Noted, the security of the President was of paramount importance, but these were youth who only wanted their voice to be heard by those who matter. Besides, they were gathering at a private place when they were picked up by the police. Detaining them, and then driving them outside the jurisdiction of the Panjim Police Station was surely uncalled for.
Those who were detained were taken to Ponda police station, where they were kept for well over four hours, before they were finally released after the President’s function had ended in Panjim. Women and youth were pulled by police from the Panjim Church steps and dragged into buses and driven around, before finally they were all taken to Ponda Police Station. There they remained and were released only at around 9.15pm, but Goencho Avaaz Co-Convenor Capt Viriato Fernandes and Chicalim Parish Priest Fr Bolmax Pereira were held at Panjim Police Station till almost midnight before they were released, after they had given an undertaking that they would not enter the city of Panjim during the time the President was in Goa. All this happened, while Goa celebrated Liberation Day and the freedom it gained from the Portuguese.
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There are several questions that arise from these detentions of the youth and the two arrests. The citizens have the right to protest. They do not have the right to disrupt a public function or break any law during a protest, especially when it is peaceful. The Police version is that they could not take a risk with the President attending two functions in the city. The youth’s version is that they were planning to stage a short flash mob at the Church Square and disperse much before the President’s function could begin. If so, did the police over react? Wasn’t there space and time for a quick conference between the police and the youth, before they were detained?
From pictures and videos the police are seen pulling the youth from the Panjim Church steps. The youth who were detained are clear that they were not protesting when they were picked up. Had the youth marched towards the Azad Maidan where the President was due to arrive, and attempted to break the security ring, then the police would have been fully justified in detaining them, even arresting all of the youth, had the youth attempted to disrupt the function. But, detaining them even before they could begin any sort of protest or programme is questionable. The Police Department needs to come clear on why they took the action.
Law experts have cited the right to protest and pointed out that the youth were at a spot that was not even on the President’s route, while decrying the police action. The youth were also not disrupting any official function at that time. The issue that was being taken up by them was that of saving the axing of the trees of the Mollem forest for development projects. The movement for this has been ongoing for months and there has been no violence till date. It has always been peaceful. The possibility, therefore, of it turning violent was minimal, and the police could have acted in a fairer manner than in which they did.
