PANJIM: Scheduled Tribes (ST) group leaders on Wednesday started their chain hunger strike at Azad Maidan in the capital city demanding political reservation in the State Legislative Assembly.
The leaders on Sunday last had asked the State government to issue a notification with regards to reserving four seats for ST communities in Goa Assembly within 48 hours or face hunger strike.
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As no action was initiated by the government in this direction, the group started their chain hunger strike.
Speaking to reporters, GAKUVED Federation general secretary Rupesh Velip said, “Two days back through a press conference we made it clear that if notification is not issued within 48 hours then we will sit on a hunger strike. As there is no sign of the notification, we sat on the hunger strike. The delegation, which had gone to Delhi last month, was assured that a decision will be taken in the cabinet meeting. Two cabinet meetings have taken place but there is no announcement yet.”
Velip said the government has been fooling the ST community people for the last 10 years and is again trying to do the same by giving hollow assurances.
He said the hunger strike will continue till the final notification for reservation of seats is issued.
ST leader Rama Kankonkar said the political reservation will provide strength to the people belonging to the ST communities and help in solving issues faced by them.
“A domination kind of thing will be created through the MLAs and our voice will be heard. Those who think that they have been meted out injustice should come forward and support the cause,” he said.
Kankonkar said if the government requires votes of 1.8 lakh voters belonging to the ST communities then it must issue the notification for reservation of seats before the Code of Conduct for the Lok Sabha elections is announced.
“’We are afraid that those who fooled us in 2014 and 2019 elections, will do the same this time as well,” he said.
However, North Goa MP and Union Minister of State for Tourism Shripad Naik met the agitating leaders at Azad Maidan and urged them to withdraw their chain hunger strike.
“Government has not said no to the reservation. I will speak to the Chief Minister in this regard,” he said.
Stating that the process may get delayed, Naik said the protestors should understand the problem of the government.
Shripad faces ‘humiliation’; ST members tell him: “Your own party (the BJP) is not paying much attention to you”
North Goa Member of Parliament assures to discuss the matter with Union Home Minister
PANJIM: BJP’s Lok Sabha candidate Shripad Naik on Wednesday faced humiliation when the ST community members sitting on a chain hunger strike at Azad Maidan, demanding political reservation for the community, questioned the MP as to how he could pay attention to their demands when his own party (the BJP) ‘is not paying much attention to him’.
The protestors later spoke in a ‘harsh’ tone and told the five-time North Goa MP to give the community political reservation before Code of Conduct is enforced instead of giving them hollow promises.
Later, Naik assured the protesters that he would discuss the matter with Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
They also reminded Naik of his seniority in the BJP and that he was ignored by the saffron party.
Doubting Naik’s capacity, they asked him: “How can you pay attention to our demands when your own party is not paying much attention to you. We have been fighting for the reservations since 2013 and hitting the streets protesting for the past two years. The government is only giving us hollow promises. You are the leader of Bahujan Samaj and so, you need to take us, Scheduled Tribes, with you and get us the notification regarding the reservation. We do not want to hear any other excuses,” said one of the protestors to Naik.
Rama Kankonkar, a protestor asked, “Do you still think ST community will keep quiet and do nothing only to end up voting at the end? Do you still think the ST community will vote solely on the basis of Hindutva? Do you still think that the ST community will vote on the basis of Ram Mandir? Should we keep doing only this as if we do not have other issues?”
Responding to the barrage of questions from the protestors, the MP assured them that he would discuss the matter with the Union Home Minister on Wednesday itself and reiterated that the government is willing to grant the political reservation to ST community.
“I do agree that there has been a delay in granting reservation to ST community but I do not want to speak on the political stance taken by the community members,” Naik told mediapersons.
