Goa continues to hurtle towards a serious communal conflagaration as the Hindutva forces flex their muscles. Salcete taluka, of which Margao is the headquarters, is probably the biggest danger in this regard. The impending elections on 2 June add another factor to the equation, with some regional parties indicating willingness to ally with the BJP post-elections.
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Gomantak Times, Editorial, 12/5/2007
DANGEROUS DIMENSION
Do not ignore the communal agenda in Margao
Last year in March, the state witnessed its first communal attack in Curchorem and Sanvordem when a mob ran riot smashing shops, houses and vehicles belonging to the Muslim community. The attack was vicious and determined and only property of local Muslims was attacked. The madness went on for two days until it was brought under control by jawans of the CRPF and the local police. The events shattered the communal harmony tag that Goa wore so proudly on its shoulder. Then and even now political parties and leaders tried to play down the communal attack as an aberration, a rare case, something that would not repeat itself. Really speaking, the Congress wanted to forget the Curchorem-Sanvordem attack because it was found wanting in handling the situation. A magesterial enquiry was conducted, but instead of acting on the recommendations made by the magistrate, the entire report has been swept under the carpet. The result: another riot-like situation has erupted in Margao on the flimsy ground of eve-teasing and assault. We maintain that eve-teasing and assault are offences that should be taken congisance of by the police and the state. At the same time we do not subscribe to the tactics adopted by the vendors in closing down the commercial capital of the state.
Was this the first and only eve-teasing incident in the new market? Was it the first assault in the state of Goa that people were shocked into downing their shutters? Just like the Curchorem-Sanvordem attack, the near riot-like situation in Margao was also well-orchestrated by a political party with communal lineage. Would the reaction of the vendors and their communal political bosses have been the same if Rajesh Kunkolienkar was attacked by a group belonging to the majority community? Would their reaction be the same if a Muslim girl was eve-teased? Would the reaction be the same if Digambar Kamat and Babu Azgaonkar were still in the BJP. Who were they trying to fool? The slogans shouted by the mob were a dead give-away of who was behind the unrest in Margao. This is not an insider-outsider issue. This is a blatant attempt to polarise voters of the Margao constitutency with the hope of unseating Kamat. The very fact that it yelled slogans against Kamat and Luizinho Faleiro of where the sympathies of the vendors and their political bosses lie.
Those who believe that Goa will continue to remain an oasis of communal harmony are living in a fool's paradise. Sanvordem-Curchorem was the first indication of what some political parties will do forward their agenda of hate. Margao is the new laboratory for another communal experiment. With elections due to be held on June 2, the voters of Margao will have to decide which way they wish to go -- down the communal path which is fraught with hate, fear, violence and intolerance, or on the road to secularism. We do agree that the situation in Margao does not compare with what happened in the aftermath of the demolition of the Babri Masjid or the Godhra train burning. Those were horrific and mind-numbing milestones in India history. In Goa though, the question is, should we act now or wait for a conflagartion to spur us into action? If we ignore the warning signs in Margao, we will be doing so at our own peril. With the demographics of Goa undergoing a subtle change, we might be condemned to witness another riot sooner than later.
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Herald, Panjim, Editorial 12/05/07
Fear psychosis
The big question is “who instigated the violence at Margao.’’ Agreed eve teasing should be condemned and everyone agrees that the common man should not take the law in his own hands.
Agreed there are several recourses to justice, including approaching the police to record such incidents who can then take the appropriate action. But the entire incident that has occurred in Margao smells of a bigger conspiracy. It stinks even worse than the garbage dump at Curca. One also condemns the traders at Margao for enforcing a two day bandh on the commercial capital of the city. But here comes the big question “why is all this happening all of a sudden.’’ While many are quick to point fingers and blame the traders for enforcing the bandh and others are decrying the communal tinge to the entire incident, the big question “why is all this happening, now at election time, and who could be behind it.’’
If one examines the first day of the bandh it did stink with some of the protestors selectively targeting certain sitting MLA’s – why was this done? Secondly why did this group suddenly rushed towards the housing board uttering communal statements? Thirdly why did this group attempt to stop a simple cultural programme in the evening? And fourthly but not the last, who are these people who are fighting for a certain community or cause. It appears that there was a force or group or even party behind this incident and the message that they were giving to the people of Salcette, which incidentally is a Congress bastion, is ``the authorities in power cannot do anything to stop this violence so vote us in.’’ And with elections around the corner, it will not be surprising if the fingers start pointing to a few political parties who will try and prove they can stop these incidents. Yes, it is desperate times for certain political parties in Goa and what better way than to influence the voter by creating a fear psychosis. And that fear psychosis is simple “if you do not vote me to power, then this government will allow these incidents to continue against this community.’’ Oh! yes fear psychosis has been repeatedly used by one particular political party ever since it sat in the seat of government in the mid-1990’s. It can be used either to assure the people that the current government is weak so vote us in or can be used as a tool to tell the people that there are forces against the state and we are here to protect you. This is where Goa has to be careful because with a few days left before campaigning starts, there will be some political parties who are so desperate to come back that they will assure safety to the people, indirectly through acts of violence. And with everyone chanting the ‘save Goa’ mantra, what better way than to influence the voter through a fear psychosis that unless this party is voted in, these communal incidents will continue.
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