This evening 5/3/2006 when this writer visited the trouble torn Tilamol Sanvordem Cacora Curchorem areas at 1630 hrs the normal Sunday Bazaar at Sanvordem was missing. The road from Tilamol to Sanvordem showed signs of normalcy returning. There were some people attending a Catholic funeral service before the Tilamol junction as ususal. A national TV crew had already covered the area and was uplinking with latest reports to Headquarters at a nearby field.
There were several cars burnt into ashes the smell of smouldered tyres seat covers was in the air. A car was burnt near the Laximi stores -junction Another near the Paramrapali building. Another near Praveena industries. Several pick-ups damaged glass pieces lying in smitheered state. A petrol pump bang opposite the M/s Universal Petrol Pump of Mr Durganand Sanvordencar was destroyed short of being set on fire. A shop below Dr Kudchadkar Maternity hospital was also damaged and the owners were retrieving what they could from the embers. This four road junction witnessed the cars lying burnt some scooters motorcycles all destroyed a shop was burnt goods ransacked. A house opposite the Central Bank was damaged. Towards the prayer house in Sanvordem there was a huge contigent of Goa Police relaxed but on alert. There were signs of damage some massive concrete blocks placed on the street to act as road block. A posh house belonging to a businessmen who is reputed to be owning around 6 - 8 shops had all its windows shattered the car at the porch was damaged at Pontemol. Ironically from the entire rioting that was witnessed it was clear that a particular minority was the target. This writer saw many of these middle class apartments or houses amidst a cluster of other minority and majority community but selective damage to them. The Pontemol area has a sizeable minority holdings. Just as the writer was in conversation with police personnel to get updates a bus No TN 20L 3889 came with a group of Rapid Action Force Police personnel men and women. Today 5/3/2006 was the first batch that had arrived as a precautionary measure. Almost all shops at Sanvordem were shut down and few people mostly in groups were seen. The shops near the Railway station were open and there was some activity of shopping etc in progress. There was a beeline at the only petrol pump M/s Sanvordencar which was open for the town motorist . There was Mr Ramrao Desai the BJP MLA Curchorem talking to some people and the BJP MLA from Fatorda and Mr Damodar (Damu) Naik in a white Maruti Car who greeted this writer. Being a Sunday there was not much movement. It was apparent that the rioters targetted the movable and immovable properties of only the minority community and selectively, with abundant care not to destroy that of others. Therefore the arson looting was well organised, and most of it restricted to the Curchorem Cacora Municipal areas. With stray damages done to vehicles beyond the Tilamol Church. Having witnessed the damage there the writer moved down to Gudemol in the village Panchayat Sanvordem beyond the bridge near the Curchorem Railway Station which was the cause of action on night of 2/3/2006 Just before the a bus stop there was a convoy of police all stationed and a KTC mini bus in tow. infact KTC minibuses were used to deploy police personnel. After preliminary exchange of pleasantries with the young dynamic policemen mostly youth the writer was shown the direction of the site where the structure was demolished. The place is away from the main road just a 50 metre walk in an otherwise residential area. There is an eating house with a sign board "PRATIK ETE JEVAN MILE " food is available here, but a resident stated that since the trouble began on the night of 2nd March the same was closed. This place is frequented by the truck owners who transport mineral ore to the nearby plots for onward movement into railway stockingpoint. Just near it there is what is believed to be an upcoming construction of a "Madrassa" akin to a primary school and a prayer house that was in the process of being setup. The construction work began two month ago. It is believed that the area was given to a woman under the twenty point programme who in turn had now agreed to use it for religious purpose. This is unconfirmed. The panch members were not available to confirm this niether would the others talk seeing the police personnel around. It is learnt that the despite the villagers opposing the setting up of the same in a area which constitutes of majority community the villagers did not take too kindly to the minority demand to set up the "Madrassa" there. One person who spoke in hushed tones stated that the area had hardly around 60 of the minority community and this highhandedness was untolerable. It is realiably learnt that despite the orders of demolition issued by the Village Panchayat Sanvordem a stay was granted by the Deputy Director of Panchayats and this infuriated the villagers further as they believed that under a 1995 legislation to evict trespassers from Government land the Deputy Director Panchayat could not grant a stay and hence they resorted to "suo moto" demolition. They were confident that armed with the stay order the madrassa would have been completed well before the monsoons. Being a holiday this writer could not lay his hands on the order and was promised one by Monday 6 March, 2006. It is believed that once the destruction to this structure which the villagers believe is illegal was carried out the minority community members were infuriated and they allegedly instigated the members of their community to hold a "peaceful" protest. Acccording to one member of this community who has been living from well before Liberation of Goa he stated that the issue should have been settled locally and not on communal basis. Knowing that their numbers were less they are belived to seek the support of others of their community from outside Curchorem Cacora. Curchorem and Sanvordem is essentially a Hindu bastion with the Catholics next and the Moslems the smallest. The call for a morcha apparently caused hurtburning among the citizens of Curchorem Cacora and they felt "THIS BEING A LOCAL ISSUE IT WAS FOR THE LOCALS TO RESOLVE" and the attempt to whip up communal sentiments was condemned. Moreover they felt if this sort of interference by the community as a whole is not checked they will have their way against the wishes of the locals. But the writer who spoke to some learnt that had the permission not been granted to hold the peaceful rally which in any case could not be held because the attack preceded this rally there would have not been any problem. It is also a fact that the allegations of people coming from outside Goa was incorrect. Many confessed that they had not seen any one armed with swords as rumoured. Others confirm that some groups of the minority community did come from Vasco-da-Gama Margao Housing Board area etc.. and these were "natives of Karnataka -- Bhatkaal etc true " but were now resident in Goa and were engaged in floor polishing interior decorations fruit and vegetable vendors. In short they were essentially the "bazaarkar" or traders and others engaged in menial jobs. Therefore the rumours of people coming from outside the state was not proved thus far. This writer made enquiries at Polem check post and at the Margao Railway Station but they confirmed that there was no noticeable sign of "unwelcome" groups. Infact there were no orders issued to seal the borders (as is normally done in such an eventuality )given by the District authorities or the Home Department if the report was true and even now at the time of writing. The lessons to be learnt from this untoward incident as others discussed with this writer are: The village panchayats and the municipal authorities should be sensitive to the wishes of the people when granting permission for construction or setting up establisments in the village or municipal areas; Mostly elected representatives permit illegalities and then the citizens are forced to face threats or risks to life and property; The wilful encroachment on Government lands or unauthorised constructions is WITH FULL PATRONAGE OF THE ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES and the police who are mainly from Karwar and Maharastra even though now settled in Goa tend to have a sympathetic attitude towards the nuances of the migrants Every elected representative in the ward to be made responsible for any illegality -- it is opportune time to bring about the necessary changes in the Municipal and Village Panchayat acts, by an ordinance or a legislation. the elected representatives and the natives from outside the State should note well that our villages have an unique identity which is an embodiment of its people customs and culture and any thing which does not conform to the settings should not be encouraged. Moreso if the gram sabhas do not approve of them. In the event a communal issue flares up, the district administration viz the District Collector/District Magistrate and SP of the District should immediately rush to the site take stock of the situation and restrict the intervention of outsiders, in settling the issue. In the present case it is seen while the Gudemmol area was largely peaceful the neighbouring Curchorem Cacora Municipal area suffered the brunt of the issue, because of presence of outsiders. There are rumours unconfirmed of a bandh but to a large extent there are efforts being made by elected representatives NOT to spread the virus to other cities even though the fundamentalist of every community would want to use this as an issue to polarise the society. There is no doubt that the alarming rate of migrants from all over India now found in the 190 Village Panchayats and 12 Municipalities and 1 Corporation IS duly supported clandestinely by the elected representatives as their vote banks will have to be put to check sooner or later as otherwise tourism will suffer and the demographic composition will give rise to crimes etc. from the Gudemol Curchorem Cacora end GODFREY J I GONSALVES Borda Margao Goa 9822158584 [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________________ Yahoo! India Matrimony: Find your partner now. Go to http://yahoo.shaadi.com