PANJIM: The Dhangar Samaj that gathered in thousands at Azad Maidan has appealed that the community be given the status of Schedule Tribe.
Over two thousand Dhangar community members attended the convention under the banner of ‘The Gomantak Dhangar Samajonnati Mandal’, which was led by their community representative in the Goa Assembly, Chandrakant (Babu) Kavlekar.
The 20,000-strong Dhangar and Gouly samaj is scattered in over 100 villages in the State and this is the first time they came together in such a large numbers demanding the status from the State as well as the Central governments.
Activists and experts who have studied this community and prepared a report on behalf of the State government, Dr Nandkumar Kamat, Rajendra Kerkar, Adv Satish Sonak and other tribal leaders including Prakash Shankar Velip, Govind Gawade, Adv Babuso Gaonkar and others were present at the convention. Panjim MLA Siddharth Kunkolienkar was also present and offered help in fulfilling their demands.
Stressing on the demand of the Dhangar and Gouly samaj, Kamat said the government has neglected this section of the population in Goa and questioned if any funds were utilized exclusively on this community or in the areas where they are residing for centuries.
Kerkar said there is an immediate need to take an all party delegation to the Centre to resolve this issue and that only this can help in getting the ST status to this tribe. The tribe has been demanding the ST status for decades whereas the Gawda, Kunbi and Velips in Goa have already been given the ST status.
Addressing the convention, Samaj President Kavlekar alleged that the Congress and the BJP have sidelined this community in getting their right. He emphasized that an all party delegation should go to the Centre to resolve this issue. He said many youth of the Dhangar Gouly Samaj are unemployed as they do not enjoy reservations.