In an unprecedented action, constituting a gross assault on academic and individual freedom, the Goa administration, after threats and allegations by right-wing elements, through an order passed by the Margao SDM and Electoral Returning Officer, Derek Neto, stopped a public talk on "Communal Threats to Secular Democracy in India" by noted speaker and advocate of secularism, Prof. Ram Puniyani. This talk was taking place in collaboration with Kare Law College, Margao, and on the premises of the college.
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Gomantak Times, Editorial, 26/05/07
Conniving cops
Margao must say ‘no’ to communal forces
May 26 2007
How dangerous are people like IIT Professor Ram Puniyani, woman activist and lawyer Albertina Almeida, and Ramesh Gauns? Can they single-handedly start a riot in Margao? Can they provoke the citizens of Margao into taking law into their own hands? Can they, with their speeches incite the people of Margao into a communal frenzy? Can they create a situation where Margao will have to be closed down for two days? Can they generate enough communal tension for a mob to run amok damaging vehicles and shops like in Sanvordem and Curchorem? Does the police and the sub divisional magistrate expect us to believe that a lecture on “Communal Threats to Secular Democracy in India” would hurt the sentiments of people in Margao and cause them to disrupt life in the city? One only has to go through the sequence of events to know how one person, by force of threat, coerced the state authorities into stopping a perfectly legitimate meeting organised by the Citizen’s Initiative for Communal Harmony (CICH) in association with the Goan Ramnath Kare Law College in Margao. Albertina Almeida and Ramesh Gauns were the convenors of this lecture which never took place thanks to the conniving police of Margao. We laud the courage of the management of Kare Law College who, inspite of severe pressure from fundamentalist forces in Margao to cancel the lecture, opted to pursue the agenda of peace and harmony.
After Sanvordem and Curchorem, the communal forces in the state have shifted their attention to Margao because they believe that the only way to defeat Digamber Kamat is by polarising the vote of the majority community. An attempt was made some weeks back when these communal forces used the new market vendors to close down the city for two days on a flimsy reason that a girl of the majority community was eve teased in the market by a member of the majority community. Thursday’s decision of the Margao police to halt the lecture will only encourage these communal forces. What is distressing is that the police, instead of providing protection to the forces of peace, succumbed to the legend of hate and stopped the meeting. Worse still, even when no complaint was filed by the cowardly communal forces, the police inspector of Margao, ordered the PSI to lodge a complaint on behalf of the state on grounds that it was cleared by the higher ups. And what was the basis of this complaint? The basis was one sentence in a pamphlet outlining the conviction of the CICH. The offending sentence reads as follows: “The ideology of the right-wing Hindutva has been growing at a furious pace leading to a feeling of insecurity among minorities.”
When an election observer in North Goa requests a police officer to lodge complaint for wrongful use of a car in campaigning, the cops refuse on grounds that the observer has to first file a complaint. However, in Margao, the police go out of their way to lodge a complaint against a peaceful gathering of people dedicated to preserving communal harmony in the state. This is the third time that communal forces in the state have been allowed to get away with their agenda of hate and segregation. The first time was when the Congress government slept on the magisterial inquiry report on the riots in Curchorem and Sanvordem; the second time was when these forces were allowed to close down Margao city for two days and the third occasion occurred on Thursday when the police and sub divisional magistrate, instead of confronting these vested interests succumbed to their threats. The people and voters of Margao are now at crossroads – one route will lead them into the crushing embrace of communal forces, while the second will strengthen the traditions of tolerance and harmony. The voters of Margao must choose the pathway of peace.
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Gomantak Times, 26/5/07, op-ed piece
Oye, Mr. Election Observer
By Oscar Rebello
Please don’t invade my space, and importantly, my freedom of speech!
At the outset, let me congratulate your team for a phenomenal display in ensuring a free and fair election in the badlands of Uttar Pradesh.
Despite the brute money and muscle power of Mulayam and his merry men, you guys ensured a level playing field for all political parties and saw to it that democracy emerged as a true champion on May 11, 2007.
Cut the chase now to Goa, your next stopover at Gee!, it’s a wonderful sight to see you fellas ready with your brooms (to clean up the mess) and your whistles (to referee the match).
If the summer of 2007 wasn’t bad enough, the heat has been scorching on all the little bandicoots at play. No free flowing booze! No ostentatious flash of wealth! No dirty tricks! No intimidation! The prescription is perfect for a gentleman’s game of cricket. Everyone has to play by the rules and voters have nothing but their conscience to help them cast their vote. So far, so perfect!!!
But what your RO in Margao did on Thursday by gatecrashing and pulling the plug on a Citizen’s Initiative to promote Communal Harmony (who were organising a talk by the renowned Ram Puniyani) is downright shameful – if not maliciously partisan.
Mr. Election Observer, what does the blazing dickens my right to free speech have to do with your election process. Pray?
Narendra Modi, Advani can rant and rave about “Islamic” terrorism and Jehad, being dyed in the blood politicians no one touches them, but if ordinary citizens want to discuss the dangerous (and they are real dangerous) or fanatic “Hindutva”, you bring out the leashes and silence them. Not fair play, Sir! No way! Not by a Nile.
Albertina Almeida and Ramesh Gauns – my utter admiration for their yeoman service to promote secularism in Goa – are two of Goa’s heroes untouched by the political sting. What’s next for them? An exile to Siberia, everytime an election comes visiting us.
And oh, by the way, don’t be surprised if you have to come to Goa in another six months to oversee another election. Such is the unpredictability of Goan politics.
And how much do you want us to restrict our freedom of speech and movement.
Can we go smell a “Lotus” in the garden or is that undue advantage BJP? Do we need to take written permission in triplicate to shake “Hands” in public, or is that misconstrued as a Congress advantage?
And a small piece of advice for you. You must consider travelling my train, because if you fly into Goa, it may be misunderstood as support for “Save Goa Front” (Churchill’s symbol is an aeroplane).
The farce could be stretched to any limit then. The point is simple and very clear. Slam your rules and regulations on politicians and political parties in the fray. We applaud you for that.
But let us ordinary folks be … for God’s sake. Why are you invading my space, my life, and most importantly, my freedom of speech in the name of your code of conduct.
Because you know, Mr. Election Commissioner, (in case my name has not been struck off the rolls) but freedom of speech, Ahhh… That’s my birthright and I challenge you to snatch it away from me.
PS. In case this article violates the model code of conduct, many people know my address where you can come and arrest me.
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Gomantak Times, 25/05/07
SDM stops session fearing public fury
Margao: An interactive session on “Communal Threats to Secular Democracy in India” to be chaired by IIT Professor, Ram Puniyani at Kare Law College premises yesterday at 5 pm was ordered to be stopped by the sub divisional magistrate fearing the disruption of the public tranquillity leading to communal disharmony in the State, drawing strong protests from the organisers.
The talk was organised by the Citizen’s Initiative for Communal Harmony (CICH) in association with Kare College, Margao.
A delegation of the CICH later called upon the Deputy Collector and Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Derrick Pereira Neto at the South Goa Collectorate Margao, after he issued them directives to halt the programme.
The SDM when contacted, admitted that he had issued a letter following a complaint that he received from the police and concerned citizens, who feared that if the talk was permitted, it would disturb the existing peace and harmony and cause communal tension in the city.
Speaking to GT, CICH Convenor Ramesh Gauns raised strong objections to the decision to stop the programme by the Government machinery though a Congress government is in power and said communal forces are hand-in-glove with the authorities.
Gauns said the incident is a repeat of another incident during elections some time back when a poster exhibition on Gujarat was planned and policed seized the CDs.
“It was a game-plan to sabotage the whole activity. It is a repeat, but surprisingly, it is a Congress government at the helm,” he said. Speaking to GT, Puniyani said the thrust of the lecture was on an “all inclusive nationalism which has democratic components and where people of call castes and religions are included as equal citizens”.
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