SHWETA KAMAT
shweta@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Poor implementation of the Forest Rights Act, struggle of Alvara land holders for ownership right, Mayem evacuee property — the long pending title right issues — may not be a deciding factor for the upcoming Assembly election across the State, but could surely play a role in the five constituencies — Pernem, Sattari, Mayem, Sanguem and Canacona.
If not all, the affected parties (individuals/families) have decided to vote for the one who will help them to get their right of ownership of land. This implies that any political party or independent candidate that promises effective implementation of the laws protecting land rights of the tribal and other backward class has the vote in their favour.
The affected parties, which comprise almost ten per cent of the total voters, were taken by surprise when national parties like BJP and Congress ignored these crucial subjects in their election manifesto. On the other hand, new entrants Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Trinamool Congress (TMC) promised land titles and home for homeless.
Alvara lands are those which were allotted during the Portuguese regime in 1917 to farmers on long lease for tilling, which has the subsequent provision of land ownership. Alvara lands are sprawled over Sattari, Dharbandora, Pernem and Sanguem talukas.
Mayem, a village with around 30,000 population located in North Goa has been declared as an evacuee property, owned by Portuguese nationals who left the place and settled in Portugal after the state’s liberation in 1961. The Goans, living as tenants on the property, have been fighting for their rights.
The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, is a law which regulates the rights of forest-dwelling communities to land and other resources, which have been denied to them over decades since Independence. The tribals living in forest areas of Sattari, Sanguem, Canacona have been protesting for long and alleging harassment from forest officials.
“Land rights was a burning issue until recently. But as the elections approach, these issues have been completely sidelined. Some of the major political parties have not even touched these issues in their election manifesto. This shows that these are least important issues and may have no major role to play in the election,” Dashrath Morajkar, social worker from Sattari said.
The land ownership issues were back in the limelight in the wake of the passage of the contentious Bhumiputra Adhikarani Bill by the State government, last year. The Bill that proposed to consider anyone who has lived in Goa for at least 30 years as a Bhumiputra (son of the soil) and allowed them to seek ownership rights to the small housing units in which they live, had sparked major controversy with cross-sections opposing it.
As the State was approaching election, the government backtracked and allowed the Bill to lapse. “With Bhumiputra Bill controversy taking back seat, all land ownership issues also remained unattended. While political parties feel that these are not election issues, but land holders, who are still fighting for right, will vote silently. We will not repeat past mistake. Enough chances were given with a hope,” Mandar Gawas, who is also affected with Mayem Custodian issue, said.
In Sattari, villagers are demanding ownership of rights of Alvara, Gavthan, Mokhashdari, Kumeri and forest land rights. “Alvara Land, Bhumiputra Bill issues will be the major concerns in Sattari this election. People want candidate who will solve these issues and will vote for that candidate,” said Harichandra Gawas, a local resident of Sattari.
