The controversy around the Bhumiputra Adhikarini Bill got a new twist as Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant has indicated it could be renamed as Bhoomi Adhikarini Bill to avoid controversy. Sawant’s announcement comes hours after BJP's tribal leader Ramesh Tawadkar appealed not to use the word Bhumiputra. Dropping the word Bhumiputra is merely a cosmetic change. Whatever the CM chooses to call it, he has to address the larger issue of the impact of the Bill on the Goan landscape.
A major positive has emerged from the video message released by the CM on Tuesday night. Calling in suggestions from people and expressing willingness to re-introduce the Bill in the subsequent Assembly session indicate a marked departure from the hardline stance the government had initially taken and this is a welcome gesture.
The CM’s appeal for suggestions signals a change in approach, but it still leaves many questions unanswered. Such crucial Bills need a thorough debate before being introduced, engaging in discourse after passing Bills only exposes the fault lines in our legislative processes. Blaming it on an Opposition walkout is only an excuse to wriggle out of a tight situation.
Certainly, this piece of legislation needs a far wider debate and consensus, and cannot be seen through the prism of communities. Tawadkar may be championing the cause of tribals, but there is a larger concern of the State that cannot be ignored. Leaders cannot turn a blind eye to the harm that is being caused by the law and instead engage in an insignificant debate on choosing an alternate name. They are only making a surreptitious attempt to divert attention from the biggest tragedy that Goa is facing.
Cut into the back end of politicking, and the BJP is gearing up to face a hostile revolt from people across the spectrum, with a massive awareness campaign. But even before that could begin, Revenue Minister Jennifer Monserrate who hurriedly moved the controversial Bill in the House needs to answer the people of Goa. If we may recall, Jennifer has not spoken a word about what the Bill means to Goa and the kind of people whose dignity the Bill is seeking to restore. The Revenue Minister by mutely conceding to the brutal assault on Goa's landscape, without doing any explanation, has indicated her surrender. She, as a people’s representative and a cabinet minister, cannot hide behind the cloak of anonymity.
The government, under the pretext of a paucity of time, has been steamrolling crucial bills, treating the minuscule minority of the Opposition as irrelevant spectators. If we may recall the 6-day January session, four important bills were hurriedly passed at midnight, including the Goa Regularisation of Unauthorised Construction (amendment) Bill 2021 of orchard and cultivable lands under Eco-Sensitive Zone-II. Appeals to refer controversial bills to a select committee had fallen on deaf ears.
The final day of the truncated 3-day monsoon session saw a complete mockery of legislative procedures. A dangerous precedent is being set by pushing through agendas with the brute majority the government enjoys.
