Panjim: Tribal leaders in the State have welcomed the introduction of the Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes Bill, 2024, in the Lok Sabha.
Sanvordem MLA Ganesh Gaonkar on Monday recalled that the Goa Assembly had unanimously passed a private member’s resolution tabled by him, recommending the government to make provision for political reservation in the Legislative Assembly for members from the ST communities.
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A delegation led by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant went to New Delhi and met Union Ministers including Home Minister Amit Shah, to press for reservation of seats for STs in Goa. In March this year, the Union Cabinet approved the Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes Bill, 2024, informed Gaonkar.
Reacting to the Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal introducing the bill in Lok Sabha, he said that now Census Commissioner will be appointed to notify the population of STs in Goa. According to him, after three communities i.e. Gawade, Kunbi and Velip were include in the ST list in January 2003, no census was carried in 2011.
Art and Culture Minister Govind Gaude said, “I would like to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. Finally after so many years Goa will be getting the political reservation for ST communities. Once bill is introduced, even the Rajya Sabha needs to pass the resolution. Later the census and delimitation to reserve seats. The process has already begun and I feel happy. Along with this the political reservation is important for the future generation. It is a fundamental right. It has been 20 years. So many governments were formed during this period but our BJP government has taken it ahead. The demand has been pending for so many years. The process is long but let us hope that there will be political reservation in 2027 and people will get justice.”
The Census Commissioner after conducting census of ST population, will submit his report to the Election Commission of India, who will then be free for delimitation to reserve seats of STs in Goa Assembly.
Mission Political Reservation for STs in Goa president Adv John Fernandes said, “It is a good sign that the issue was raised by Mission Political Reservation for STs and because of the Mission the issue was hyped, otherwise the issue was dead since 2012.”
He said that in 2022 the Mission Political Reservation for STs and it took out a massive morcha on Goa Assembly and had blocked the Old Mandovi bridge to press the demand. “We went to Delhi and met Union Ministers, Election Commission, and MPs of ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and explained to them how the issue can be resolved.”
Former Minister United Tribals Associations Alliance (UTTA) president Prakash Velip said, “UTTA delegation was present in Parliament when the bill was introduced. Before that we met Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai, BJP State president Sadanand Shet Tanavade and Union Minister Shripad Naik in Delhi. We met Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal and congratulated him for introducing the bill.”
Velip said that the political reservation was a long struggle and recalled the sacrifice of two ST youths Mangesh Gaonkar and Dilip Velip during the agitation. He thanked both, the Central and State governments and added that it was fruits of their hard work and struggle.
Velip hoped that the bill will be passed in both the Houses of Parliament and that within next six months, the entire process will be completed. UTTA will follow-up the issue consistently.
