PONDA: The Gomantak Bhandari Samaj (GBS) has demanded thorough investigation against migrants changing their surnames to Goan surnames since the past 10 years. Ashok Naik said despite there being a law to prevent change in surnames, he questioned how migrants apply for change in their surnames.
Ashok Naik said most often the surname ‘Naik’ used by Goans is misused by migrants. Migrants are adopting this surname to obtain benefits under OBC category which is injustice on Goan OBCs.
Over 4000 migrants filed application for change in surname to ‘Naik’ which need to properly investigated and need legal action. Further, over 7000 such applications are pending with Social Welfare Department for OBC scrutiny.
Ashok Naik had further pointed out that the Goa Change of Name and Surname Act 1990 does not permit this but that there exists a provision for correction of spelling so as to get the right spelling in English when the surname is translated from Portuguese.
It is this provision that the migrants were taking advantage of and getting their names, or rather their surnames, changed. However despite amendment into act in 2022, migrants apply for change in surname. He urged to probe into all cases of change in surnames since past ten years.
Naik said Ponda MLA and Minister Ravi Naik raised this issue in the Goa Assembly and MLAs such as Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco had taken part in the discussion and later Minister Nilesh Cabral had introduced a bill on it.
Ashok Naik said on Saturday, 16 December, a migrant residing at Bardez Taluka has published notice in a one English Daily in Goa to change his surname from ‘Rathod’ to ‘Naik’. He urged Mapusa Sub Registrar to verify such applications before changing the surnames. He said, he had submitted his objections in all sub registrars offices in Goa for changing surnames and even urged all the 19 communities of OBC and other category people to oppose change in surnames.
Naik said among the 18 lakh population in Goa, around 5 lakh belong to the Bhandari Samaj and around 3 lakh from Bhandari Samaj has ‘Naik’ as their surnames. The migrants mostly prefer to change their surnames with ‘Naik’ as they think since these community has a vast population it would not be noticed while obtaining various benefits including OBC schemes.