MARGAO
Members of civil society were denied an opportunity to present their views in person before the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining the proposed “One Nation, One Election” legislation. However, the committee has agreed to place the memorandum submitted by Citizens for Democracy Goa (CFDG) on the official record.
CFDG received a communication from the JPC stating that its memorandum would form part of the committee’s proceedings after its request for an oral hearing was declined, reportedly due to the panel’s “tight schedule”. The decision has raised concerns about the extent of public participation in deliberations on a key constitutional amendment.
While political parties and government officials were granted personal hearings, CFDG, which had prepared a detailed case opposing the proposal, was denied an opportunity to present its arguments directly before the committee.
CFDG convenor led by former bureaucrat Elvis Gomes, had submitted a comprehensive memorandum and was aggressively pushing for an oral hearing to defend their proposals.
“There is a growing concern that the consultative process is heavily skewed toward political and bureaucratic powers, leaving actual citizens on the periphery. CFDG argued that a constitutional amendment cannot be thoroughly vetted if the voices of everyday stakeholders are reduced to paperwork while political entities receive face-to-face deliberation.
While the assurance that the memorandum is officially part of the legislative record provides some solace, the delegation maintains that complex civic anxieties cannot be fully captured or debated through text alone.
Gomes said that ‘One Nation One Election’ will be highly detrimental to the interest of a small State like Goa where Goans are grappling with a lot of local issues that will be relegated to the margins with national issues dominating the electoral scene. Issues linked to our land, youth, employment, education, health, welfare will be subdued with a heavy dose of national level macro issues. Federalism will go for a toss. Though we were denied our right to argue, we hope our memorandum taken on record will be given due consideration as it is in the interest of Goans,” said Gomes.
In its memorandum mailed to the panel on Friday, CFDG had highlighted that India is a “Union of States” rather than a unitary nation. “Forcing a rigid, synchronised national election calendar subordinates state legislatures to New Delhi and weakens regional democratic mandates. In simultaneous elections, massive national narratives (national security, macro-economics) inevitably drown out crucial State-specific struggles. Critical Goan issues—such as land use, tourism management, coastal regulation (CRZ), mining policy, and the preservation of Goa’s distinct cultural and linguistic identity—will be pushed to the side lines,” the memorandum stated.
“Goa’s vibrant democracy has historically thrived on independent candidates and smaller regional parties holding the balance of power. Centralised, high-budget national campaigns will structurally disadvantage local leaders who lack the financial muscle of giant national parties,” the memorandum added.
