VITHALDAS HEGDE
Leaders belonging to the Scheduled Tribes (ST) com munity have turned up the heat on the BJP-led government over the long-pending issue of political reservation, exposing growing un ease within the ruling party’s trib al ranks as Goa heads towards the next Assembly elections. In a significant show of pres sure, legislators belonging to the Scheduled Tribes (ST) community, including BJP MLAs, have sought direct intervention from Union Home Minister Amit Shah, signal ling frustration over the delay in notifying reservation of Assembly seats for tribal communities de spite the legislative process having already been completed.
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A BJP delegation is scheduled to meet Shah in New Del hi on Sunday, with tribal leaders making it clear that they expect a definitive decision before the next Assembly elec tions. The issue gained momentum on Wednesday when four ST legislators, along with community leaders, met BJP Goa president Damu Naik and urged him to expedite the mat ter with the party’s central leadership. The move comes amid increasing concern within tribal circles that the government may be running out of time to implement the reservation before the State goes to the polls. Tribal Welfare Minister Ramesh Tawadkar acknowl edged that the matter now rests with the Centre. “All the required processes have been completed, but the Union government only has to issue the notification. Some people, however, are twisting the facts. We had planned to meet Union ministers a few days ago, but that was delayed. Now, the meeting with the Union Home Minister has been confirmed,” Tawadkar said. The demand for political reservation has remained a longstanding issue for Goa’s tribal community, which was granted Scheduled Tribe status in 2003. Community leaders argue that despite constitutional safeguards and repeated assurances, adequate political representation continues to remain elusive. Priol MLA Govind Gaude said the community could no longer afford further delays. “We met our party president, Damu Naik, and request ed him to expedite the process. We urged him to seek an appointment with Union Home Minister Amit Shah at the earliest. We have been fighting for our constitutional rights for the last two decades,” Gaude said. The increasingly assertive tone adopted by tribal lead ers reflects growing impatience within a constituency that has traditionally been considered politically significant for the BJP. Cortalim MLA Anton Vas indicated that the community’s stance had hardened because of the delay in implementa tion. “We have become aggressive because there has been a delay. We requested Naik to take up the issue with the central leadership. Naik assured us that he would speak to the Union Home Minister and secure an appointment,” Vas said. Former minister and United Tribals Alliance Association president Prakash Velip stressed that the community was now seeking only the final administrative step required to operationalise the reservation. “We met the BJP State president and requested him to expedite the matter with the Centre because time is run ning out. We told him that both Houses of Parliament had already passed the Bill providing political reservation for the ST community in the Goa Legislative Assembly. The President of India has also given assent to the Bill, and all that remains now is the issuance of a notification before the ensuing Assembly polls. So far, 16 members of the ST community have been elected as MLAs without reserva tion, but reservation will ensure adequate political rep resentation for the community and safeguard its constitu tional rights,” Velip said. The coordinated push by BJP legislators, an Independ ent MLA and tribal organisations has placed the party leadership in an uncomfortable position, with expecta tions rising that the Centre will act before the election schedule is announced. Seeking to reassure the community, BJP State president Damu Naik said the party remained committed to the de mand. “They elaborated on their demand, and I explained the entire process and the steps taken by the government. I also brought to their notice the private member’s resolu tion tabled by me in the Legislative Assembly seeking po litical reservation for the ST community, which was unani mously adopted. The BJP delegation will leave for Delhi on Saturday and meet the Union Home Minister on Sunday at noon. We are with them,” Naik said. With elections drawing closer and tribal leaders public ly demanding action, the scheduled meeting with Shah is likely to be viewed as a crucial test of the BJP’s ability to deliver on one of the community’s most enduring political demands.
