Team Herald
PANJIM: The Gawada Kunbi Velip & Dhangar Federation (GAKUVED) has raised apprehensions over the controversial citizenship law stating tribal community will lose their liberty and land. It has also demanded that Schedule areas be notified in the State as per the Vth Schedule of the Constitution of India.
“We appeal to the non-tribal Goans and Indians. This is not only our fate, you too are going to suffer no matter what your religion, caste, social status, how much money you have or don’t have. This government’s acts are anti-Indian people,” general secretary of the association Rupesh Velip said at a press conference on Thursday.
Stating that their community is in fear about its fate, GAKUVED members said, “The tribal population fear Assam like situation wherein instead of rushing to aid them, there are plans to send them to detention camps. The community trembles in uncertainty in case the calamity of NRC (National Register of Citizens) falls upon them.”
Claiming they are already fighting “triple whammy of the amendment to the Tenancy Act” by the BJP-led government, the Citizenship Amendment Act will add to their woes. “We already have problems of our own due to lack of documentation in tenancy, Kul Mundkar Act, panchayat Raj Act, etc. Eighty percent population don’t have proper documents of their land and houses, and most of them being tenants would lose rights of land,” executive member Jari Adconkar said.
The association has called upon the people including tribal population to oppose the NRC-CAA.
