Team Herald
PANJIM: The meeting on Friday between traditional fishermen and Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar on the former’s demand to ban unnatural ways of fishing remained inconclusive.
A large group of fishermen marched to the Chief Minister’s residence seeking relief and suspension of SP Kartik Kashyap after which they were called to the Secretariat for a meeting. However, they accused Parsekar of walking out of the meeting without giving them any assurance.
“The CM did not spare even five minutes for us. He walked out of the meeting without giving any commitment. He just asked us to convey our demands to Fisheries Minister (Avertano Furtado),” Joint General Secretary, Goenchea Ramponkarancho Ekvott (GRE- Unity of Goan Fishermen) Olencio Simoes told media persons on emerging from the meeting.
In what has also upset the fishing community, Parsekar denied that the police resorted to lathi charge on Thursday. In a statement, Parsekar said lathis were hit on the ground to disperse the crowd. Simoes said they have now demanded a judicial inquiry into the episode within 24 hours, failing which they would once again take to the streets.
“We have given a deadline of 24 hours to constitute a judicial inquiry into the lathi charge. If they fail to do so, we will be forced to hold a protest again,” he said.
They have also demanded the immediate suspension of Kashyap, holding additional charge of North district, who had ordered the lathi charge on the protesters without waiting for the mandatory orders from the Sub Divisional Magistrate.
In another demand, the fishermen want that all 35 canoes anchored in River Mandovi and later confiscated by the police, be released.
The fishermen had blocked the channels of Rivers Mandovi and Sal demanding that vessels using LED lights for fishing be immediately seized and action taken against the operators. This was despite the government, on Tuesday, having issued a notification banning LED lights fishing.
Meanwhile the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee General Secretary Durgadas Kamat has condemned the police lathi charge on the agitating traditional fishermen on Thursday evening.
“The acts of the Goa Police were totally illegal and contrary to law since it (lathi charge) has been carried without the collector’s order. What astonishes us is the statement of our Chief Minister Parsekar today, who has gone a step further stating that there was no assault on the agitating fisherman,” said Durgadas. “Is our Chief Minister so blind, can’t he see what was happening around?” he questioned.
Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardessai has also demanded a magisterial inquiry in the entire episode of the lathi charge against the Ramponkars. “If there is going to be a lathi charge for demanding the implementation of the Government policy then it can be said that the Government and the police have gone berserk,” Vijai said.
