PANJIM: Bodies of two youth, charred to death, were discovered in a storeroom late Wednesday; hours after a massive stir by tribals here turned violent, police said on Thursday. Police said the bodies, which were burnt beyond recognition, were found inside the store of a cooperative society in Balli village, about 45 km from Panjim.
Superintendent of Police Tony Magiedon Fernandes said the storeroom had been set on fire by a mob, but Prakash Velip, convenor of the United Tribal Alliances Association (UTAA) which is leading the tribal agitation, said the two were murdered and then their bodies were thrown into the fire.
"The two boys - Mangesh Gaonkar, 26, and Dilip Velip (age not known) were murdered by some goons who came out of nowhere and assaulted us in front of the police. They were murdered and then their bodies were thrown into the fire," Velip said.
"The police were mute spectators. They did not do anything even as the peaceful protesters were being beaten up," Velip said.
Eyewitnesses said a few tribal activists had rushed into the store operated by local tribal leader Prakash Velip after they were assaulted by locals, who were enraged after their shops were stoned in the market. "A few of them rushed into the store for protection. When the Balli residents saw this, they set fire to the store itself. The fire department personnel managed to save most of those inside," an onlooker said.
The 10,000-strong agitators led by the UTAA Wednesday blockaded Konkan Railway tracks and National Highway 17, demanding prompt implementation of the Tribal Forest Act. They also sought reservation for tribals in government jobs, and the setting up of a Scheduled Tribes commission in Goa.
The agitation ended Wednesday afternoon after state Minister for Tribal Affairs Filipe Neri Rodrigues met the agitators and assured them that their demands "would be treated sympathetically" by the Goa government.
"We have imposed section 144 CrPC (Criminal Procedure code) at Balli to avoid any incident," Superintendent of police Fernandes told a news agency. Under the section, any gathering of five or more people is banned. In the face of the ban on any gathering in Balli vilage, some unidentified people on Thursday afternoon set fire to a truck in the area.
Speaking to reporters, Chief Minister Digambar Kamat said that he had ordered a magisterial probe into the death of the tribal youth. – IANS
Goa, our Goa we have embraced naturally is not what we predicted off. Humanity has conquered the forests and endangered animals, villagers,tribes and has no place of Justice now. Goa which was once inherited by Goans has themselves become as strangers or slum beggars. If Goans can change the fiasco of education medium then why are you all siting and chatting in bars or gossiping on those TV serials? Get up and fight for your rights. This article of misleading police is the mirror of your times. These youths who were killed and later burned is the testimony for you. It has vaporized their lives and in future it may happen to you. Just get up fellow dear Goans.Feeling pity of these youths full of life, young age and of great dreams just perished fighting for their Goan rights.Do you still have faith on your police and their atrocities?
ReplyDeleteThe time is ripe to strike now if be fire with fire. How many of our young will we let die at the hands of Goons? If 10.000 tribal's can come out in one force why cannot the mainstream educated Goans come out? and take Goa back from the criminal politicians and Police
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