FRIDAY, MAY 10, 2024
PRATIK PARAB
MARGAO: Political infighting between tribal leaders in the ruling dispensation has demolished the hopes of political and social upliftment of the community as a whole. Tribals across Goa are furious over the conflicts between leaders. Though senior politicians have said that this is an internal political matter of the party, they apprehend that this will affect the party prospects.
Going back a to over a decade when the United Tribals Association Alliance (UTAA) protests happened in Balli where Mangesh Gaonkar and Dilip Velip, two tribal men lost their lives, Ramesh Tawadkar, Prakash Shankar Velip and Govind Gaude came out to become prominent names among the tribal community.
While they faced charges of rioting and other serious charges they kept pushing for the demands of the community. However, today the community has everything other than political reservation.
Long-time workers and tribal leaders said that since all the leaders belong to the same political dispensation and have their government in both the Centre and State, it was a golden opportunity to get the demands of the ST community fulfilled. However, they said that the infighting may delay meeting the demands.
Ravindra Velip, Vice President of GAKUVED said that fighting leaders are from the same party but they stand divided into groups now.
"Two of our brothers died in the agitation that happened in Balli but after that, their political aspirations took centre stage and the rift only widened," Ravindra described. "Today we feel that the political leaders used the UTAA agitation for their political career and after this controversy, they have lost the trust of the community," he said.
Prakash Arjun Velip, Executive Committee Member of Ekta Yuva Sangh said, "It is very painful for us as a community member. All that we had achieved through unity, blood, sweat and centuries of sacrifices is being lost due to personal egos and infighting".
"This is going to dent the prospects of the community. People of the ST community have lost trust in the leaders they used to look up to," he said.
Senior Politician and former Law Minister Ramakant Khalap says that this is a fight of the party family.
"Just like fights in the family, there are fights in political parties that will affect the prospects of the party," he said.
He further advised the warring groups to come together and work for the common goal of upliftment of the ST Community which currently needs a strong political leadership.
