PANJIM: ‘Revolutionary Goans’ an NGO has demanded that the state Legislative Assembly legislate a law defining ‘person of Goan origin’ (POGO) during the forthcoming monsoon session.
Manoj Parab addressing a press conference in Panjim stated that the draft private member’s bill will be presented to all the legislators of the Goa Assembly including the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Deputy Chief Minister Vijai Sardesai for their perusal, with a request to introduce the same during the monsoon session.
Stating that the state is facing a major crisis of uncontrolled influx of migrants who grab the land, jobs and businesses, Manoj said, “Now the time has come for our legislative Assembly members to decide who is a person of Goan origin, so that we the native Goans are protected in our own land. We are losing our culture and identity at a rapid pace. Day by day it’s becoming difficult for Goans to survive in Goa with all the political parties supporting these migrants coming from other states for their vote bank.”
Interestingly, as per the draft of Revolutionary Goans, the conditions for ascertaining an individual as a person of Goan origin are the same with which the Portuguese government ascertains an individual is a Portuguese citizen and grants the country’s nationality.
The draft states, “A person of Goan origin, of the State of Goa shall mean a person who is or whose parents or grandparents, or either one of the parents or grandparents was born in Goa prior to December 20, 1961 or who had a permanent habitation in Goa prior to 20 December 1961 and is also a citizen of India. (All descendants of a person (including a minor) of Goan origin shall be person/s of Goan origin provided they are citizens of India).”
The bill proposes to debar all except ‘person of Goan origin’ from all the privileges and benefits under the Goa government and the public sector units including owning or leasing land.
“No person other than person of Goan origin shall be eligible to obtain any financial benefits from the Government of Goa for/in lease, purchase, auction, sales, distribution or possession of intellectual property, software, data or any other electronic media and communication. This clause is also applicable to performance artistes, music , dance, actor or any other art form involving intellectual property”, one of the clauses in the draft stated.
Demanding that Goa Forward Party’s president Sardesai takes the lead in getting the bill enacted into a law, Manoj said “With this bill we intend to put a full stop to the most asked question these days that is who is Goenkar. With this bill Goans can be protected and our identity saved. With this bill our rights on our jobs, lands and businesses will be protected. We hope our elected representatives will stand by ‘niz Goenkars’ at least now and pass the bill.”
