Pissurlem: A day after the counting of votes in Goa, the farmers from the mining belt of Pissurlem reported a bloody attack from the Valpoi police and their alleged crime- trying to get their farms free of mining dumps.
According to the farmers, Valpoi police on Friday allegedly assaulted and arrested those who were waiting for the Mamlatdar at a mine in Pissurlem to register their protest transportation and dumping of iron ore on their fields without following the High Court directives.
The farmers alleged that their leader — Hanumant Parab was singled out, taken to an adjoining room, and beaten badly. They could hear his cries as he was being beaten, away from their sight, they said as they narrated the horrific incident. The farmers were allowed to go after taking their signatures, while Parab was released on bail late evening. The Pissurlem PI, Prajyot Phadte, however, had an interesting take – that Parab fell on the staircase of the police station and got hurt.
Pissurlem villagers had gathered to protest the transportation of ore from dumps without fulfilling High Court directives. They demanded the mining company should remove the dumped ore from 128 acres of their fields to compensate them for the losses incurred. They had also earlier submitted a memorandum to the Valpoi Mamlatdar and Valpoi police, drawing their attention on this matter. Farmers had given the Mamlatdar five days’ time to act, failing which they had decided to sit in and stage a peaceful protest.
The area in contention lies in the old cadastral plant on survey 41/1. The government through the deputy collector has asked Mamlatdar to start the e-auction. “We do not want to stop e-auction but they have destroyed our plantations and fencing,” a woman told Herald TV.
The incident raised fears of police brutality and spread panic in the village. “What are we supposed to do? We had gathered peacefully at the site,” farmers told the media.
The farmers said they were waiting at the place where the ore has been dumped into the fields on private property, which the mine leases are now claiming to be a mine. Suddenly a police jeep pulled up and when they said they were waiting for the mamlatdar, they just rounded off the farmers and took them to Valpoi Police Station in a jeep.
Pissurlem farmers said that the High Court had given numerous directives to the mining companies which had to be followed before restarting mining. However, the mining company which is transporting the ore and the leasee both haven’t adhered to the directives of the High Court. They said that mining and dumps had caused them tremendous losses.
The next government hopefully will handle such people’s protest with sensitivity and not allow it to escalate. Use of force on villagers is not healthy for democracy.
