Team Herald
VASCO: The Goa Movement for Special Status (GMSS) on Friday met the agitating Vasco fish market vendors and extended its support to them in their fight against migrant fish vendors, who are operating on the footpaths in the town.
The meeting was attended by members of the Old Cross Fishing Canoes Owners Society (OCFCOS), Baina Ramponkar Fishing Canoe Owner’s Society and a large number of traditional fish vendors operating at the Vasco fish market, besides GMSS members, including convenor and historian Prajal Sakhardande.
During the meeting, Vasco Fish Market Vendors’ Association president Carridade Pereira claimed that the traditional fish sellers began to lose business ever since the migrant vendors began operations across town, and it was only for this reason that the market vendors were protesting.
She also informed that they had recently clashed with the migrants on the same issue, after which she lodged a formal complaint against them. She also claimed that the police, municipal authorities and State leaders had not extended help to the market vendors.
OCFCOS president Custodio D’Souza slammed political leaders for ignoring the issue. He said the canoe owners also felt that Goan fish vendors were facing neglect, and thus, they had offered their support to the fish vendors.
He said that everyone was waiting for the outcome on the complaint lodged before the Mormugao Municipal Council as well as the police. He added that if the issue was not resolved, as demanded by the Goan fish vendors, then they would not hesitate to come onto the streets in protest.
After hearing the grievances of the fish vendors, Sakhardande said, “GMSS has extended support to the agitating Goan fish vendors from Vasco because we need to come together to preserve Goa’s identity, which is facing a severe threat. Migrants are taking away the business of traditional fish vendors. We feel that the demands of the traditional fish vendors are genuine and they are hurt because their rights are being trampled upon.”
He continued, “As the fish vendors have complained that no political leader offered any help to them, I have appealed to the Vasco fish vendors to seek the support of traditional fish vendors from across Goa as well as other Goans and convert their fight into a mass protest by coming onto the streets together. Until all Goans are united and take a stand, such issues will continue to affect the locals.”
