The virtual shattering of Goa’s Special Status hopes, entertained from 1961, yet again proves that ruling political parties cannot be relied upon to achieve people’s aspiration. Political parties by essence have their own agendas, which hold primacy over people’s hopes and desires.
There is ample evidence in Goa’s post Liberation history to show that ruling political parties act in their own and leaders’ interests and unless limits of public tolerance are crossed and people have thundered onto the streets, politicians have not acted in public interest. In fact, all major issues in Goa have been resolved through mass street mobilizations right from mass mobilization by anti mergerists to hold the Opinion Poll to the language agitation. During the language controversy, Pratapsing Rane who faced a sustained challenge to his leadership, vacillated due to his personal dithering over Konkani and rushed to Delhi, such that Rajiv Gandhi had to tell him and supporting cabinet colleagues, to go back and stop Goa from burning. The issue was only resolved after public violence reached a head and Rane was told to pass the Language bill by Rajiv Gandhi by making Konkani the official language, if he wished to retain his chair, which he did.
In the case of Special Status, leaders of both the Congress (Sonia Gandhi) and the BJP (Narendra Modi) sold dummies to give special status to Goa and then reneged on the (false) promises. Being responsible and towering leaders of national political parties, it is almost incredible that after making such promises, too late did they realize that Goa’s case was untenable and running counter to constitutional threads, even with loads of legal expertise at their disposal. Though the Congress ruled at the Centre and the State for a decade, it was unable to grant special status to Goa. Similarly the BJP has been in power in Goa since 2012 and said with its government at the Centre, special status would be just a cakewalk. But low and behold when the Minister of State for Home dashed Goa’s hopes by declaring Goa’s Special Status case non justiciable, it prompted the chief minister to blame it on his ‘ambiguous’ proposal.
It is shocking to note that the Centre rejected Goa’s demand under Art 371 which makes various provisions to protect the land and culture including that of Nagaland and other North Eastern states.
The general legal consensus seems to be to make suitable provisions in the Land Revenue code and ensure that non agriculturists do not buy agricultural land in Goa. Similarly, land ceilings on purchase of urban and non urban land holdings by non Goans, amendments to Agricultural Tenancy and Mundkar Acts are being proposed. However, Goa does not come under any special circumstances, except that it is small and stands the danger of being minoritised by being overrun by non Goans buying up land and due to its longer colonial rule which denied it Central development funds for 14 years. Considering all these circumstances, it appears that the sailing for Special Status will not be so smooth.
Goa’s earlier attempt to amend the Land Revenue code, to allow Goa government to instruct the sub registrar not to register certain deeds in public interest to protect the land came to naught, with the President refusing assent, citing unconstitutionality.
Amid this grim scenario, with political parties playing their games of keeping the regional plan in abeyance so that they can barter huge tracts of lands for windfall profits to non Goan capital, it appears that Goans themselves may be forced to either come out on the streets to get their demands met, as in the past, and or consciously ensure that they do not sell their land to non Goans to save their land and identity. With little political help, the destiny of Goa, it should be said, is solely in the hands of Goans.
