PANAJI
For several years, demand for political reservation for the Scheduled Tribes (ST) has echoed through the corridors of the Goa Legislative Assembly. In recent instances, the matter has been extensively discussed on the floor of the House with unanimous resolution for the implementation of ST reservation adopted.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant also assured the House that the government submitted the request letter to its double-engine sarkar in Delhi, alas, despite these efforts, there’s a roadblock.
Against the ST community’s hope, the reservation ahead of the impending 2024 Lok Sabha election has been postponed beyond 2026. The Centre’s decision has come as a major setback to the community, who are demanding an ordination to the law rather than extending their wait. In the monsoon session of the Legislative Assembly, ST leader, MLA Ganesh Gaonkar spearheaded the issue by moving a private members’ resolution recommending the implementation of the political reservation, pending for two decades.
“This House strongly recommends the Government to make provision for political reservation in the Goa Legislative Assembly for the Scheduled Tribes of Goa State. As per the census of 2011, Scheduled Tribes (ST) constitutes 10.23% of Goa's population. This community deserves to be brought into the mainstream, needs support to become more educated as well as empowered, and hence requires a more extensive political representation to attain the same,” the Sanvordem BJP MLA’s resolution stated.
It rekindled hope within the ST community as opposition parties also rallied for the cause. Gaonkar even went on to state that while STs were categorised as OBC since 1968, during Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s government in 2003, Gawda, Kunbi and Velip (three tribes) were accorded ST status by the Goa government. “Since then, this community has persistently championed political reservation,” he said.
Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar has also been vocal to this cause stating that Goa should emulate other states.
In response to the discussion, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant assured that the Central government was informed about the sentiments of Goa while emphasising the government’s earnest commitment to extending reservation to the STs. “We will lead a delegation to confer with the Home Minister and Law Minister to assert our representation,” he said.
It was on March 28, 2023, when CM Sawant made a similar assurance claiming the matter will be raised with the Centre and ensure political reservation for the ST is enforced ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. His statement during the Budget session was made to a question tabled by AAP MLA Capt Venzy Viegas about the timeline for ST reservations.
The 2001 census recorded the total ST population in Goa at 9.90 per cent, and the number rose to 10.23 per cent in 2013.
