Team Herald
MARGAO: Claiming that most of the demands from the 2011 Balli agitation led by the United Tribal Association Alliance (UTAA) remain unaddressed, ST leader Adv John Fernandes has alleged that the protest was orchestrated more to damage the government’s reputation than to benefit the tribal community. The agitation, held on May 25, 2011, aimed at pressing for 12 key demands, but Fernandes contends it was driven by selfish political motives.
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The Balli protest, organised by UTAA and supported by the opposition party at the time, was led by figures such as UTAA president Prakash Shanker Velip, Minister Govind Gawde, Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar, ST Corporation Chairman Meng Gaonkar, among others. Key demands included political reservation for tribals in the Legislative Assembly, notification of scheduled areas, formation of a Tribal Advisory Council, and addressing backlog vacancies.
Fernandes pointed out that the agitation took place a year before the 2012 Goa Legislative Assembly elections, with the BJP as the main opposition against the then-ruling Congress party. “The BJP of indirectly backed the agitation to gain political mileage, and again in 2017 and 2022, the BJP came to power in Goa. In fact, the Central rural development minister Faggan Singh Kulaste, at the 2022 Canacona Lok Ustav, remarked that the BJP came to power in Goa because of Balli agitation. Which means the BJP capitalised on the Balli agitation,” he said.
“While the agitation did lead to a change in government, with some tribal leaders attaining significant positions within the BJP, the broader tribal community has seen little tangible benefit,” Fernandes asserted, adding that leaders seemed more committed to party interests than to the community’s welfare.
He underscored that although the Goa Government has responded on the Assembly floor regarding the unmet demands, 12 years have passed without substantial progress. Fernandes insists that as long as the demands remain unfulfilled, the agitation should continue to ensure accountability and genuine action for the tribal community.
