Team Herald
MARGAO: Concerned locals are expected to show their solidarity outside the Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) court in Margao, with the four persons against whom FIRs have been registered for their role in the historic protests held in Chandor in November 2020 against the expansion of the railway double-tracking project.
The hearings at the JMFC court will be held on Saturday, April 16 at 10 am. The hearing was supposed to be held at 2.30 pm on the same day but it has been preponed by the court.
Groups such as the Amche Mollem Campaign and others, who have been actively participating in the State-wide protests against the three linear projects, are expected to show up and show their support to four persons.
What has upset these locals is that only four members of Goyant Kollso Naka (GKN) have been issued the summons though 5,000 people had participated in those protests from various other groups for the same cause.
While messages have been circulating on social media platforms to coordinate the protest to be held outside the JMFC court on Saturday, emphasis has been laid that their protest is a symbolic and peaceful one and is not intended to interfere in the court proceedings in any way.
As one of the four accused, Vikas Bhagat stated, they are ready to fight the case in the court. The other three persons against whom FIRS have been registered are Abhijit Prabhudsai, Diana Tavares and Freddy Travasso.
GKN demanded charges be dropped, which has been echoed by various other local groups and the South Goa MP Francisco Sardinha.
“This is not the first time the government has tried to use such tactics against protestors and we have fought it then too. They had detained young children on Liberation Day in the year 2020, a month after this Chandor protest. They have tried to intimidate others too. This will not weaken us but has merely strengthened our resolve,” said one of the persons who are expected to turn up on Saturday.
