Team Herald
PANJIM: United Tribal Association Alliance (UTAA) will organise a rally at Goa College of Engineering (GEC), Farmagudi, to commemorate its two-decade-old journey, on November 10.
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Addressing a press conference, Minister for Sports, Art and Culture and Rural Development Govind Gaude said that UTAA will pass a resolution demanding political reservation for Scheduled Tribes which has been pending for years.
Responding to a question whether people belonging to Scheduled Tribes will get political reservation in the Goa Legislative assembly before the 2027 elections, Gaude said, “Efforts have been made from Panjim to Delhi. If something does not happen, that will be answered in the future. But definitely some issues will be discussed in the November 10 rally.”
When questioned on divisions in UTTA, the minister said, “Till date there has been no groupism in UTTA and this will not happen in future too. UTTA does not depend on any individual leader. It survives on the support of its ordinary members. Who comes and who will go in future, has no connection with UTTA, which has worked selflessly without gaining any political mileage. It has always worked for the welfare of farmers and workers.”
“It was UTTA which took the name of Birsa Munda to every household in Goa eight years back and later the Goa government started celebrating his anniversary,” he said.
He also said UTTA does not compete with any organisation.
On the demand for constructing Tribal Bhavan, he said, “The building is not an issue of a society, but the government needs it as there are many departments which are operating from rented premises.”
He announced that Aadivasi Bahumaan Puraskar will be awarded from this year and the award will not be limited to Aadivasi community, but also well wishers of tribal society.
UTTA president Prakash Velip said the government should declare a holiday on Birsa Munda’s birth anniversary on November 15.
He said Ravindra Velip was never UTTA General Secretary. The current General Secretary of UTTA is Durgadas Gawde, he added.
