from Sanjay Borkar in Margao
for Daijiworld Media Network - Goa (GA)

Margao Aug 7: The Convener of BJP cultural Cell Siddhanath Buyao has condemned the high-handedness of the Margao police authorities, in pressuring a senior Tiatrist Minin De Bandar, to apologize for a song sung by one of his child artist, in which the singer criticized the chief minister Digamber Kamat, over the "rising cost" of essential commodities in the State.

The Margao police is creating a fear-psychosis among Tiatrists by  its bullying tactics. The Margao police, under pressure from chief minister is crossing its limits, by attempting to suppress "freedom of expression", in the State, Buyao said further.

The Konkani Tiatrists have been a constant "watchdog" against corruption irrespective of the political party that in power. Minin De Bandar in his recent tiatr “Aamcho Ganv Samballat’ (Save our village) had sung a song over government’s failure to tame the inflation. The song was sung by the child artist, in a tiatr held on Monday August 4 at Margao. This made the supporters of chief minister angry and they ran to the stage demanding to stop the song and also so cancel the same in future. They also complained in Margao police station regarding the same.

It is a matter of shame that the Margao police is being used as a "tool" by the chief minister, to stifle the voice of the people. Tiatr is an expression of the feelings of the common man through art which is age-old tradition and part of Goan culture, Buyao said further.

BJP cultural Cell has served ultimatum to government that if this trend against the artistes continues, they will be forced to launch an agitation, against police authorities of the State.