Recently, in the Legislative Assembly, Pratapsingh Rane expressed the view that the Government should not be sentimental about Comunidades, as “sentiment means loss” and that “these old institutions have lived beyond their time”. He added that except for a few Comunidades, which have valuable land, most others, having just paddy fields, are making losses. Sixty-eight out of 90 Comunidades declared zero income for 2015-16 and only 21 distributed jonos in the last three years
Post 1961, Governments, particularly of Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, attempted at doing away with these institutions, which date back to pre-Portuguese times. Mr Rane’s remarks in the Assembly brought back memories of his earlier stated position on the issue, when in 1975, a Committee headed by him, as Chief and Revenue Minister had recommended abolition of Comunidades, alleging that 73% of their income was lost due to the Agricultural Tenancy (5th Amendment) Act 1976. According to this Act, all paddy fields of Comunidades, cultivated by tenants vested on the latter and these were no longer obligated to pay rent to Comunidades. Ignoring altogether the role that Comunidades played in promoting agriculture and farming in Goa, the Act was brought in perhaps to mortally hurt the Comunidades. It could not also be said that the aim was to eliminate elitist institutions, as OBCs and STs too were components of Comunidades.
Though the terms of reference of the Committee were to examine the Code of Comunidades from the “point of view of present socio-economic situation and make suitable suggestions to the said Code”, the Committee, exceeding its brief, opined on the sustainability of the Comunidades due to further depletion of 25% of income being utilised for administrative expenses. It added that Comunidades have failed to bring virgin lands under cultivation. However, several prominent Members of the Committee, like Eduardo Faleiro, Prof. G G Bakhle and late Drs Alvaro de Loyola Furtado and Maximo de Menezes strongly disagreed, putting in stringent notes of dissent – some lamenting the attempt to destroy “these souls of corporate life which even the Portuguese dominance did not succeed except in stunting their growth” and suggesting that they could be transformed into Farmers’ Co-operative societies, others questioning how tenants could be treated as having been vested with ownership rights, when they were only to be considered as “deemed purchasers”.
The fundamental function of Comunidades, as agricultural associations, was to implement measures necessary for the agricultural development of the area under their jurisdiction. During the Portuguese era, the Government often failed to earmark any expenditure for rural development and rested this burden on the shoulders of Comunidades. These undertook various social welfare activities for the benefit of rural society by aiding destitute women, widows and orphans, building and repairing schools, providing medical facilities during epidemics, maintaining of school teachers, divine cult, repairs of churches and cemeteries. They contributed their mite in creating infrastructure and constructing roads, culverts, erecting dikes and embankments. Villages owed to their Comunidades in 18th and 19th centuries the net-work of public roads, the aqueducts of rain water and those for irrigation of rice-fields and areca-groves, draining of marshy lands, catchment of waters, etc. It is interesting to note that many of our existing roads from Cortalim to Cuncolim, via Margao and from there to Canacona and Cabo de Rama, Chicalim to Baradi, via coastal belt, Mormugao to Cortalim and many others were constructed with financial help of Comunidades.
Senior components of Comunidades opine that for a very long time, the Government has been eyeing their lands, finding that it does not have a land bank, which it could use at his own free will. Governments in free Goa have harmed Comunidades much more than the Portuguese did. Their autonomy has been eroded. The Government finds that Managing Committees are hurdles in their lust for land. Thus, the day may not be far off when the Government, particularly a greedy and autocratic like the present one, may pass a law taking over the Comunidades. It is, however, difficult to anticipate whether such a step will stand the test of law.
The strength of the healthy Comunidades lie in their land holdings, which have greatly diminished due to land reforms legislations and acquisitions as also encroachments, often overlooked, if not patronised by the Government and politicians. The TDR concept being floated might be a ray of hope, but its framework is still unknown. An outdated Code of Comunidades, lack of committed persons manning Administration offices and Managing Committees in several places (some having even defrauded the Comunidades) and indifference of gaunkars and shareholders are other weaknesses.
It is high time Comunidades re-invent themselves leaving the unpleasant past behind. Comunidades can survive only through consolidation, such as merger of non-functional ones with healthy ones. Comunidades could be promoted as vehicles to boost agricultural production. Developable land must be exploited to ensure recurring returns for the institution, without dilution of its stake. Regaining lands lost to mass encroachments is the challenge.
Sentiment alone cannot keep Comunidades alive. New out-of-the-box solutions to turn them around into being partners in Goa’s progress are needed. With dedicated and energetic Comunidade activists this is surely possible and must be attempted.
(The author is a retired banker)
