--------------------------------------------------------------------------- **** http://www.GOANET.org **** ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
South Asian Film Festival in Goa from Fri (June 27) to Mon (June 30) At Kala Academy, and ESG, Panaji, Goa http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/2008-June/076384.html --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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