Dears, I am reproducing verbatim two paragraphs from the NT of 21.February, 2008.[The full text is attached below] There is a similar report on page 3 of Herald today. It caught my attention. QUOTE The Chief Minister, Mr Digambar Kamat has reiterated that his government would not allow any one (however high may be the person's position) to take law into their own hands, even as he said that police took the right action that was necessary at that moment, after the agitators led by the Taleigao MLA, Mr Atanasio Monserrate, attacked the Panaji police station.
The Home Minister, Mr Ravi Naik, the Chief Secretary, Mr J P Singh, and superintendent of police (North Goa), Mr Neeraj Kumar, were present at the press conference. UNQUOTE The Herald report stated that the Home Minister did not utter a word! And one thought that Digu Kaka was the ultimate in SUSEGADO Goa CMs? Well, that is not the case when there is a chance to get even with that fiery lady who is giving some dear family friend of his hell about CRZ, public access to the Vaiguinim beach, new hotel expansion project, a jetty [or linear wall] and other minor things that "can be regularised". So what if they are illegal at present? Is this not rural Goa in the former CCP territory? Aldeia? Cidade? What the hell, baba, this is Goa! Nhoi re, papya? This is no Jenifer Lo-PEZ.[The Panaji macho cops reportedly called her other names, Amche baxen ani Morattin]. Besides, we have subliminal interest in SEZ. If the CM can justify police excess as "right action" in the presence of the IGP, CS and his minister for Home [all subordinate to the CM], then the judiciary , the union Government and the people of Goa are the only recourse for sense to prevail. Thank God that ten Congress MLAs, including three Ministers, the Leader of the Opposition and the NCP head honcho have opposed the police high handedness. The Police are employed and paid to maintain the law, not to abuse it! There is a legal system. Lifting Filipe Neri Rodrigues, dressed in the garb of "Marshal" was bad enough. Rioting in police uniform is unforgivable. These policemen must be brought to book, chargesheeted and prosecuted ...no matter which politician gave them a free hand. The officer that led the raiding team must face the music. Pity that a man who has become CM today thanks to a holiday he enjoyed in the house of Babush Monserrate in January 2005 has forgotten it so completely as to condone the destrustion wrought by the police in the very same house ...when he is the CM! Is the man in the street safe? Will an attack on the house of Dr. Oscar Rebello, Pravin Sabnis, Patricia Pinto, Arvind Bhatikar, Charles Fernandes, Dr. Videsh Jalmi or Dr.Claude Alvares, or Heta Pandit ...for being inconvenient or stooping a SEZ or an Aldeia or a Cidade or a mine or a shopping mall ... be similarly condoned? At what cost are we willing to proceed with our "developmnent" ? Can our dear CM tell us? Now , please. Do we have a Constitution, law and legal process ...or are we going to resort to vigilante action as a Government policy? There are precedents of the rightist Governments resorting to vigilante action in Latin America. Are we headed there under the cover of a sauve and secular, smiling face of Digu Kaka? He has received the "Right" training till his Jaipur switch-over that brought Manohar-bab to tears. His cronies have changed colours but not their attitudes of exploitation. Will it be our turn next? Will the Government run on the Fear Factor as Goa turns into a prospectors dream come true ...a real Wild West coast of India? Think it over. The only time is NOW. Tomorrow it may be too late! Mog asundi. Miguel Nobody can take law into their own hands: CM NT Staff Reporter Panaji, Feb 20 The Chief Minister, Mr Digambar Kamat has reiterated that his government would not allow any one (however high may be the person's position) to take law into their own hands, even as he said that police took the right action that was necessary at that moment, after the agitators led by the Taleigao MLA, Mr Atanasio Monserrate, attacked the Panaji police station. Addressing a press conference at the state secretariat this afternoon, Mr Kamat told reporters that if any one had any grievances against anybody he could approach the authorities for redressal of his grievances and appropriate action, but no one had the right to take law in his or her hand. The Director General of Police, Mr B S Brar said that the police have booked three cases against Mr Monserrate, who was in the forefront of the attack on the police station. He said besides Mr Monserrate five others have been arrested by the police. The agitators attacked the police station twice, he said. Replying to a question on the alleged police brutality, he said that some people may have been victim of the frenzy that followed the attack on the police station and the action that followed after that. He, however, described the attack on police as Naxal type attack and that he was seeing it for the first time in his police career spanning over 31 years. He also said that more arrests were likely in the case, even as he said that he would inquire into the incident in which the son of Mr Monserrate was "beaten" up, allegedly by the police, even as he denied that Ms Jennifer Monserrate, wife of the Taleigao MLA, was attacked by the police. Mr Brar said that around 1,200 people had gathered outside the Panaji police station and were demanding that police inspector in-charge of Panaji police station be suspended and gave an ultimatum of half-an-hour to the authorities to take action. He said that though the senior police officials tried to reason out with the agitators they failed to understand and started pelting stones at the police station as a result of which 32 police constables, most of whom were ladies, were injured. Two of the police constables sustained serious injuries, he added. He said that the attack was pre-planned and the agitators had brought a van full of stones to carry out their planned attack. He denied that the police had closed the case against Mr Monserrate for attack on Youth Congress activists, adding that investigations were on in the case. The Home Minister, Mr Ravi Naik, the Chief Secretary, Mr J P Singh, and superintendent of police (North Goa), Mr Neeraj Kumar, were present at the press conference. Meanwhile, the North Goa SP said that police station was attacked twice and that in the first instance the stones were pelted while in the second instance the supporters of Mr Monserrate barged into the police station and tried to "free" those people who were detained by the police. He said it was during the second attack that some of the agitators, including the son of Mr Monserrate, was roughed up in the melee where in police not only tried to defend themselves but also to prevent the escape of the detained persons. The owner of the vehicle used to bring the stones has been identified and necessary action would be taken against him and the person who brought the stones for attack on police station and police personnel, he said. -- -.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-. Miguel Braganza, S1 Gracinda Apts, Rajvaddo, Mhapsa 403507 Goa Ph 9822982676 [EMAIL PROTECTED] -.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
