A peaceful celebration of the liberation day by the Goan youths was crushed by the state government machinery by detaining several youths in the capital city and other parts of the state. The parents of the youth, detained on Liberation Day by Goa Police held a press conference in the city on 22nd December to protest the actions of the State Government.
“The youth planned for a peaceful parade from Patti Plaza to the Church Square. Is a peaceful parade against law?”, a parent asked. “There were some misleading reports in the media calling the youths as protesters. They were not protesters at all. They went to celebrate Liberation Day. They had planned some events; some street plays, some songs, and such things. The youth knew what to do. They were quite aware of what they could not do on that day because of the presence of the President of India”, he added.
The parents made it very clear that the youth did not show up in the city to protest but to celebrate the auspicious day in an entertaining yet peaceful manner. The parents said that they were all anxious as they were not informed about the details as to why their children were detained and where they were being taken.
More than 50 students were detained which included minors as well. The youth was detained before 2 PM and were left at around 10 PM. The youth constantly asked the police under what section they were being detained and where they were being taken to but the police ignored their questions and left them clueless.
A parent mentioned that when a student asked one police about where they were being taken to, the police replied saying they were being taken for a ‘picnic’.
“I only want to ask the CM first; what is a protest, what is an agitation, what is a silent protest, and what is a celebration? Can you answer me? These children had come to celebrate Liberation Day though they are not liberated, I’m sorry to say that we are slaves. We need to wake up our CM to say that we are no more slaves and that we are liberated and we have the freedom to celebrate our Liberation Day. I don’t know on what grounds our students were detained”, said Anna Gracias, one of the parents on the panel.
She also mentioned that the youth had come with roses as a symbol of love and peace and to make it clear that it wasn’t a protest but a peaceful parade. She urged the students of Goa to save our state from the destruction and made it clear that the students will not be scared of such action taken by the Government but will only be empowered.
The parents are demanding answers from the CM to their questions. They are firmly asking under what section were their children detained and they have asked the CM and Goa Police to apologize in public if they are unable to answer their questions.
Why detain innocent children who gathered to celebrate Liberation Day? Is celebrating our Liberation a crime? Why were their questions ignored? Are we truly liberated? Are we going back in time to be slaves? Will the CM answer the questions put forward by the parents?
