The Mayor of Panjim Uday Madkaikar made a surprising announcement that the historic Azad Maidan in the centre of the city should not be allowed for protests and demonstrations. The Mayor said that protestors and demonstrators litter the place and accord no sanctity to the historic monument. However, the Mayor, who is known to be proactive in taking up works in the State Capital be it roads or garbage, appears to have missed the point this time.
The Azad Maidan has a monument honouring all those who gave up their lives while fighting for Goa’s Liberation from the Portuguese. The place is located right next to the police headquarters and has been the main protest site in the State for decades. It’s very rare to not find some group or the other sitting at the maidan with banners and placards raising an issue of concern to them. It is the one place that protestors and agitators have to vent their ire and present their grievances against the government.
Before making statement of not allowing protests there, the Mayor should have understood that the Azad Maidan has a martyrs’ memorial, which was built at the maidan by the Freedom Fighters’ Association with public donations, in memory of those who sacrificed their lives for the Goa liberation movement. Hence it is public property and mere justification that the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) is maintaining the place does not make the Corporation its owner.
He must also know that the memorial is a tall structure with a crest displaying a four-armed structure that has a pyramid between and atop these arms. The four-armed structure acknowledges the participation of freedom fighters from the four corners of India in the Goa Liberation movement, while the pyramid indicates ashes, indicating the sacrifice of these freedom fighters. The memorial was unveiled on March 23, 1973 by Lieutenant General Kunhiraman Palat Candeth, who had led the Indian Armed Forces' in the liberation of Goa in December 1961. Finally, it’s centrepiece is a small pavilion (whose Corinthian pillars were reclaimed from the rubble in Old Goa), which houses a modern sculpture dedicated to freedom fighter and “father of Goan nationalism” Dr Tristao Braganza Cunha. Hence, if there is one place which should host all protests, at least in Panjim, it has to be Azad Maidan and not any other place.
The Azad Maidan has a history of protests, including Goa’s Liberation, so how can the Mayor or the Government even consider not allowing people to express their grievances and pain at this historic place? Does the CCP mean to say that the place is meant only for paid political rallies, wherein thousands of people are brought for a show of strength during such political functions? The place has seen several major agitations – more recent were the Goa Bachao Abhiyan, the anti-CAA protests – wherein thousands of Goans thronged to oppose the draconian laws and decisions of the government of that day. The place has also seen several hunger strikes and also witnessed political rallies.
Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant too seemed nonchalant reacting to the Mayor’s statement by saying, “CCP has already passed a resolution long back.” The Chief Minister attempted to keep away from the controversy by his statement, but it will be his administration that will decide on CCP’s resolution. Indirectly, it may even appear that the Government, through CCP, wants to keep all agitations out of the State capital because, if not for Azad Maidan there is no other place in Panjim where the people can protest? Does the CM or Mayor have any alternative place for legitimate protests?