Team Herald
MANDREM: The turf war among rival politicians in the revenue-rich North Goa coastal belt spilled out in the open on Wednesday morning when five masked men armed with rods assaulted former Mandrem sarpanch Mahesh Konadkar at Askawada, leaving him bloodied and injured.
The incident took place when Konadkar was returning home after dropping his children to school. The ex-sarpanch later said to mediapersons that before they rained down blows on him, the attackers asked him: “Tuka Michael Lobo zai?” (you want Michael Lobo?).
Within hours of the attack, Mandrem Police Inspector Sharif Jaques was transferred to the reserve lines of the Goa Police.
The incident comes a few days after Calangute MLA Michael Lobo announced that he may contest Assembly elections from Mandrem if the people
of Calangute extend
their cooperation.
By evening, the Mandrem Police had formed a special team to investigate the assault case and to nab the culprits. An FIR was filed against unknown persons. Konadkar was first taken to the Tuem Hospital where MLA Michael Lobo, former Mandrem MLA Dayanand Sopte and other prominent politicians from Mandrem paid him courtesy visits. He was later shifted to the North District Hospital at Mapusa for further treatment.
Prominent residents of the area demonstrated at the Mandrem Police Station, demanding immediate arrest of those involved in the assault.
Speaking to the media, Konadkar said, “I was threatened by a person on June 16 as well. I suspect the attackers are from Pernem. They had come in a white car.”
Tuem Sarpanch Prashant Naik said, “Konadkar has been in politics for around 20 years and is known to all. Today’s incident is condemnable. Who is responsible for this? This incident has happened for the first time. If we remain silent then it will continue to happen.”
Villagers stand with
former sarpanch ‘with no enemies,
but many friends’
Angry locals suspect an ‘outsider’ is trying to gain entry into Mandrem
AUGUSTO RODRIGUES
NAIKAWADDO, MANDREM: It’s around 5.30 pm, when a police constable interrupts the conversation that former sarpanch of Mandrem Mahesh Janardhan Konadkar is having with people who have come to meet him after he was beaten up by five masked men on Wednesday morning.
The policemen want him to come to the site of the assault for a panchanama. Still in pain, Konadkar hesitantly sits pillion on a friend’s two-wheeler and rides to the spot. Once he’s there, villagers start gathering and the murmurs of anger grow louder. The general feeling is that the former sarpanch is a victim of political fallout between Calangute MLA Micheal Lobo and Mandrem MLA Jit Arolkar.
“It is a shame that an innocent man has to face physical abuse for two individuals to settle political scores. This attack goes to prove that democracy has no meaning in our State,” shrugs Vivek Mandrekar as Konadkar begins the drill.
“Will our MLA (Jit Arolkar) be stupid to send men to hit our former sarpanch?” asks Paul Britto from Ashvem, who has driven to see his former sarpanch.
“I have no enemies, but many friends. I have been the sarpanch of this village for 20 years. I have met Michael Lobo on two occasions and that is all. What pains me more is how violence is being used to silence democracy,” says Kandonkar, back from the spot.
“The attack took me by shock. Apart from the sentence with expletives, asking me whether I am Michael lobo’s man, nothing else was said. I could just feel rods and poles all over my body as I tumbled into the gutter,” recollects Kandonkar, as villagers keep dropping in. “Democracy will be over if the Chief Minister does not order a proper inquiry. I need to know why I was made the target and what the attackers wanted,” he said.
“When I first got the news, I was perplexed because I know my husband is liked by all and I am still wondering why him and what was the motive,” voiced Kandonkar’s wife. “Goa is going through some bad times and it must stop,” she adds.
The Kandonkars may be perplexed, but the voices around the constituency are clear that he is a victim of the political turf war between the two MLAs and most fingers point across the coast towards Calangute.
“Why does Michael want to come to our village? They play games and my uncle gets the pasting,” says Kandonkar’s nephew Akhil. His frustration can be felt in Junaswaddo, where Michael Fernandes and his friend Robin are convinced that “it was a game plan by the Calangute MLA to mark his political entry into our territory.”
“Everyone knows that Michael’s son is going to stand from Mandrem in the next election. But, this is definitely not the best way to make their intent clear. There was violence in the Anjuna gram sabha and now this attack here,” fumes Fernandes.
Down in the predominantly Catholic ward of Ashvem, the women out for their evening walk recollect how their MLA offered them succor during the pandemic and how “an outsider is trying to gain ground the unsporting way.”
“Jit has been with us and will continue because when we need him, he is there. He still does a lot and is easily accessible,” says Fatima Pereira. As the ladies chat, Lazaro, a teenager, interjects and asks: “Check who has bought our large forest tracts and you will understand why an outsider wants to stand from our constituency.”