HERALD: What are the issue involved in the Tenancy (amendment) Act?
VISHNU: The people have become restless. Meetings have started all over Goa. Strong protests have sprung from the common masses.
HERALD: What are the problems when cases were sent to civil judges?
VISHNU: When cases were at mamlatdar’s court there were no compulsion that an advocate has to be appointed. Secondly, tenants could take an advocate, but it was not a compulsion. After that bhatkars can take an advocate. But in case the tenant did not appoint an advocate then the bhatkar could not appoint an advocate. This was a sort of insulation. But once you go to court the insulation is gone and the expenses go up.
Secondly, the mamlatdar used to give decisions based on circumstantial evidence. What used to happen was earlier tenants had to give one-sixth of the produce to the bhatkar. After the passing of this Amendment Act the people stopped paying this as they were deemed owners. From 1976 the records of the khand are not there. So what is the proof (of the tenancy)? Only circumstantial proof.
Now in a court of law this evidence will not be considered. So circumstantial evidence loses its value. Once the sunset clause gets over he can be evicted.
HERALD: What is your plan of action?
VISHNU: I am writing to the chief minister so that he should bring in a bill to repeal the Act. I will take the lead. There are other MLAs who are from the BJP who are suffering. Even in the chief minister’s constituency Mandrem most of the people are tenants. Their (tenants) condition will be worse than migrant labourers.
The real sons of the soil are on the verge of extinction if the sunset clause is put in place. I will write to the CM and wait for his reaction. I will see what he has to say.
HERALD: Can you give your reasons as to why this has come up?
VISHNU: This new act that they have formed is an attempt to restore bhamon sahi (Brahmin rule) that was overthrown by the people of Goa after Liberation.
The crux of the matter is that even though the selections (for government jobs) are by the GPSC, many mamlatdars have come up from SC/ST and OBC community. They have some feelings (for the people). This is not the case with the judiciary.
