JOIN USPatrao family stages protest before DC office
The protest was backed by civil rights and farmers’ organisations. Addressing the protesters, Gregory unfurled various episodes of corruption and deception that he faced during the course of his 16-year old struggle to save his 7 acre land. Refusing to give up, Gregory challenged the district administration of stiff resistance even in future.
“Deputy Commissioner, Assistant Commissioner, Land Acquisition Officer and various other government officials are behaving like hooligans. We have lived on this land for decades. We will not leave the land. We will build our house on the same land,” Gregory said with his family members, including his mother 80-year old Mary Patrao sitting next to him with moist eyes.
He demanded the police and the officials to return all the belonging that they had taken from the house which included 20 bags of rice, 175 bags of areca and gold ornaments.
Karnataka Raitha Sangha State Secretary N S Verma said that CM B S Yeddyurappa who swore in wearing the green shawl should come to help Gregory Patrao and show that he is true to his promise.
“If CM fails then it would be an insult to his position. We know that out Home Minister is a dead man but our CM to prove that he is alive,” Verma said
Coming down heavily on district administration, Verma questioned Deputy Commissioner as to how did the police and other Government officials arrive at the residence of Patrao at 5 am and pulled the house down, when otherwise they find it difficult to turn up at their office at 10 am.
Rajesh Salian from Nagarika Seva Trust said that every citizen should take the incident seriously and think that if such a thing can be done by the officials to a fighter like Gregory Patrao then common man is no exception.
Sandesha Foundation Chairperson Fr John Fernandes said that only when nature retaliates in its worst possible way, then will human beings understand that they cannot survive eating money.
Kemaru Sandeepani Math Seer Esha Vittal Das Swamiji, Hindu Jagarana Vedike Member Sathyajith Surathkal, Krishi Bhumi Samrakshana Samiti Leader Vidya Dinkar among others took part in the protest and showed solidarity to the displaced family.
Extended family present
Apart from the adults and little children of Patrao family, there were two buffaloes and four cows which took part in the protest. The cattle stood in the heat, petrified due to the loudspeakers and the horns of the vehicles but they exhibited their loyalty by standing by their master till the end of the protest.