*TBA Holds Procession and Public Meeting to condemn suppression of democracy
*
The Taleigao Bachao Abhiyan (TBA) today conducted a protest march to condemn
the actions of the Sarpanch, with the aid of unruly elements in the recently
held Gram Sabha of Taleigao that amounted to a murder of the democratic
process. The procession that wound through the Taleigao market and
culminated outside the Casa do Povo, Taleigao marched to the somber tunes of
music traditionally played at funerals.
Pundalik Raiker a member of the TBA explained that the citizens of Taleigao
were mourning the abortion of democracy as witnessed in the Taleigao Gram
Sabha held on the 17th of August 2008. It may be recalled that the Gram
Sabha held on the 17th of August was abruptly stopped by the Sarpanch after
members of the meeting protested against his partisan manner of conducting a
vote in the meeting. He was aided in this process through the actions of
unruly elements that continuously disrupted the proceedings. The TBA, aware
of this possibility, had in fact requested the Sarpanch for police
protection, a request that the Sarpanch ignored. This action, along with his
partisan manner of conducting the meeting is evidence of his deliberate
attempts to throttle the democratic participation of the people in the
governance of the village. The TBA would like to call attention to the fact
that subsequent to the Gram Sabha held in May 2008, the tribal residents of
Taleigao village were threatened and punished for daring to attend the Gram
Sabha. The TBA points out that the Sarpanch has failed to call for Gram
Sabhas as per schedule for three trimesters now, a serious neglect of his
duties under law.
In the course of the procession, members of the TBA spoke on the various
other issues that are a threat to the democratic functioning of the
panchayat. As members of the procession distributed handbills to the
on-looking public at the Taleigao market, Annand Madgavkar explained that
the TBA aimed to ensure "Development for all, not just a few". Shanti
Almeida, secretary of the TBA focused on the mega-housing projects. In the
absence of adequate infrastructure she argued, these projects were going to
destroy the fabric of the village and create poverty in our village. Xavier
Almeida, expressed his concern for the conditions in the village pointing
out that fields created through the hard work of the ancestors, were now
being acquired in the name of the Government, and subsequently filled up and
used for private commercial interests. Every speaker in the course of the
procession appealed to the people of the village to fearlessly come out
against the destruction of the village, stand up for their rights and attend
the Gram Sabhas.
Arriving at the Casa de Povo, the site for Gram Sabha meetings, Adv.
Albertina Almeida reflected on how the village as a result of the disregard
for law was transformed from a productive agrarian community into a lawless
concrete jungle. Participants in the procession then lit candles to bring
the light of justice into their village. Speaking on the occasion, the
Convenor of the TBA, Jason Keith Fernandes pointed out that Taleigao was in
the grip of darkness and it was the responsibility to bring light into this
darkness. The forces of darkness were at play in the Gram Sabha, in the
imposition of the ODP (Outline Development Plan) and the alleged IT Park in
the village. The citizens would not rest until these forces were dispelled
he said. On behalf of the TBA, Annand Madganvkar announced that they would
visit every ward to identify the needs and demands of the people and try to
resolve these issues. This would be used in the eventual preparation of a
Village Development Plan that would articulate the needs and demands of
villagers. The needs of the people should be addressed, before the greed of
the real-estate lobby he remarked.
s/d
s/d
Jason Keith Fernandes
Shanti Almeida
(Convenor and Spokesperson)
(Secretary)
(Support the TBA, via their blog www.taleigaobachaoabhiyan.blogspot.com )
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Read my thoughts at www.dervishnotes.blogspot.com
