SANGUEM: The issue of children’s park in Sanguem, which has been raised from the dead, by a self-claimed social activist Amar Naik, has been haunting the senior citizens and a large majority of likeminded individuals who have high regard to the long-existence communal bond in the town.
The issue seems to have divided people in Sanguem on communal grounds and if the law-enforcing and other concerned government authorities continued to remain mum over the issue of children’s park, a visible tension may erupt between the two communities, if it is not nipped in the bud at the earliest.
The issue is allegedly raised at the behest of some vested interest, who are said to be closely monitoring the situation from the sidelines of the political game, which currently is manned by Naik.
The issue gained ground when Naik wrote to the Office of the Prime Minister, the Department of Child and Women Welfare, the Chief Secretary and others top offices for immediate reconstruction of the children’s park in front of the Our Lady of Miracles Church, Sanguem, which has been lying neglected for almost a decade.
All this time, none including the present ruling and former councillors never gave a thought to the children’s park, which incidentally lies opposite to the old municipal administrative building.
Naik, however, claims to have taken up the issue for the benefit of children who have no designated play area in Sanguem town.
The issue was reverted to Sanguem Municipal Council by the Department of Child and Women Welfare and the Chief Secretary to report at the earliest over the council decision to reconstruct the dilapidated children’s park.
With the councillors divided on the issue, the Chief Officer Pramod Dessai put the motion for voting wherein except for Chairperson Suryadatt Naik and Councillor Sanjay Raikar, seven councillors namely Romualdo Fernandes, Fouziya Shaikh, Caetano Martins Fernandes, Maria Fernandes, Amita Mapari, Prakash Gaonkar and Queiroz Cruz voted against the motion and demanded the park to be shifted elsewhere, as the reconstruction of the children’s park at the existing place would trigger tension in the area.
The reconstruction of the park at the existence place is also opposed by the Parishioners attached to Our Lady of Miracles Church and by senior catholic citizens and by former Chairmen John D’costa and Jose Fernandes.
This was followed by a press release by Naik, wherein he claimed that certain people with vested-interest from a particular religion were out to defame him and spoil his name for personal gains.
The Catholic community in Sanguem also allayed fears of certain section about having interest in the place, as the Parishioners informed that the property in question was in the joint names of the Sanguem Church and the Municipality.
To make matters worse and to keep the issue alive, two councillors Amita Mapari and Prakash Gaonkar held a press conference on Friday July 21, wherein the duo claimed to have not understood the point of children’s park that was raised for discussion at the special meeting.
