CITIZEN REPORTING: Margao tense after misunderstandings spark polarisation
By Godfrey JI Gonsalves
>From the Rumdamol Davorlim en
Margao, the commercial and cultural of Salcete, was gripped
by sporadic events created by a religious activist group
belonging to the majority community, which resulted in a
clampdown of Section 144 (prohibitory orders, under the
Criminal Procedure Code) and arrests of six persons believed
to be fomenting the trouble.
This came even as the Government was coming to grips with the
ultimatum served by a committee of temple managements headed
by the ex-BJP MLA Mr Prakash Velip.
Velip had issued the ultimatum to Congress Chief Minister
Digamber Kamat to investigate immediately and book the
culprits behind the desecration of a temple at Tilamol in
Quepem or face an inevitable show down on July 1, 2008
According to reports that this writer obtained from the site
of the incident late Friday evening, the trouble started this
afternoon in the vicinity of the Rumdamal grounds at the
Housing Board locality which comes under the jurisdiction of
the Village Panchayat of Romdamol Davorlim.
Two youths aged 25-30 years, both believed to be originally
from the neighbouring state of Karnataka, one a vegetable
vendor and the other dealing in metal, both from the majority
community, were involved in an altercation.
It was at this juncture a friend of one of the fighting duo,
belonging to the Muslim community, intervened to pacify the
two. This angered one of the fighting duo and, who, then
attacked the one intervening to stop the fight.
At this juncture, another person, a ward pancha also
belonging to the Muslim community, happened to be passing by
in his WagonR vehicle after the Friday prayers (namaz) and he
tried to intervene.
Supporters of one of the fighting duo did not take kindly to
his intervention and is alleged to have banged the front of
the vehicle and warned him not to interfere.
A little later, the group led by the pancha went to the house
of one of the warring duo who had roughed up his car and,
finding him absconding, allegedly damaged a part of the house.
It is believed that one of the fighting duo is a an actvist
of a religious outfit and the attack on him by the group
belonging to the pancha was given a communal angle.
No sooner the news spread of the fight at Davorlim, it is
believed that other members of the group from Calconda forced
shops and commercial establishments around the New
Market-Station Road to abruptly shut down. Soon, a meeting
was planned to be convened near the Pimpalkatta Old Station
Road as a show of protest.
Meanwhile the police sprung into action and began a lathi
charge to disperse the rioters ,and made arrests.
Unconfirmed reports state of a press photographer being
assaulted in the melee have been taken to hospital for
prelimianry treatment.
When this writer visited the Davorlim area Friday,
there was a heavy police bandobust apparently to
avert any further communal incidents. It may be
noted that there are several Muslim places of
worship in and around the Rumdamol-Davorlim area
and the Muslim community -- comprising mainly
migrants and those from the economically backward
society -- live in the government tenements.
The Monte (currently wrongly labelled by the Goa Government
as Moti Dongor instead of just Monte, as the latter term in
the Portuguese language, or Dongor in Konkani, both mean
'hill' in English) is a Central government notified slum.
It is also allegedly the vote bank of Digamber Kamat, the CM
of Goa and MLA Margao right from the time he was elected to
the Margao Municipal Council, and is seen as being nursed by him.
It has a sizeable section of migrants from neighbouring state
of Karnataka mostly vendors or labour. The CM has posted a
heavy police bandobust in this area too avert any misuse of
the situation for political purposes.
With most of the shops closed since 1623 HRS local time
Friday, the New Market and Gandhi market wore a deserted
look. Many office goers were caught unawares of the
developments but rushed off to their respective villages.
Two shops were damaged -- one belonging to M/s M D Costa and
some others which had alledgedly not been promptly closed
when asked to do so by the crowd.
That there is a subtle communal tension prevailing
in the city having a population of well over
100,000 was evident since past two incidents last
year and the latest utterances of the religious
activists in the second fortnight of April 2008 at
a religious function held at the Costa Grounds in
Aquem. Later, an overnight sprucing up a temple
structure at Rumadamol just in the vicinity of a
Muslim place of worship spelt the growing
insecurity being felt by those from the Muslim
migrant community.
With two successive defeats of the BJP in Margao, despite
their contention that the CM was over-wooing the minority
migrant community to secure his vote bank, Chief Minister
Digambar Kamat has remained unfazed yet.
But this time round, he acted to show his no nonsense
attitude to communal riots. Many citizens felt that unless
such seemingly communal sporadic flare ups are dealt with
promptly, giving the law enforcing authorities the
independence, Margao could continue to be a keg of ammunition
awaiting to explode. [Courtesy: Godfrey JI Gonsalves, on
Goanet www.goanet.org]
* * *
Communal clash in Margao town over eve teasing, curfew imposed
Margao (PTI): Curfew was imposed in Margao town in South Goa on Friday
after members of two communities clashed with each other in the
afternoon following an eve-teasing incident.
The town, known as the commercial capital of Goa, saw mobs vandalising
Gandhi market and other business establishments.
Police said the it was a "petty" fight to begin with when two groups
assaulted each other over the issue of eve teasing. However, it took a
serious turn when youths from both the communities joined, snowballing
the entire episode into a riot.
"We have imposed curfew in the town. The situation right now is under
control," Superintendent of Police (South) Shekhar Prabhudesai told
PTI.
Goa Chief Minister Digamber Kamat said he has asked law enforcement
officers to mount police presence in the town.
"We have asked for the extra force. I am yet to get full details about
the episode," Kamat, who was in Panaji, said.
Margao town is a heart of Margao constituency represented by the Chief Minister.
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/004200806272168.htm