MARGAO
Social worker and BJP ST leader Anthony Barbosa on Friday remembered the ST leader and former Curtorim MLA late Anton Gaunkar on his birth anniversary. Paying tributes to the former MLA, Barbosa said that late Gaunkar had filed the historic petition in the Lok Sabha for the inclusion of the four communities of Gawda, Kunbis, Velips and Dhangars in the central list of Scheduled Tribes. "This petition was accepted by former Speaker of the Lok Sabha late, GMC Balayogi under BJP Government headed by former Prime Minister late Atal Bihari Vajpayee,” he said. Barbosa further pointed out that after the long battle, the three communities (Gawdas, Kunbis & Velips) had been included in the Central list of Scheduled Tribes. “May the soul of our tallest ST leader Antonio Gaunkar, ex-PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji and ex-Speaker of Lok Sabha Late GMC Balayogi rest in peace,” he stated.
