SW Railways use Railway & Goa police might to thwart people’s protests at Davorlim

Team Herald

MARGAO: Amidst moves and countermoves, and allegations and counter allegations, the South Western Railway, according to protesters managed to manoeuvre its way, with the presence of the Goa police to do work to make way for the connectivity of the second track that has been partly laid.

The Rail Vikas Nigam has completed the work of removing the decommissioned L.C Gateman cabins on the South Western Railway track. The gatemen cabins at Sao Jose De areal and Davorlim were demolished one after another.

At Sao Jose De Areal a new cabin has been built and commissioned on the opposite side of the existing cabin i.e. on the Atlantic Spinning Mill side. The work happened in the evening after the problem at the gate in the afternoon. The Railways were not in a mood to take any chances and they went ahead with the work with several Railway Protection Special Forced armed and also with the assistance of the Goa Police. 

At the Davorlim Gate, the new gate which is automatic has been installed and at the Sao Jose De Areal, the automated gates are yet to be installed. The site has been in the news as the protestors had warned that they will be keeping an eye to make sure they don’t allow the work to happen.

This happened late in the evening after protestors made every effort to register their protest at the manner in which the work was being carried out without informing the locals. Late in the evening, the work on removing the cabins was completed when all protestors had left

These moves happened after belligerent protests by the youth of Davorlim and the Goencho Ekvott were quelled by a combined heavy force of the Goa Police led by the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Kiran Poduwal and the 30-member strong Railway police force posted all the time along the tracks.

Before the platoon of the RPSF could arrive the DySP had reached the site. The DySP Kiran Poduwal asked the protestors to give their numbers and names so that he could call them for a meeting with the District Collector. However, the protestors did not give in. 

One of the protestors was heard on a Facebook live stream from the spot asking the police and railway officials, “How can these workers be working without health cards.You claim that the land belongs to you, but we will dispute it till you show us the papers.”

The drama started on Wednesday morning at 10 am. Around 20  people arrived at the worksite and allegedly forced the workers to remove rails kept on formation for the length of 500 meters. The protestors claim that they sought the permissions and documents for the work.

The DySP was however in no mood to listen. The protestors who were recording the event on social media and mobile phones were warned by the DySP to stop recording. He warned them that he would confiscate their phones. 

The Goencho Ekvott representatives when asked for the permissions for the work DySP said, “This is Railway property and you (protestors) have no right to enter or trespass into the land. You will be arrested for interfering in Government work”. 

When the protestors asked for the permissions for the work, DySP said he was there for law and order maintenance and that if they attempted to stop the work which is a Government work and authorized he would arrest them and book them under Section 353 of IPC. “You are warned that you will be booked and you won’t be able to go abroad, then don’t come complaining to us,” the DySP specifically told the protestors. 

He then in what appeared to be slight climb-down, said that the protestors could come with the local MLA (former Chief Minister Luizinho Faleiro) and speak to him.

Creson Antao, Convenor of Goencho Ekvott said, “We sought for documentation for the work which the Police Officer said may be sought from District Collector, South Goa,” he said. 

Sandra Fernandes said, “We will not back down. We will continue to protest”. 

Capt. Viriato Fernandes said the action of DySP at Davorlim protests was absolutely unwarranted. 

“The Chief Minister has been on record that work wouldn’t be carried out before all the issues are sorted out. However, work still continues,” said Capt. Viriato. 

“When a police officer had shown his arrogance in Melauli and I had commented that this will be the defining moment of the movement against the IIT, the authorities had lost the battle. Today the DySP showing his arrogance and abusing the protestors, those days have gone. This is not Uttar Pradesh,” he said. 

“The protestors came up to me asking whether to file a police complaint against the DySP to which I said we don’t need to lose focus,” said Viriato.