‘Not an Inch of Our Land will be Given’- Protesters tell DMC/AMC
Mumbai: “Not an Inch of our Land will be given.” was our expression during the meeting with DMC/AMC and other Civic Officials. On 21 January 2017, citizens/community walked in a Protest Morcha named “ROAD TO FREEDOM”, to BMC R-South office, situated at 2nd, cross Road, MG Road, near swimming pool, Kandivali (W); to protest against the unjust BMC’s land acquisition Notice to Our Lady of Remedy Church, Poinsur.
We presented the Memorandum to the DMC, copy of the same enclosed. We expressed our deep anguish and disappointment at the lack of response to our letter of December 02, 2016 which left us with no choice but to organise this march. We urged the BMC authorities that they must be sensitive to the grievances of the citizens and at least respond to their communications. DMC/ AMC said they would do it.
We also emphasized the point that there was no point in taking the said part of the church land to broaden the Gamdevi Road which is off S.V. Road when the Road just leads to a dead end. We demanded instead that the BMC must concentrate on widening the S.V. Road right from Borivali to Malad which is not more than 57 feet to ease out the traffic. In fact, the width at the Remedy Church of the S.V. Road is the widest. We are not against development. the Remedy Church in the past has given land for public causes, namely the Poinsur Bus Depot which belonged to the Church besides other land parcels around the church.
We alleged that this so-called road widening was only to benefit the builder. We also stated to him that we have been targeted because we are a minority community. We thanked the DMC /BMC for provoking us to come out on the streets to agitate. We are no longer a community that will take things lying down but will protest peacefully to achieve our just demands. The DMC who gave us a patient hearing stated that he would communicate our grievances to the Municipal Commissioner.
While parting from the meeting, we again expressed our thoughts that any attempt to take that parcel of land would leave us with no choice but to protest more vigorously on the Road and the next step could be the protest at Azad Maidan. We would like to inform you that the community had organised similar protests in the recent past, the prominent one being on 25th, December 2016; being the day of CHRISTMAS, near Our Lady of Remedy Church. Prior to this, on 18th, June 2016; the community marched to BMC R-South office.
Among those who were part of the delegation: Dolphy D’souza, Spokesperson, Save Our Land [SOUL], Rita D’sa, President- The Bombay Catholic Sabha[BCS ], Adv. Godfrey Pimenta, Trustee Watchdog Foundation, Ramsey Rebello, Convenor- Guardians United, Lawrence Fernandes, VP-BCS and several others. This Protest Campaign was organised by The Bombay Catholic Sabha, Guardians United, Watchdog Foundation, and Save Our Land [SOUL]. We also thank the Sr Inspector of Police, Mukund Pawar of the Kandivali Police Station and his team for maintaining law and order.
by Dolphy A. D’souza- Spokesperson for ‘Save Our Land [SOUL]’ Team