Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (KD/NR)
Mangalore, Nov 22: A quarrel ensued between the villagers at Shibaroor, between the students and the Special Economic Zone (MSEZ) officials, which took a bitter turn. The police had to finally intervene in the matter to settle the issue here, on Wednesday November 21.
According to the police, both parties did land up at the police station to file individual complaints against each other but fortunately walked out settling the matter amicably, without lodging a complaint.
Secretary of Bhu Samrakshana Vedike Lawrence D’Cunha said a bunch of students from Srinivas College of Social work from city visited Shibaroor along with the MSEZ executive Raghavendra Holla. The group visited the village homes, distributing handbills on a public meet to be held on November 28 to be convened by State Pollution Control Board (SPCB).
The group also handed over another set of handbills with the content on R&R package with a request to the villagers to sign a book against their door numbers which resulted in an argument with the villagers. They were angry over the fact that they were being influenced about the benefits of MSEZ’s R & R on the pretext of public meet. The villagers therefore told the students that R & R was one topic they were not prepared to listen as they had decided firmly they would not vacate their lands.
As the crowds increased D’Cunha informed, MSEZ Chief Operating Officer A G Pai appeared on the scene followed by the police and the discussion then ended at the village with an assurance from A G Pai that such incidents would not reoccur.
As the crowd dispersed Pai and Holla were at Surathkal police station lodging a compliant against the villagers, so when the villagers became aware of this they too went to the station to lodge a complaint. But according to the police finally no complaint was lodged at the police station, as both parties settled the matter amicably at the station itself.
The interference of the students has become a mystery to the villagers who feel that all attempts of MESZ to convince the villagers failed. So they resorted to these morbid gimmicks and unfortunately students are being involved in the issue unnecessarily.
Students were made to advertise on the issue with out sufficient knowledge about the issue, to a section of people who are the sufferers and oppose MESEZ. They also said that let the colleges allow their students to make a fair study on the matter, we will support them but sending the students for these kinds of misleading jobs is not acceptable, they advised.