MARGAO: Wondering whether the Opinion Poll stalwart Dr Jack Sequeira is being discriminated against because of his religion, Nationalist Congress Party MLA Churchill Alemao asked the government to name either the third of Mandovi Bridge or the new Zuari Bridge after the late statesman in recognition of his services to retain the Goan identity.
“There is no doubt that there were many involved in the fight for Opinion Poll including Hindu and Muslim brethren, but the fact remains that it was Jack Sequeira who spearheaded the whole movement,” Churchill said.
Briefing media persons, he said it hurts him to see the way Jack Sequeira is being discriminated against and wondered whether it was only because he was a Catholic. “If he had been a Hindu, by now various things would have been named after him,” he quipped.
Asserting that Goa has seen development only because it was a separate entity and had not merged with Maharashtra, Churchill asked PWD Minister Sudin Dhavalikar to honour him specially since he claims to have worked against the merger during the Opinion Poll.
Disclosing that there is talk about naming the third Mandovi Bridge that would be inaugurated shortly by Narendra Modi, Churchill said that it should be named after Jack Sequeira since he helped to retain the Goan identify.
“If not the Mandovi Bridge, then at least the Zuari Bridge should be named after Jack Sequeira,” he said adding that a statue of Jack Sequeira would be installed in Benaulim village where beautification is currently underway after the Khareband Bridge.
“Whether it will be full statue or a bust will be decided later, but the Benaulim panchayat has already resolved to honour Jack Sequeira at that place following its beautification,” he said.
