SUNDAY, MAY 12, 2024
PRATIK PARAB
PANJIM: Tribal leaders involved in the Mission Political Reservation for STs have said that the government has only 15 days to notify the Delimitation Commission to start the process of giving the rightful political reservation to tribals in Goa.
Founder Member of GAKUVED, a Federation of Gawada Kunbi Velip and Dhangar tribes, Govind Shirodkar went a step further and mentioned that the notification for the delimitation commission has to be issued within the next 48 hours.
"The countdown of the Government of Goa and Chief Minister has begun. If the notification of the Delimitation Commission isn't issued within two days all the effort will be lost. If the notification doesn't come now it will not come in the 2027 election as well," Shirodkar said.
Stressing that this notification can be issued without further complication, Shirodkar explained, "There is a notification of the Central government issued in 2013, which mandates the government not to deny political reservation to the ST community. This notification backs the demand for political reservation. This allows the State government to grant political reservation to STs immediately," he said.
Stakeholders feel that time is being lost in the discussion of problems in referring to the right Population Census i.e. 2001 and 2011 censuses.
Advisor of Mission Political Reservation for STs, Adv John Fernandes said, “If the Government has will the reservation can be done even before the 2024 Loksabha Election."
Activist Rama Kankonkar said, "There is an urgent need to give the ST community that is enshrined to them as a right in the constitution. But the BJP government has been using all the diversionary tactics to take the right away from the marginalised section of Goa," he said.
Meanwhile, Ravindra Velip reminded that though political reservation is currently the priority, numerous constitutional obligations are yet to be granted to the ST community in Goa.
"Notification of Scheduled Tribe areas as per Fifth Schedule of Indian constitution, implementation of Forest Rights Act, 2006, especially titles to community forest rights, 12% budgetary allocation and 100% of its utilisation, filling of backlog vacancies, proper implementation of reservation in employment and education, formation of Tribes Advisory Council as per Fifth Schedule of the Indian Constitution and villagers living in remote areas like Canacona, Quepem, Sanguem and Sattari, who don't have access to basic amenities like road, water, electricity, health services and quality education need to be supported," he said.
