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Violence escalates in Goa; prohibitory orders passed

Sandesh Prabhudesai in Panaji

The Goa government imposed section 144 (which bars assembly of five or more persons at a place) in the entire state, even as chances of violence increased with demonstrators threatening to intensify their stir against the controversial Meta Strips project.

The year-long agitation against the Meta Strips project in south Goa had turned violent yesterday, with agitators blocking the National Highway here and burning down state-owned buses. The police had to resort to firing to dispel the violent rioters.

The state government had earlier allowed the factory to start the production of brass strips and foils. However, following violent protests, Chief Minister Francisco Sardinha yesterday announced that all the work at the controversial plant would be stopped.

Due to the protests, the traffic along the national highway connecting Panaji, Margao and Vasco was disrupted on Tuesday. However, the area remained calm but tense today. Traffic, however, was moving normally.

Goa has a limited police force, which may find it difficult to tackle huge public violence. Two additional companies of policemen were summoned from Karnataka, and the Central Reserve Police Force companies too arrived here today.

An emergency cabinet meeting convened today formally decided to set up an experts' panel, headed by a retired judge, to probe into the alleged pollution of the project owned by Sushil Khaitan, son-in-law of Sitaram Jindal, chairman of Jindal Aluminium Limited.

"The ball is in their court now," said Sardinha, reiterating that his government would not allow any 'polluting plant' in Goa, if the experts panel concur with the agitators after a study.

The Anti-Meta Strips Action Committee, or AMSAC, however, has also reiterated that they would not agree to anything less than scrapping of the project immediately.

"If Sardinha is serious enough, he could have stopped work on the project and closed the factory six months ago," says Nelson Fernandes, the AMSAC secretary.

The 16 AMSAC activists sitting on indefinite hunger strike in Panaji since the last 10 days are also not prepared to end their protest, though tourism minister Victoria Fernandes met them with the assurance that the work at the factory would be halted.

"Let them seal the factory and then we would decide," said Mathany Saldhana, the member of the local self-government leading the fast.

The cops, meanwhile, are gearing up to face any misadventure on the part of the demonstrators. "I do not think it is necessary to impose curfew at the moment. But we are prepared to face any eventuality," said Karnal Singh, the state's acting Director General of Police, or DGP.

Singh denied any police brutality, as alleged by the local newspapers. Some reports alleged that men, women, and even some priests were beaten up. Three persons have been hospitalised, one of them with a bullet injury, the newspapers said.

Four policemen, including two officers, were injured when an irate mob attacked them. The arsonists also burnt down the Cortalim police outpost.

The cops, meanwhile, fear that the violence may escalate to other parts of the state too.

Goans protest against Meta Strips project

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