Pics by Kalakruti
Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, Dec 17: Around 5000 members of the United Tribal Associations Alliance gathered near the Mandovi bridge in Panaji for a massive protest morcha on Wednesday, Dec 16.

The morcha was called to protest against the Goa government for not implememting their long pending '12 point demands'. The Morcha was led by the Poinguinim MLA Ramesh Tawadkar and other schedule tribe leaders.

The morcha had just started when few of the members went on to break the police sucurity barricades which were placed near the Mandovi bridge and marched towards the Goa Assembly complex.

The agitators were later supported by the rest of the protestors. The police personnel resorted to mild lathicharge but it never affected the violent protestors who started charging towards the Goa Assembly Complex across the Mandovi bridge where the winter session of the Goa Assembly was in process.

The police tried to stop the agitators at two different points but it never went positive for the Goa police. There were hardly 50 police personnel controlling more than 5000 protestors. The morcha was finally stopped in front of the Goa Assembly complex which resulted in a massive traffic jam that lasted for nearly three hours.

Those most affected were the passengers, tourists and students in particular. Chief minister Digambar kamat was forced to come out of the Goa Assembly, who later gave a written assurance to the protestors through the Director of Social Welfare N B Narvekar stating that the process for setting up of the Directorate of Tribal Welfare and SC/ST commission has been initiated and will be completed by the 15th of January 2010.