From,
Adv. John Fernandes,
r/o. H.No.229, Copelabhat,
Deao, Quepem-Goa
Detail account of the incident taken place on 17/12/2008 at Copelabhat
Ambaulim..
That we the Villagers of Copelabhat, Deao Quepem lodge a complaint on
7/11/2008 before Dy-Collector Quepem, Collector South Goa , Executive
Magistrate, Assistant Director of Transport, Director of mines and others
departments stating that they are facing lot of health hazards, risk to their
lives including children due to operation of mining truck. Except Additional
Collector Shri Acharya who had forwarded our complaint to other authorities
no officers including the Dy-Collector Quepem Shri Venancio Furtado who is head
of the Sub-District had taken any cognizance on our Complaint. Not even a
reply was given to us nothing.
On 19th of November 2008 at around 3.00 PM we around 10 villagers gheroud
the Assistant Director of Transport Quepem N.D. Nagvekar and brought to his
notice about the violations done by the mining truck and the nuisance caused.
We asked about the action taken by him on our complaint dated 7/11/2008. On
that day we also met the Dy-Collector. After that day the RTO started issuing
challan for few days but the problem of overloading, over speeding continued.
On 24/11/2008 we submitted a reminder to the Collector South Goa,( a reply
pertaining to that reminder we received from Add.Collector on 17/12/08)
stating that as no action has been taken against their complaint dated
7/11/2008 at any movement they will be constrained to come on the road. It
seems that based on the complaint the Dy-Collector Venancio Furtado Called a
meeting of some of the noted person from Quepem and representative of mine
owners on 26/11/2008 however no representatives of us were called for the said
meeting. The Dy-Collector seems to have taken certain decisions at the said
meeting which were not complied with and is just a paper work.
Accordingly that on 27/11/2008 we came on the road and blocked the road for
mining truck from 8.30 AM onward. We blocked the road only for mining truck,
but when the police appeared at the spot the entire traffic was got jam. At
around 12.00 noon Quepem MLA shri Kavlekar appeared at the spot. That in
presence of Quepem MLA , Dy-Collector Venancio Furtado assured the villagers
that by 15 of December 2008 a notification will be issued regarding speed
limit and prohibition of entry for mining truck during certain period of school
hours. He also assured us that from 28/11/2008 no mining truck from Colomba and
Sulcorna will be allowed to operate via Quepem and the Notification issued by
the Director of Transport dated 15/12/2007 under No.D.Tpt/EST/1685/P.F.II/2007
will be strictly implemented. However nothing fruitful was done by the
Dy-collector Shri Venancio Furtado as we have got documentary evidence to
prove.
That on 2/12/2008 we have written a letter to the Dy-Collector Quepem, copy
of which was submitted to the Collector of South Goa, Quepem MLA stating about
the non compliance of assurances given to us on 27/11/2008. In the letter dated
2/12/2008 we have clearly stated that as assurances given to us on 27/12/08
are not complied with at any movement we will come on the road. The letter
dated 2/12/2008 till date not replied by the Dy-Collector Quepem.
Accordingly on 17/12/2008 we came on the road. We blocked the road for
mining truck which started at around 8.30AM . All the other traffic were moving
smoothly. At around 9.00 AM Quepem police appeared at the spot . As soon as
police appeared the police headed by ASI Arvind Nagekar and the truck driver
forcefully tried to push the agitators even some truck driver started their
truck and started moving their truck , however as the villagers were in large
numbers the police and the truck drivers did not succeeded. At this movement
some altercation took place between the drivers and the agitators. Two truck
drivers/owner namely Evangelisto Pereira r/o. Vitholamordi, Quepem and Andrew
Dias r/o. Igramol, Quepem stated if they allowed our children to come on the
road they will ply the truck over them. Significantly at this movement some of
the school children were infront of the truck. That at around 9.15am truck
driver namely Evangelisto Pereira r/o. Vithola Mordi
Quepem drove the truck of Benny Fernandes of Copelabhat the truck across the
in front the house of the road goes to Our lady of Pobres Chapel and blocked
the entire road which blocked continued for some time. However due to
interference of police the same was cleared. That little time later one Alex
Carvalho from Bindimol put his truck across the road in front of the house of
Satolin Luis, Copelabhat , resulting therein the blocking of entire road. The
police did not did anything to clear the blocked.
At around 9.30 P.I Santosh Dessai appeared at the spot followed by Quepem
Mamlatdar Sudin Nato. We submitted him our leaflets containing our demand.
After going through our demand he tried to convince us about the steps taken
however we did not satisfied and continued our agitation. As the villagers in
large number the Quepem P.I. Seems to have called additional police (armed
police ). In between there was a altercation between the driver namely
Evangelisto and Andrew and the women force infront of the P.I. Santosh and
mamlatdar Nato for their statement of plying the truck over the children.
However P.I. Santosh Pacify the Women and told the drivers to go to their side.
Meanwhile some of the villagers went home.
At around 11.45 PM a bus load of armed police along with the Dy-Collector
Venancio Furtarado appeared at the spot. Dy-Collector Venancio Furtado did not
have a single word or any sort of discussion with the villagers, however
directed the police to forcefully remove the agitators. Seeing the armed
police most of whom were women and children the villagers started moving out
of the road. Infact police have cleared the road and truck started plying the
road and around 15 truck passed. In between William Luis questioned the Dy.
Collector as to why the armed police has been called? After a heated
discussion William got sentimental and stated that you (Dy-Collector ) is
receiving payment at our cost and trying to use police force on us, upon which
Dy-collector Venancio Furtado got irritated and ordered William Luis to arrest
police try to arrest William Luis , I (John Fernandes) interfered and
prevented the police from arresting William Luis, the truck drivers who
were standing side by pushed some of the villagers on the Dy-Collector and the
police . The Police then larthy charge on the agitators including school
children and the aged women. I fell in the drainage . Around 5 policeman came
after me and they catch hold of me however our other supporters including
women rescue me for the first time. I started escaping but fell on the ground,
the police then caught hold of me for the second time police tried to pull me
but my supporters rescue me. I started running , that around 10 policemen
followed me , the police followed me upto a distance of around 20 mts from the
spot of incident. However they could not chase I escape from the clutches of
the police. In the process I lost my mobile and suffered some minor injuries to
my leg and hand.
I latter learnt police brutally larthycharge the agitators including aged
women ,school children.
Police arrested around 7 villagers. Anthonjose Fernandes Fernandes was
picked up from his Godfather house, which is at a distance of 100 mts from the
spot. Anthon jose was manhandled in an inhuman manner. The last person who
was arrested Franky Rebello who was pulled up by 10 policeman in a barbaric
manner from a distance of around 50 mts. as he was responsible for escaping me.
Apart from those arrested receiving larthy charge , injuries the following
persons namely smt. Lourencina Rebello (65), Andrew Fernandes, William
fernandes, John Fernandes, Smt. Remij Fernandes (50) Francisco Fernandes,
Monica Fernandes, Pobre Fernandes, Soccor Fernandes, of whom some suffered
severe injuries while some minor.
The agitators were so brutally assaulted some of the batten of the police
have been broken. We have collected 4 pieces of broken battens.
It was latter learnt to that the police took a Forem(spade) from the garden
of near by house of Piedade Rebello and latter used the same Forem(spade) to
book me under section 307 of IPC that is of attempting to murder ASI Arvind
Nagekar . If I (John ) was involved in an attempt to murder of a police
official then why the police did not chase me and catch hold of me when 5 to 7
policemen of battalion cadre were chasing me? Are the police not competent to
chase or are they unfit to be police if five policemen that is armed police
could not case a ordinary citizen? This clearly shows that the charges level
against me were false distorted and concocted. The motive of the police who
have been engineered by the mining company/mining contractor to arrest me and
to drag me by leveling false charges. But the almighty saved me. The stones
which the police claim to have been pelted might have been pelted by the
truck drivers.
* Is there any administration in Quepem? If there is administration why they
are not even bother to attend our grievances by replying to our complaint?
* Dont we have a right to fight for our right to life in a Democratic way?
If we have a right then why the police larthy charged us?
* Are we in a Democracy or in a dictatorship of the Burocracy?
* Are the minds of the officials of Quepem have been corroded with the
mining dust and their hand have been paralyzed by the Carbon mono oxide
released by the mining truck? If not why they are not acting on our complaint?
why they are not even bother replying to our letters/complaint?
* Are the poor people yet to be liberated from the onslaught of the rich? Is
Goa yet to be liberated?
* Are the armed police reared by the Goa Government at the cost of the tax
payers is meant to used against the poor inorder to protect the rich who are
endangering the life particularly of the tribals?
Even if the police/state machinery is used to press our throat they will not
be succeed as we are fighting for the right which will always prevail.
These questions came to my mind after the 17/11/2008 incident?
Till the time I/we are honest our every movement will succeed, I have a full
faith in it.
Keep on supporting, keep on praying.
