PANJIM: On the 10th day of taxi operators’ protest at Azad Maidan, here, on Thursday it was the large presence of women and children that took centre stage.
The women comprising family members of the protesting taxi owners and protestors also demanded that the State government addresses their demands by Friday latest.
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The sight of the wives and young children of these taxi operators in the sweltering heat, all-day long, angered other taxi operators who criticised the apathy of the government at allowing the protests to reach such a stage. There were even some elderly women at the protests while some young children were seen studying for their exams and in possession of their notebooks etc.
“Look at them. There are young children here, there are mothers here but the government is still not bothered. For 10 days now, we have been protesting but they haven’t bothered to come. The Chief Minister has to come here tomorrow. If not, we will go and sit outside the houses of the Chief Minister, Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho, Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar and GTDC Chief Dayanand Sopte,” said one of the protesting taxi operators.
They criticised Godinho for making statements in his ‘air conditioned’ room while the taxi operators have been protesting under the hot sun.
They further called for the government to dissolve and for the Chief Minister to resign if their demands are not met. They questioned if the ruling political leaders were more interested in pleasing the ‘Casino and Delhi lobby’ instead of ‘Goemkars’.
Congress leaders like former Calangute MLA Agnelo Fernandes and Adv Yatish Naik were also present.
While Fernandes criticised Calangute BJP Michael Lobo for already spoiling the business of taxi owners by promoting rent-a-cab business and then allowing GoaMiles to enter, Adv Naik said it was fully possible for the government to scrap GoaMiles.
Naik said earning one’s livelihood is a fundamental right and on those lines, in the interest of Goan taxi community, the government can always withdraw a policy it had taken.
Taxi union leader Chetan Kamat also hit back at whatever the Transport Minister had been conveying to them through the media.
Taxi union leader Laxman ‘Bappa’ Korgaonkar warned the government not to test the patience of the public and said the government may be under the impression that the taxi protests may end by Saturday or so but that they are ready to continue their protests even after the 12th day.
On a different note, the taxi strike continued to have statements against the intentions of Revolutionary Goans leader Manoj Parab, who was criticised for his attempt to cast aspersions on some of the taxi union leaders and divide them.
Taxi union leaders responded to various comments posted by Parab on social media groups and replied to all the charges including being called ‘goonda’ and ‘mafia’ by Parab.
They said the protest should not become anything other than their fight for their livelihood.
Parab continued to maintain that he was only supporting the movement of the taxi protests, which he wanted to succeed and did not want it to get derailed or fail like the previous movements.
He said he was supporting the taxi community and said he hoped no one would try to manipulate them, alleging that some leaders were interested in doing ‘setting’ (back hand deals) with the government.
