MARGAO: An incident on Saturday evening on the road near the SGPDA ground reminded onlookers of the phrase “Sussegad Goenkar utlo, aanik taane fodli” from the Konkani movie ‘Home Sweet Home’.
Three Goan men who were denied a parking spot due to encroachment by bhelpuri carts took matters into their hand and chased away the carts which were blocking the parking place. Rajdeep Naik who enacted the role of a sussegad Goenkar who is awakened in the movie has welcomed the action.
The actions and the statement of one of the men saying, “We don’t want politics or publicity here” was clearly a voice of a troubled Goenkar who has made it a point to end his sussegad approach and fight for his right.
The problem of encroachment by movable carts, some of which have now become permanent, has been denying several people parking spaces around Margao, especially near the SGPDA market and KTC bus stand. Until Saturday evening it looked like Goenkars had indeed become sussegad, when three men suddenly decided they could not be spectators anymore.
The anger erupted when the three Goan men who had come near the street opposite Osia Complex for some work were denied parking. They didn’t seem to mind it until the police fined them for parking beside the road. Angry at this one of the men erupted and within a matter of minutes they got the area cleared of the carts. The men who preferred to stay out of limelight by not revealing their names were approached by Herald. They were initially furious but later said, “This is the limit, we are denied a rightful parking spot due to these carts and when we request them they try to raise their voice on us. This is it and we have decided not to allow this anymore.”
Cart after cart was forced out and the space was cleared for parking. The vendors were also asked to produce their licences which they failed to. It was also observed that most were operating with an extended plank to their cart which went right up to the footpath. The three men pushed the carts away from the area after a fight which lasted about ten minutes.
Rajdeep Naik who makes the statement “Sussegad Goenkaar utta, tenna fudlyaachi kashi futta” in the movie ‘Home Sweet Home’ welcomed this and said, “I don’t know who these men are but they have done what a real Goan, who is a fighter is expected to do.”
Naik added, “The incident of Goan fisherwomen in Vasco forced and chased away form their own spot, and this incident at Margao near SGPDA is a wakeup call for the authorities that Goans are no more sussegad and they have now decided to rise up to the situation and help themselves to their rights at any cost.”
