Today morning at around 8.45 am Anthony D'Silva was taken in police custody in Margao when he staged protest to highlight plastic garbage in Goa. Anthony dressed in boiler suit costumes with plastic empty bottles tied all over his body got into the venue of flag hosting site on Independence site. South Goa collector called in police force and ordered Anthony be detained at police station till the official independence day function gets over at around 11.00 am.
In addition there are around 30 people associated with Goenchea Xetkarancho Ekvott (GXE) affected with real estate, mining, tourism that are protesting with banners and placards at the distance of 100 meters from the official independence day function. so far they are not arrested. Independence day function is marked to observe the change of flags on 15 August 1947 wherein officially British rule in India came to an end. Goa however was under Portuguese rule that continued till December 1961 under the patronage of the caste and class elites engaged in mining business. However though British colonial rule formally ended colonial structure of exploitation remained intact. There are several laws dealing with land acquisition, Penal code, etc continued in free India making Independence only relative category. More details are awaited. Sebastian Rodrigues http://mandgoa.blogspot.com/2010/08/anthony-dsilva-taken-in-police-custody.html