TEAM HERALD
PORVORIM: Unhappy with the government’s lukewarm response to investigations into the 2012 Aldona bus tragedy, a social activist from Calvim has threatened to get residents of Aldona to boycott the Lok Sabha polls if the government fails to ensure justice to the bereaved families of the six victims.
“If the bereaved families do not get proper justice, the voters of Aldona will come on the streets and will even boycott the Lok Sabha elections,” warned social activist Melwyn Fernandes.
Fernandes, who was associated in events following the bus tragedy, told Herald that residents of Calvim and Aldona had been unhappy with the BJP government for failing to pursue the Aldona bus tragedy more vigorously and for failing to give justice to the families of the four innocent children from Aldona who had lost their precious lives.
“It was largely due to this bus tragedy that then MLA Dayanand Narvekar was ousted in the assembly polls a few weeks later and this tragedy was an added advantage to the BJP, as its candidate in Aldona eventually won the elections,” said Fernandes.
“Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and the Aldona MLA had made big promises that they would ensure punishment to the guilty, but the main accused persons are still at large.”
“And to add insult to injury, the families of the victims were quickly forgotten and were not even formally invited when the Carona-Calvim Bridge was inaugurated. After all, the construction of the bridge had been expedited mainly in the aftermath of the bus tragedy,” Fernandes added.
He also criticised the authorities on the secrecy behind the chargesheet filed by the police against the accused.
“A big magisterial enquiry was constituted but no one knows about the fate of this inquiry. The police had charge sheeted the accused, but copies of the charge sheet were not even handed over to the families of the victims. The families don’t even know the contents of the charge sheet or even if the police have pursued the matter vigorously in order to build a tight case against the accused.”
“It appears quite clear that the government wants to push this case under the carpet and the charge sheet could well be a farce.”
Commenting on the compensation paid to the bereaved families, Fernandes shot back: “The families of the victims had not begged for the money. Instead, they would have been happier if the accused were given punishment and if the six deceased had been remembered during the laying of the foundation stone and inauguration of the bridge.”
“The death of four innocent children, which stunned the entire state, is yet to move the hearts of our ruthless politicians. If they had been related to these four children, the outcome may have been different,” added Fernandes.
