Slogans of Caurem tribals speak louder than their suppressed voice…
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 09 April 2016 14:06 IST
It was a peaceful protest by Caurem tribals by standing on the roadside, but their slogans written on placards were louder enough to realise that peace does not exist in this remote mining village of Quepem taluka.
They protested peacefully standing on the roadside while mining trucks were transporting the e-auctioned iron ore from Fomento mines.
It was a unique scene with police force deployed at the mining lease while villagers were standing on the road, holding placards in their hands.
Most of them were women.
“This is a peaceful protest, to reach out our feelings to the authorities, with a hope they would listen to us”, said Nilesh Gaonkar, a tribal youth leader.
Local panch Ravindra Velip, with his left hand plastered due to assault on him in the judicial lock up, was monitoring the whole demonstration.
He once again told goanews.com that they support mining, but oppose the illegalities.
They have demanded inventory of the iron ore before transporting it, claiming that the quantity of the ore is more than double of what is being measured by the mines department.
Because they stopped ore transportation before inventory, the police arrested them thrice while Ravindra was blind-folded and beaten up in a judicial lock-up, fracturing his hand.
What they wanted to say was more than loud through Konkani and English placards they were holding in their hands.
Some of the placards said this:
Sadhana Multipurpose Co-operative Society still not registered. Why?
We are fighting for our rights, don’t punish us.
Stop harassment of tribal people.
मीन व्हरपाक बरेंच कठीण, बीजेपी सरकार जालां फटिंग.
सुभाष हमारा नेता, मायनिंग का पैसा खाता है.
आमदाराक जालो मिनाचो फायदो, हात-पांय मोडपाचो काडलो कायदो.
चोर चोर सगळे चोर, गोंयचें सरकार जालां चोर.
मनशाक मनीस वळखना, पयशां मुखार कांयच चलना.
