PRATIK PARAB
The battle to protect the Aquem Ground which begun in 2011 is in the most crucial stage now. Costa & Company which claims ownership of the land has now revoked the power of attorney, given to Manjunath Dukle, proprietor of Shrison Realtors.
The Aquem Ground Bachao Association has witnessed a lot of ups and downs since the agitation began in 2011, with claims and counter claims and infights.
Actual relief or just mere semantics?
The Aquem Ground Bachao Association has expressed happiness but is also sad that except a few there was no one by their side while they fought the battle. Meanwhile they are very cautious with negotiations regarding the planning and pushing of their type of development of the space and not builder centric with Costa. They fear that the revocation may only be a change of guard and not an actual relief for Aquemkaars.
Meanwhile, it is heard from the developer’s camp that they have decided to go ahead and start work as they won’t take the public notice as a termination and withdrawal of permission and ownerships. The termination only happens through legal notice and not by paper ads.
Andrew Sequeira, who has been in the agitation for quite a long time told Herald that the only political leader who has helped AGBA since the inception is Sharmad Raiturkar. “We had requested Navin Pai Raiturkar and Damu Naik for an appointment with the Former Chief Minister, Manohar Parrikar but no one even bothered. Only with Sharmad’s help we got not one and two, but 15 appointments all these years to explain our plight”.
L shaped building issue
It is to be noted that the Aquem Ground has been used for sports recreation and assembly gatherings of Aquem locals for decades. T.B Cunha, St Joseph, St. Sebastian and three other schools depend on the ground for their sports and Physical Education activities. Decades down the line, after government intervention, many discussions and deliberations later it was decided that there will be an ‘L’ shaped building on the sides of the plot and a ground in the centre for activities.
However the people say that there shouldn’t be an ‘L’ shaped building as it won’t leave any land for the ground. The people are fine with a commercial building in front of the property leaving the rest of the land. The locals have demanded the SAG to develop the ground according to their requirements. AGBA has pressed the demand for all the authorities to be on spot while the land is demarcated for any sort of construction.
“The land in the centre has to be developed into a well-equipped ground for children to play, a jogger’s park and a place to relax for the old and elderly. The plan must be holistic and include something for all the people of Aquem,” said Andrew. “If the only land we have goes, our children will be unhealthy without a place to play and this will carry on to all forthcoming generations. We won’t let it happen,” he added.
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Time Line
1997:- Not many know that 4 students namely Custodio Sequeira, George Faleiro, Joseph Dias and Javed Shaikh from various schools in the locality were shaken by the news of the ground being taken away for construction. They took signatures from the schools and the youth in the locality and gave to Costa. The plan was scrapped then.
2011:- The news spread in the Aquem locality yet again that the Fabrica Ground locally known as Costa Ground will be taken over for construction as soon as the SGPDA has issued a construction licence to Shrison Realtors.
A 5-member team led by Late Damu Korgaonkar flew into action to agitate and press for the demand to preserve the land for future generations.
The concerned Aquemkaars soon held a Candle Light Rally which was joined by many local people and lots of BJP workers specially Sharmad Raiturkar.
The Aquemkaars even resorted to a hunger strike on 22nd May 2011 and one more at the MMC in the coming months.
2012:- Jawahar Dias and others of the Aquem Ground agitation were fighting it out with the DMA and Municipality.
2013:- The Aquem Ground Bachao Association came into formation and was registered with Adv. Jawahar Dias as the President and Andrew Sequeira as the General Secretary.
Meanwhile the AGBA had to face a setback when the DMA ruled in the favour of construction.
Ever since the DMA ruled in the favour of the builder, the AGBA has been closely watching the developments.
2014:- Some of the local people who tried to stop the developer from bringing in equipment and trucks into the property were booked for illegal trespass. 25 people were booked for the trespass.
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