Reflections on assertions and claims of Calangute Police Inspector Paresh Naik
Its sounds bizzare but true, Calangute Police Inspector Paresh Naik believes that the root cause of entire Sinquerim tourism PNJ conflicts is a jealousy, that some people operating PNJ boats in Sinquerim river are making more money than others. He made his conclusion public during meeting on 16.08.2025 afternoon with fishers and PNJ tourism boat operators in his cabin in presence of specially invited Police Inspector, Coastal Security Police Station in Ribandar who did not disclose his name.
PI Paresh Naik also believes that letter dated 18.06.2025 issued by Director of Fisheries to the Director of Fisheries forbidding operation of Water Sports and PNJ Tourism boats from 01 June to 31 August every year is useless. According to him that letter would have become useful it it was published in official gazette. Calangute Police Inspector said he wants direct directions from the Director of Fisheries to stop Tourism boats from operating in Sinquerim river. Calangute Police Inspector opined that Director of Tourism need not honor letter from Director of Fisheries. The intriguing part of the conversation is that PI Naik resorted to use of unparliamentary language to express himself in front of people in his cabin that included women fishers.
Calangute Police Inspector with his sweeping analysis also claimed that he has checked documents of PNJ boat operators and found that they have permissions from central government. According to him central government permissions supercedes State Fisheries Department directions to stop operation of Tourism PNJ Boats. Police Inspector also claimed that he is from Nerul village close by to the controversy and is well versed with the issue.
There are few things which Police Inspector Paresh Naik needs be more alert about and shouldn't get swayed by vested interests best interest of Public.
1. That the controversy between fishers and PNJ boat operators on sharing of river water space is not within his jurisdiction to decide upon which he knows very well. Instead of taking partisan stands to support Tourism PNJ boats PI Naik should refrain from overt display of such bias and dishing out of subtle and not-so-suble warnings to Candolim fishers. Let coastal security Police handle the matter. In this sense his decision to invite Police Inspector Ribandar Coastal Security Police is well appreciated.
2. Police Inspector Paresh Naik must well revisit his claims that the root of the controversy lies in jealousy. The root of rebellion of Candolim fishers is deprivation of fishing activities in Sinquerim-Nerul River for past three years ever since Central government permitted tourism passenger boats to operate for pleasure seekers to which Calangute Police Inspector has given deaf ear for reasons best known to him. The clash therefore is between fishers in defence of their fishing spaces on one side and half a dozen people from Sinquerim pushing PNJ boats is same river waters that is used by fishers for fishing. PNJ boats are using 40 HP motors in river with depth less than two meters past three years as it is their legal requirements. Motors were replaced to 9.9 HP overnight on 18.06.2025 without any legal notification to do so by Captain of Ports Octavio Rodrigues. In this sense fisherman J.G.D.Fernandes claimed that Captain of Ports has taken law in his hands, and subsequently, logically Police needs to arrest him.
3. Police Inspector Paresh Naik has put out his tall claim that Central Government permissions to Tourism PNJ boats supercedes Goa State Fisheries Directives to ban PNJ tourism boats in Sinquerim river. Now this is very dangerous colonial situation. It means tomorrow Central government can give permissions to operate PNJ Tourism boats in any river in Goa without consulting local fisherman and even State Fisheries department and go about disrupting fishing activities. And State Fisheries Department has no right to object. Police Inspector Paresh Naik must also re-visit his position here. It is the Constitution of India which is Central government document being passed by Indian Parliament has authorised that States conduct of Fisheries within territorial waters via entry 21 of State List under Article 246. State Fisheries department has full rights to decide on State Fisheries and Central Government has bussiness to mess around State Fisheries by allowing Tourism PNJ boats in fishing spaces. This is indeed ridiculous position held out by Police Inspector Paresh Naik that needs not just re-visit but reversal. His decision support to Tourism boats PNJ is wrong and will have negative unpredictable public consequences.
4. Duty of Police, Captain of Ports, Director of Tourism was to stop PNJ boat operators after 18.06.2025 letter banning Tourism PNJ boats every year from operating three months of June, July and August when fishing is sole livelihood option for fishers of Candolim. All the authorities has failed. And what the two Police Inspectors hinted at subtlety yesterday at Calangute Police Station was to push fishers into silence. This is indeed unfortunate situation unfolding for reasons not too difficult to guess. This situation will change as Fishers assert and organise themselves in Unity and Solidarity in times to come.
Yesterday at the Calangute Police Station fishers asserted that they cannot give guarantee of Peace at the Jetty unless there is Justice to Fishers, No more obstructing obstruction to fishing, no more obstruction to fishing boats at Jetty, No more insensitive Police attitude towards fishers.
Yesterday 16.16.08.2025 evening at around 7.00 pm when fishers visited Sinquerim Jetty illegality of PNJ boats was in full flow. PNJ boats which were supposed stop their boats at 5.30 pm went on till 7.30 pm. Coastal Security Police Inspector simply did not answer calls of Candolim fishers. Indeed very pathetic State of affairs currently.
Police Inspector Paresh Naik had spoken differently on 08.08.2025 during similar meeting in his cabin without Police Inspector, Coastal Security, Ribandar. That day he said Publicly "I will support traditional fishermen. Public Support is with them". Lots of waters have flown in Sinquerim river and with that flew words of PI's words of support to Fishers in Sinquerim river. At least his words are stuck in memory and soon to be history, yet not forgotten.
It is true that fishers have public support and this blogpost is evidence of such public support.
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