Team Herald
MARGAO: A large section of citizens and lawyers have not only dismissed the allegations in the recent FIR filed against persons for blocking the road, rioting, and unlawful assembly at the Guidolrim-Chandor railway crossing, but also poked fun at the government for taking such type of action.
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Legal expert Veera Mahuli said, “There is no legal basis for these allegations and this is a complete violation of the fundamental rights of free speech, expression and assembly. There was no threat to public order whatsoever.”
Johan Godinho added, “Doing it the Goan way: peaceful, singing, dancing, and most importantly togetherness, humanity, and harmony. Come November 8, we’ll just get stronger.”
The gathering at Chandor last Sunday had speeches, announcements, and a folk dance performance where infectious, rallying beats of a dhol-tasha band filled the air.
Advocate Sreeja Chakraborty added, “Is dancing and singing in public places rioting now? How can the Government punish its citizens for respecting the Indian Constitution? These allegations are baseless.” Citizens, she opined, were expressing their fundamental right of freedom and expression enshrined under Article 19 of the Constitution and thus respecting the ‘Rule of Law’.
“People don’t hold protests because they’re bored, they do so to express their feelings and be heard”, stated Samuel A M Pereira, in solidarity with Amche Mollem, Goencho Ekvott and Goyant Kollso Naka. He added that national media is also asking questions and the govt is unsure about how to react, now that so many are protesting.
Interestingly, the allegations of an FIR come on the same day that a BJP MLA stated that Mollem are the green lungs of Goa and should not be destroyed. The BJP core committee appeared shaken by the active citizenry speaking up against these destructive Mollem projects that lack transparency, due process and public and environmental interest. Media reports state that the State Party President advised the Chief Minister that the party’s “image” is at stake.
Twitter and social media accounts have gone to town with hashtags of #ArrestMeToo #SaveMollem and citizens saying that Goa CM Pramod Sawant’s popular Konkani saying “Bivpache Garaz Na” has now been taken to the rest of India as a reminder to his own govt about the power of people.
“If the government is thinking of arresting a common man for ‘unlawful assembly’ then I demand that the government representatives be arrested too, for bypassing laws to build projects within a legally protected forest area”, stated Lorraine Fernandes.
Citizens had also conducted statewide Satyagrahas recently. “Such threats are not going to scare us as we are now going to be double the number of people compared to the Chandor gathering. None of us are afraid, Davorlim here we come”, Felicia Pereira, added.
