Today Curchorem people achieved results they themselves never expected. CM was forced to instruct Collector not to proceed with 4-lane against people's wishes. People insited on document in writing and CM was forced to do so. Collector, GP Naik delivered the letter at 6.45 pm, after which the Fast was called off. 500 people marched in cars, buses etc from Curchorem (7am) to Margao residence of CM. The date was 9-2-11 and CM also as usual made a 9-2-11. Police SP, Tony informed CM that the cream of curchorem society had landed up there and it is unwise to take any hard steps against them. In fact at one occasion the aggressive ones in the crowd went out of control and blocked the main Hari-mandir road and paralysed the traffic. But, Tony's feedback helped and no untoward thing happened. CM then requested agitators to send 5 people to Panjim. Agitators refused and insisted that he comes down to Margao. People were annoyed because: 1) CM ignored the fasting agitators for 8 days, during which two had to be hospitalized. 2) He said he is not the CM of Curchorem but CM of Goa, implying that the woes Curchorem people are not important to him. Agitators then started contacting Margao voters and explained why they should not vote for Digu next time. Madgaokars always been sulking that they have to face long queues of trucks and dust pollution when they visit Zambaulim Damubab, the gram-dev of Madgaokars. They never knew who was responsible? They were informed that these trucks come from mines in which Digu had interest. This seems to have hit the bull's eye. CM then told the people that he has a solution and requested a delegation of agitators to come to Panjim, as he has to leave outstation. Some 10 people went to Panjim, while the crowd sat on the road at Margao. The crowd also took rally through the Margao town informing about mining misdeeds/curruption/loot and shouting slogans against the CM. More than 300 Margao people also joined the rally at this stage. At Panjim, CM tried to dodge the 10 representatives. But they had answers to every excuse of his. On two ocassions they showed him documentary evidence to prove his lies/ignorance. When made reasonless he was forced to yield. CM said " if I were a Curchorcar and not the CM, I would also hurl stones at the trucks". We brought him back to the topic reminding him that we wanted rational results and not rhetorics. Agitators in Margao continued to expose Digu's mining exploits, excesses. To save the face the CM asked Churchill, Jose Philip and the Collector to meet us. They too had no words of conviction. When pushed on the back foot, Churchill played one-up-man-ship by saying that he wants to go one step ahead of CM and scrap the 4-Lane in toto. This was all possible only because we targetted two things 1) His personal residence (seems his wife dislikes this) 2) His voters (atleast 300 Margao voters made to think) We now know for certain that he does fear some things. We can now say that if agitations are genuine and managed professionally and with precision, the results are EXCELLENT and BEYOND EXPECTATIONS. Rajendra
