No mercy for youth taking medicines for ailing mother
A youngster, headed towards Porvorim with medicines for his ailing mother, wasn’t spared by the so called “mining dependents”. They blocked his passage and even took away the keys of his two-wheeler and flung them away. The youth was searching for the keys even much after the protests ended. Ambulances were also not spared and were blocked in the huge traffic jams.
Dhavalikar hit by bottles
PWD Minister Sudin Dhavalikar, who, along with other ministers tied pacifying the crowd but the latter were in the mood to cause damage. The minister was hit by bottles on his head. Later when asked for his reaction, he said, “I forgive them for what they did.”
MLA Cabral takes a lathi hit
The Curchorem MLA found himself at the receiving end of the lathi charge started by the Maharashtra Reserve Police. Cabral was amongst the agitators when the charging policemen hit him unaware of who he was. The MLA was given first aid and further treatment.
In damage mode
Police vans, KTC buses, fire brigade vehicles were damaged.
Students stranded
Around 700 students were stranded at the Cujira school complex for hours without food after school ended. These included toddlers and primary school students whose parents were stuck in the traffic jam.
SP Umesh Gaonkar manhandled
ANC Superintendent of Police Umesh Gaonkar was also a victim of the protesters’ ire, as they pushed and manhandled him when he tried to block them with his personnel. Even the media was not spared as protesters pelted stones at few camera persons.
Maharashtra farmers’ agitation – a comparison
The mining dependents should take a cue from the farmers’ agitation in Maharashtra. Some 35000 farmers protested and no police force could have stopped them had they decided to go violent. But they chose the other way. They protested silently, walked to Mumbai at night so that Mumbaikars and students did not face any problems. Needless to say, their protest was highly successful as all their demands were accepted by the Fadnavis government.
