SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: Goaded by the success in the South Goa Parliamentary constituency, a group of civil society members and social activists on Saturday vowed to remain united in future particularly during the 2027 Goa Assembly elections.
They thanked the people of South Goa for reposing their faith in activists, who had been taking various issues concerning the State. It will be more of people alliance than party’s alliance in future, they said, adding, “Our battle has started and politicians and defectors should take note of it.”
Rama Kankonkar said that people wanted a change and for the first time they reposed their faith on activists and elected an activist as Member of Parliament. “The Lok Sabha election in South Goa was a battle like Opinion Poll where people from South Goa particularly from Salcete taluka had voted against the merger. In a similar manner the people played a major role and voted against the BJP’s plan to change the Constitution of India,” he said.
Anthony D’Silva said, “We have tested good blood of activists. We want to remain united in future and see that more activists represent the people either in the Legislative Assembly or Lok Sabha. We will keep this unity.”
Another activist, Xencor Polgi, said, “MP-elect Capt Viriato Fernandes was active during protests be it against coal pollution, railway double tracking, hill cuttings, land conversions, Mhadei water diversion, etc. People realised that only activists can save and protect the State than politicians, who were out to sell Goa.”
Polgi hoped that Capt Fernandes will raise all the issues concerning the people of Goa, including the demand for a Special Status for Goa.
Activists Sanjay Barde, Dipesh Naik, Pratima Coutinho, Wilbur D’Souza, Mariano Ferrao, Sarfaraj Ankalji and Tara Kekar also spoke. They stated that Capt Fernandes was a sincere person who fought during Kargil war. They claimed that all remained united despite all attempts to lure them and nobody fell prey to money power, while ensuring that the anti-BJP votes were not divided, they said.
To a question, they said that they are not against the use of EVMs, but their fight for voting via ballot paper would continue. It was only because of the awareness nobody could manipulate the EVMs this time, they added.
