Tenants and Mundkars in Goa are happy that their cases are going back to the Mamlatdar courts from the trial courts primarily because they do not have documents to prove their title to the land as their forefathers had only a verbal agreement with the landlords and not a written one.
Kul Mundkar Sangharsh Samiti of Goa Vice-President Sanjay Borde said “our ancestors began tilling the land based only on a verbal assurance with the landlord.”
The verbal agreement between the landlord and tenant was that the tenant would till the land of the landlord and in return would give a certain portion of the produce to the landlord and the portion to be given was decided at the time of the agreement.
“This agreement was adhered to religiously with the tenant tilling the land and giving the agreed portion to the landlord and even the next generation continued to honour the agreement with nobody suggesting that anything be put in writing as there was trust,” said Sanjay.
Even when the matters were heard in the Mamlatdar court, the verbal agreement was considered if the tenant could prove that there was an agreement.
However, the situation totally changed when the courts began deciding upon these cases as the courts demanded evidence or proof in writing of the agreement, which the tenants could not produce and hence their cases were dismissed.
While around 60 cases from Pernem, 8 cases in Ponda cases and 10 cases in Bardez were dismissed by the courts and that is when the movement to demand that the cases be reverted to the Mamlatdar courts began.
Sanjay accused Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar of suo motto deciding to transfer the cases to the courts without consulting the tenants or the landlords when he was the chief minister earlier. He also dismissed Ex-Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar’s assurance to reinstate the cases dismissed by the courts as a mere political gimmick.
“That is the reason why we took up the matter with Manohar Parrikar and fearing that the BJP would be routed if our demand was not acceded to, he relented,” said Sanjay.
The Samiti is also opposed to the sunset clause that makes it mandatory for the cases to be filed within three years on grounds that all tenants may not be able to comply with this. They are also apprehensive of the proposal to permit contract farming fearing that the landlords will misuse this to deprive the tenants of the land being tilled by them for generations.
