TEAM HERALD
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BELGAUM: Goan settlers from in and around Belgaum may have left Goa due to the Inquisition and other reasons, but they are now organizing themselves to reaffirm their rights as members of the communidades in different parts of Goa.
In one such case, a large number of Sirsaim Gaunkars settled in Mansapur, Khanapur, Tivoliwada and other areas are all set to take part in elections to the Sirsaim Communidade this Sunday.
At the recently convened meeting at Mansapur under Fransalian priest, Fr Joe Fernandes, originally hailing from Sirsaim, the members condemned the attitude of certain vested interests in different comunidades in Goa who have deleted the names of Gaunkars who have settled in Khanapur, Chandgad, Ajara talukas and neighbouring areas.
“They say that we are outsiders and not Goans and hence our names from the comunidade records were deleted deliberately,” claimed Peter Fernandes, a retired senior railway employee originally a Sirsaim Gaunkar, now residing at Khanapur.
“They also stopped giving us Zon from 2007. We went to the court to fight for the re-inclusion of the names of Mansapur-Khanapur-Gaunkars as the previous committee of the Sirsaim Comunidade deleted our names,” added Fernandes.
Speaking to Herald, Fr Joe Fernandes said: “We went to the court to fight for the re-inclusion of the names of the Mansapur-Khanapur Gaunkars. The judicial process is still going on.”
“In the meantime, we got our names included in the list of the Jonoeiro, the list of Gaunkars eligible to vote through the executive process that is through the Administrator of Comunidades de Goa, the Collector of North Goa, etc,” Fr Fernandes said.
“We will exercise our voting right in the elections for the Sirsaim Comunidade on January 27 as per the old list of 2007 including all the Gaunkars as it was before the deletion,” Fr Fernandes added.
Fr Fernandes, Peter Fernandes, Adav Fernandes and others explained the Gaunkars here about the latest developments in Goa and asking them to visit Goa and exercise their right to vote as Gaunkar. They also emphasized the Gaunkars not to lose courage.
The Gaunkars here hope that good and honest Gaunkars will be elected and Mansapur-Khanapur Gaunkars too will be represented in the new managing committee of the Sirsaim Comunidade. The development in turn is expected to create awareness among scores of Gaunkars settled in other parts of the region.
Meanwhile, a movement under the leadership of Augsutine Pereira, another Gaunkar, from the region who is now residing in Mumbai is also gathering momentum.
“Time has come for us Gaunkars to come together to understand our roots and our right on our ancestral properties in Goa,” said Pereira.
“It is not only enough to say that our ancestors migrated from Goa to Ghat Matho, but it is important for us to identity ourselves as original Gaunkars from Goa,” he added.
