VASCO: Tension prevailed at Vasco fish market following a clash between traditional fish and migrant fish vendors on Tuesday morning.
According to sources, the members of Vasco fish market vendors association (traditional fish vendors) were holding their meeting inside the fish market to discuss about the issue of migrant fish vendors and how to stop them from operating from Vasco.
However, at the same time over 100 migrant fish vendors who have been operating on road sides, but were forced to stop their business by Traditional fish vendors, gathered at the Vasco fish market and within few minutes the area turned into battle ground.
Both the groups started verbally abusing each other; few of them even attempted to assault the members of opposite group; the clash continued until police reached at the site and took control over the situation.
“As the traditional fish vendors association has been harassing us by forcing their decision to stop selling fish on the roadsides, we decided to seek support from all our community members who have been operating at different locations in Vasco. We came here to request our community members who are operating along with the traditional fish vendors at Vasco fish market, to stop selling fish until our issues are resolved. However, looking at us, the members of Vasco fish market association started arguing and abusing us,” a migrant fish vendors told Herald.
“We will not stop. We will continue to operate along roadsides like we were doing before,” he added.
However, the Vasco Fish Market Vendors Association claimed that the Lamanis had come to the market not only to seek the support of their community members, but even to show their strength.
“They had come to the market in big numbers with the intension of putting pressure on us by showing their strength. However, we are firm on our decision and we will not allow them to operate anywhere in Vasco,” said Carridade Pereira, president of Vasco Fish Market Vendors Association.
Later, Police Inspector Kapil Naik who is holding additional charge of Vasco police station summoned both the groups to the Vasco police station and held a joint meeting with their representatives.
During the meeting the members of Vasco fish market vendors demanded with the police not to allow the migrant fish vendors to operate along roadsides. To this, Naik replied that the issue has to be dealt with by Mormugao Municipal authorities and that he would write to MMC asking to find a solution to the issue. He also warned of action against those found creating law and order problems.
Meanwhile, Carridade Pereira lodged a complaint against migrant fish vendors holding them responsible for the scuffle on Tuesday and the police have registered a non-cognizable offence against migrant vendors.
