Putting farmer activist Hanumant Parab of Pissurlem on the list of history-sheeters is a muscle-flexing act by the Goa Police to intimidate and feisty people’s leader fighting for grassroots causes who has dared to take on the might of mining interests who have ruined the farms and livelihood of the people of Pissurlem.
The act of putting him on a history sheet was apparently done earlier but came to light when he was sent another notice on April 12, stating that the police were apprehending that Parab would indulge in criminal activity during the visit of VVIPs for the G20 meetings.
Goa wants evidence that everyone with more than 3 cases is a ‘history-sheeter’
Are all politicians with more than 3 criminal cases, on the history-sheeters list?
The Valpoi Police need to immediately make public the list of FIRs against Parab which “routinely” put him on the history-sheeters list. A name on the list changes the life of innocent people. It affects their work, their career, their finances and their travel documents including passports and visas. Can the Goa Police state with certainty, backed with evidence that everyone who has more than 3 criminal FIRs is on the history-sheeters list of the Goa Police? Let every police station make their history-sheeters list public along with the full database of FIRs registered for a transparent inquiry. And if there’s a mismatch, who in the Goa Police will take accountability?
This clearly appears to be an act of intimidation given the fact that in March 2022, Parab was mercilessly thrashed in the Valpoi Police Station by the PI and his senior DySP for protesting against mining transportation through his village. His complaint against the police has still not been converted into an FIR. Parab knocked on many doors including the PMO and the President’s office. Is this a sign for all activists, especially those who are facing criminal cases for participating in public action against railway double-tracking?
The Valpoi Police must tell the people of Goa, the basis for their thinking that the Pissurlem-based activist farmer would indulge in criminal activities during the G20 meetings in Panjim when he himself is fighting the police for purported criminal acts against him by the men in uniform.
Goa has had a long and checkered history of people’s movements. Goa got its Statehood due to a people’s movement. Intimidating innocent people who are fighting people’s causes will just not work and people’s anger at blatant injustice is always channelised democratically in the biggest festival of democracy- elections.
