PONDA: Marcaim villagers, who are fighting for equal religious rights and repealing of the Portuguese-era Mazania Act, have decided to hold a day-long hunger strike on August 21.
Shailendra Panjikar, who is leading the villagers in their agitation, said that the decision to go on a hunger strike was taken after the government failed to respond to their demand and ignored their peaceful agitation.
The hunger strike will be held in Marcaim Temple premises by more than four thousand devotees, villagers and kulavis of Navdurga.
Villagers say the 138-year-old Mazania Act discriminates the common people against the Mahajans.
Panjikar said that if the government failed to fulfil their demands even after the day-long hunger strike, the villagers would go for a fast unto death agitation at Azad Maidan, Panjim. If the demands are not met before the 2017 assembly elections, Panjikar warned that the villagers would boycott polls.
Panajikar said that since the chief minister stated in the Assembly that consensus of people was necessary to repeal the Mazania Act, Marcaim villagers would launch an awareness campaign across Goa against the Mazania Act.
“People will go to every nook and corner of Goa explaining the draconian nature of the law. They will go to each and every village urging the locals to move resolutions in the gram sabha for repealing the Mazania Act. We will also hold public meetings to create a consensus against the Mazania Act,” he said.
Panajikar said that the villagers would not rest until the Mazania Act is repealed and a new Bhartiya Upasana and Idol Protection Act is enacted.
