Team Herald
BICHOLIM: The Mayem evacuee issue has been simmering across the area and it will be a major agenda for the voters here, though the BJP-led government has claimed to have resolved it, but on the contrary, the victims feel otherwise.
WHAT IS THE EVACUEE ISSUE:
THE LAGAAN
The village Mayem had its own village Community possessing the village lands. But as the village Community was unable to pay the land revenue to the King by an order dated 21/1/1816, leased the village lands on royalty basis (Foro) for three generations only to one Diogo da Costa de Ataide Teive on annual payment of eight thousand Xerafins to the Treasury in addition to all payments to Accadaries (Hakkdars) Bottos (Bhatts) and other Mercenarious (servants of the temples.) As per description No 1259 at page 230 of book 4 (old) of Bardez denominated “ Mayem” which taluka is whole village of Bicholim and is composed of paddy fields, coconut trees, cashew trees, mango trees, jackfruit trees, arecanuts trees, bamboos etc.
SOURCE: PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER FOR RTI
THE ‘LEGACY’
AREA: 3,773 HECTARES
The decree said the land would be looked after by (till) three generations of Diogo da Costa Ataide Teive. The third generation passed away in 1929, but the land was not returned to the Portuguese government.
“The lease ended in 1929 when the third generation expired with the death of Jose Jaoquim de Noronha,” informed Mayem Bhuvimmochan Samiti President Kashinath Mayekar.
Based on the last will of Jose Joaquim de Noronha, the property was handed over to Dom Eurico Wolfango de Silva.
“The will was conditional. The conditions imposed by the will by virtue of which Dom Eurico de Wolfango de Silva was bound to permanently reside in Mayem,” said Mayekar.
“De Silva was also bound work towards improvement of the village and was prohibited from transferring or mortgaging in any manner any part of the property allotted to him by the virtue of the will,” added Mayekar.
It is said that in 1959, Dom Eurico abandoned Mayem and started residing in Porvorim (Serula). Immediately after Goa’s liberation, he left for Portugal before handing over the property to his wife, Ricardina da Silva. At present, Ricardina’s nephew, Anton Pereira, claims to be the legal heir of the property.
THEN THE AGITATION:
In 1960-61, there was widespread agitation against the landowners in Goa, including Mayem.
In 1962-63, a petition signed by many Mundkars was forwarded to the Government of India reporting that all landowners of Mayem had abandoned their estate and had fled to Portugal. They had requested the government to take charge of the abandoned properties.
The matter was referred by the Central government to the Goa administration. The newly formed government seized the entire property of Mayem and Mayem Evacuee Property and proceeded to enact the Goa Daman, and Diu Evacuee Property Administration Act 6 of 1964.
Since then, people from Mayem have no rights to the land and are confined to the Custodian Act.
CURRENT STATUS:
For the last several years, political parties have been garnering votes promising the villagers of solving the issue and once in power would (conveniently) forget about it. The BJP government taking serious note of the issue notified the Goa ( Abolition of Proprietorships, Titles and Grants of Lands) Act, 2014. Just before the code of conduct the government also issued 62 sanads to the villagers.
As per the record, the government had received 1,141 applications for sanads with 1,123 sent for scrutiny. The North Goa collectorate processed 202 applications of which 62 sanads were issued.
But all seem not well for the BJP as the Mayem Bhoo Vimochan Nagrik Kruti Samiti has strongly denounced the act of the government and has called it a political gimmick.
“We had demanded class I rights and the government has given us class II rights by which we become government tenants” MBVNKS president, Kashinath Mayekar claims adding “3500 families comprising over 12,000 villagers will decide fate of our new representative and will not support the BJP.”
“The 62 sanads issued by the government are provisional and after 60 days, if no one objects to the sanad, they would be regularized” Kinalkar explained “the government has already accepted the demand of giving class I rights and at right time it will be implemented.”
