SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024
Mauvin Godinho, the panchayat minister, is clearly one of the main voices supporting the anti-people, anti-Goan Goa Bhumiputra Adhikarni Bill. His Dabolim constituency and neighbouring Vasco is dominated by migrant workers whose population has expanded hugely, leading to vast stretches of unhygienic slums each with water and electricity connections. Mauvin Godinho’s political future lies in settling the migrants and giving them legal rights. The same is the case with many other MLAs across Goa and party lines, but Godinho’s hand as a cabinet minister in this bill is clearly visible.
It is clear that without the growing migrant votes, could be touching 35 per cent in his constituency (since many migrants vote in their hometowns as well as in Goa the actual number of migrant votes appears lower but actually higher). This is why politicians will never support linking voter cards with Aadhar cards that will immediately show if a voter is registered out of Goa.
Vasco and Dabolim are also constituencies where politicians from Karnataka come to the campaign. Former Karnataka CM BS Yedurappa once said that there are 4 lakh Kannada speaking people in Mormugao.
Does Mauvin Godinho want to make all these Kannadigas Goan bhumi putras? At the cost of Goans?
Will Goans forgive and forget this act? Does one think they will ever vote for ministers who have backed this bill and MLAs who did not oppose it and allowed it to pass easily? That will never happen.
Goans have fought long and hard for their identity and rights for generations. They are getting ready to challenge this too, the worst possible attack on their unique Goan-ness.
