l Do you want a system of governance even the parents of a girl have to run all over the place begging and fighting for justice?
l If a father of a girl is investigating how his 19-year-old died, do we need the police at all, it best to wind up the department then
We have a democracy; we have the courts and a justice system that includes the police and we have a free press because of the sacrifices of our forefathers.
Let us think, have we done enough to honour that sacrifice? Does our governance allow a police system where justice is delivered to the poor and not controlled by the powerful? Today we find the parents of a 19-year-old girl, who was snatched away from them, her lifeless body discovered as it washed up on the Calangute beach in the wee hours of August 13, pleading for justice.
So many questions remain. Why didn’t the police wait for a second post mortem? Why was the family asked to take away the body immediately for the last rites when it should have been preserved for further investigations and most importantly why is a father, who should be allowed to grieve for his daughter with dignity in his own home, having to spend hours on the beaches of North Goa to do his own investigations because the police have failed to do their job?
Do we need the police if the father who has lost his girl, has to do its job?
The father of the girl has said that he has been visiting all the beaches of North Goa trying to find out a lot more about how his daughter, last seen at Mapusa reached the shores of Baga and Calangute. He said he went and told the police that he has a strong clue. He seems to be the only one who has one. Meanwhile, we are being told that there are statements from family members that the victim was depressed. Now suddenly a statement from a bus conductor who happens to be the friend of that deceased that he saw her at the Mapusa bus stop looking depressed and staying something to herself, has emerged. Do we even know if these statements are genuine or words are being put into their mouths? The best chance to find clues were on the morning the body was found on Calangute beach and it appeared that the death was recent. She was wearing jeans and yet her clothes were missing. Why was foul play not suspected?
Now, since a victim’s father, out of absolute desperation, has become the police investigating officer, do we need the police at all? It is best to wind up the department then.
This is criminal negligence. If there can be punishment for crimes, why can’t similar punishment be given for criminal negligence by those in uniform?
Where were the beach security and cleaning services? Where were the lifeguards?
After Bhumika Cleantech Services Pvt Ltd for beaches in North, Ram Cleansers and Developer Drishti Special Response Services were appointed for beach cleaning and safety. The Lokayukta said the ad-hoc beach cleaning agreement with private firm Drishti Marine continued for two-and-half years, adding that the arrangement ‘appears to be mysterious’. As Herald has reported, “For over two years the Tourism Department under Minister Manohar alias Babu Azgaonkar has awarded the beach cleaning contract to Drishti without any tendering. Form December 2016 to Nov 2018, the government has paid Drishti Rs 18.18 cr. This is in gross violation of Central Vigilance Commission rules which states Award of contracts on a nomination basis, which is also called a single tender is to be resorted to only under exceptional circumstances such as natural calamities and emergencies or there were no bids to repeated tenders or where only one supplier has been licensed (proprietary item) in respect of goods sought to be procured.”
In November 2018, the government had floated a tender worth Rs 55 cr, five times more than what it was paying for the same service.
Why were extensions given to this firm without actual tenders being floated? Is the huge amount being paid for by people’s money justified? And when it comes to saving a young girl’s life or stopping any harm to her, there is no one to do that. Then what were these multi-crore contracts for? Where were the guards, the patrol vehicles, the equipment to spot a drowning case and do the rescue? And who is accountable. Is the value of lives less than the amount being paid by the government?
Law and order has completely collapsed and it is the system that needs to be accountable?
Is our State secure? Has people-friendly policy gone out of our hands? There are so many crimes of foreigners as we have mentioned earlier where not a single conviction has been secured. As we have often reported, Maureen Sweeney sister of Denyse Sweeney, Fiona MacKeown mother of Scarlett Keeling, Amanda Bennett sister of Stephen Bennett, Sanna Pirhonen-Cutter aunt of Felix Dahl and Minna Pirhonen mother of Felix Dahl have one thing in common. Their loved relatives have all died in Goa and all believe they were murdered. While some are fighting to get these cases tried for murder, the fact remains is that none of these cases have been solved yet.
They are all family members who lost close ones in Goa and have to date not received justice. Crime-solving has gone out of the police’s hands. And that has affected law and order. There is no law and there is no order. Meanwhile, there are so many murder cases of locals as well others in Goa that lie unsolved.
The recent case of a man being burnt alive in Porvorim was shocking beyond words. While the accused have been arrested the case is making slow progress.
Why is this happening? Because the police system has become the bedroom of the political system
There is no separate line between politics and policing. It’s one and the same. And in this system, the poor people do not get any justice. And the powerful do not even care for the law. There is complete politics in the police force. PIs of police stations have become “Political Inspectors”.
The PI and other staff are the handpicked men of the local political leader, mainly the MLA. And the PI has also entered the system by making some major financial sacrifices, including selling land and property. So, it is but human that to make up for those sacrifices he will deliver justice to those who in turn have to sell properties or have the right political backing. Hence, guess who is responsible for this messy state of affairs.
The pressure to file an FIR against the harmless and innocent villagers of Sao Jacinto Island was totally political
This is another instance of policing and politicking mixing. It is clear that the ruling party system and the Dabolim MLA wanted a police complaint to be filed against the villagers of Sao Jacinto Island, on the pretext that they refused to allow the Indian Navy to hoist the national flag on the eve of Independence Day. It is clear that there was no such refusal in the manner in which it was getting painted. Ultimately it was the absolute maturity and humanity displayed by the Navy and the good response of the people that prevented the political and police system to cause a lot of problems which could have affected the future of many on the island. And even after the wonderful display of peace and togetherness shown by the people and the Navy, the Panchayat Minister and Dabolim MLA Mauvin Godinho yet again said falsely that it “was shameful that some people chose to oppose Navy from hoisting flag”.
It is shocking that the police system was sought to be used to deliver a political blow.
The police system does not function independently. To even think of getting police justice you should either be powerful or you should be able to “afford” justice.
Yes, justice from the police has become a transaction. Don’t you think, this is a shame? And would you want this system of governance to continue a system like this where the common man has no chance?
Everything is about the powerful in all systems of governance. It is the super-rich and powerful who bag all the major tenders while the common and the less privileged don’t get anything. It’s so clear and obvious. The State is such that the poor look for food and are forced to depend on rations from political parties, who give the ration only to get votes but do nothing to make the economy stronger.
And the poor look at elections not to exercise their right but to get an opportunity to get some financial crumbs from political parties. That is their only dream.
The press should also be ashamed. Because it polishes the shoes of power
It is for this reason that they cannot speak truth to power. They look for favours. Are they serving themselves or the people? When a death of a girl is not investigated, when the father goes to the police station when his daughter is missing and he is not taken seriously, it was the duty of the press to be by his side. Are they serving themselves or the people? In Goa, the fourth estate has to be questioned the way the judiciary is questioned.
It is because justice has become rare and dear that a crying father, choked with emotion, cannot even find time to cry his heart out, but go on looking for one answer. How did his daughter die? And a mother who is numb with shock. Do we deserve this system? Can we be governed by such a system, that has been in place for years and years, where the poor have nowhere to go? We have all failed them.
