CALANGUTE: Calangute MLA Michael Lobo went on a hunger strike on Monday to demand the dismissal of the constable who had mercilessly assaulted a teenager at the Calangute police station and a clampdown on illegalities along the Calangute coast.
Lobo went ahead with the hunger strike at Calangute-Baga Circle along with the villagers and NGO ‘Save Calangute’ to condemn the Calangute police brutality on the 19-year-old student and protest against the inability of the authorities in ending illegalities like prostitution and drug menace in the coastal villages of Calangute. (Related report on Pg 5)
Lobo began the hunger strike at 9.30 am with a handful of villagers, which grew in numbers as the day progressed. Those taking part in the hunger strike included social activists Aires Rodrigues, sarpanchas of Arpora and Parra besides panchas of Candolim, Arpora and Parra took part in the hunger strike.
Office bearers of ‘Save Calangute’ movement were part of the hunger strike, while a group of foreign tourists were also present and extended their support to the cause.
Curtorim MLA Reginaldo Lourenco visited Lobo and villagers and assured support for the cause of Goans and Goa at large and movement of the people.
Former Calangute sarpanch Laxman Porob along with his spouse Geeta, Calangute panch, also visited Lobo and villagers and later submitted a memorandum to him to weed out illegalities in Calangute and assured their support for the cause.
Addressing media persons, Lobo said he has been patiently waiting for the authorities to act firmly against prostitution, drug menace in the coastal villages of Calangute, but nothing was happening despite raising the issues in the Assembly and through other channels.
“Authorities did not show the will to act and curb illegalities from taking place in the coastal villages of Calangute. The Calangute police acted only against the locals even beating them brutally and harassing them on several occasions,” he said.
“The hunger strike has been called to protest the brutality of the Calangute police against the 19-year-old student of Calangute and failure of the authorities in tackling issues like prostitution and drug menace, which is destroying good tourism in Calangute and Goa as a whole,” added Lobo.
Meanwhile, Calangute panch Joseph Sequeira also admitted that the ‘La Kristie’ shack was illegal, but claimed that the Calangute panchayat was not responsible for the illegality.
“We have not issued the licence to ‘La Kristie’ shack, which caught fire. But we had issued a licence to Christopher Dias in 2009. In fact, in late 2012 or early 2013, we had demolished a part of the shack. We had also written to the BDO. The file is still with him. We are in a democracy and this is not the way,” said Sequeira, while referring to the fire incident at ‘La Kristie’ shack and demolition of “Mehfil’ night club in Calangute on February 21.
