided to approach the State government as well as other agencies of State and Centre to get justice for the Dourado family.”
Explaining the hardships faced by he and his family, 60-year-old Inacio Dourado said, “We have been facing tremendous hardships for many years. Recently, my wife suffered a snake bite and we had to carry her in our arms using the only access pathway, which is via steps, to take her to the hospital. We even tried to call for an ambulance, but the navy did not allow the ambulance to come to us. Our relatives do not want to visit us because they have to go through various formalities to obtain a pass from navy officials at Varunapuri. No one wants to marry my son because people don’t want their daughter to face similar hardships. How should we live? We cannot even go anywhere.”
Meanwhile, refuting Dourado’s allegations, Navy PRO R N Krishnan said, “We never prevented their access, but due to security concerns, we have issued them passes. With regards to water and electricity collection, it has to do with the State agencies and not the navy.”
