Team Herald
MARGAO: Gawada Kunbi Velip and Dhangar Federation (GAKUVED) has accepted Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant’s challenge for an open debate/discussion on CAA/NRC/NPR and has requested him to give it the time and date for the same.
It may be recalled that Chief Minister after inaugurating “Saras 2020” in Margao had dared the opponents of CAA-NRC-NPR law for an open debate.
“Chief Minister’s post is Constitutional post and he should support our Constitutional demands. GAKUVED had earlier explained how CAA-NRC-NPR will together strip off the Goan tribes of their land, forest and agricultural rights besides our voting rights and liberty for which we are opposing. When caste certificate (ST certificate) is itself a proof that we are original citizens and settlers of this country why do we need to prove it again now,” asked Rupesh Velip.
“If the chief minister and his government are really concerned about the development of ST community seriously then he should first declare and notify schedule areas in Goa as per the Vth Schedule of the Constitution of India before March 31, 2020, as the implementation of NPR will start from January 1 and end on September 30,” GAKUVED said.
The Goan tribes were in great shock and pain in seeing what happened to the tribes of Assam due to implementation of NRC (National Register of Citizens). Of 19 lakh people in Assam, who lost citizenship, 13 lakh were poor tribes, who had no documents to prove it. The government instead of rushing to their aid is plotting to send them to detention camps. The tribes of Goa tremble in uncertainty in case the calamity of NRC falls upon them,” federation added.
The federation said since the chief minister holds the Constitutional post, it is his duty to discuss and have a dialogue with the people of Goa before implementing any law, rather than having debates.
