MARGAO
Squarely blaming the government as being behind the decision of the District Registrar and Inspector General of Societies restraining the committee members of United Tribal Association Alliance (UTAA) from using the banner and seal of the organisation until further orders, ST leaders Prakash Velip and Vishwas Gawde on Monday have demanded the immediate lifting of the restraint order on the organizations.
Without taking any name, the UTAA chief took a jibe at Chief Minister Pramod Sawant for saying that he may not share blood relations with the adivasi community, but enjoys a strong social bond with the STs, demanding to know why the BJP government has not yet fulfilled the long-pending demand of the ST communities for political reservations and Tribal Bhavan in Goa.
In fact, Prakash Velip and Vishwas Gawde, who headed UTAA and Gomantak Gawda Maratha Samaj (GGMS) sounded a bugle when they disclosed plans to go back to their adivasis and explain them how the government has imposed restraint order on these organizations. The duo contended that the district Registrar’s order restraining Gomantak Gawda Maratha Samaj from issuing caste certificates will affect the ST youth from pursing education and applying for jobs.
Prakash said the leaders are exploring various options, including taking legal recourse by knocking the doors of the judiciary against the District Registrar’s order.
When asked whether they will make a plea to the ST community to oppose the BJP-led government in the state, both Prakash and Vishwas said the ST community is wise enough to take a call how to go about in giving their reply to the government.
When the media pointed out that the order restraining UTAA leadership has been passed by the District Registrar and not by the government, Prakash Velip shot back, “Is the District Registrar not a government officer. The district Registrar is not a Court, but an officer of the government”.
Asked specially to name the hand behind the decision restraining UTAA and Gawda Maratha Samaj, he added “We are trying to find out who is behind the decision and whether there was pressure on the officer to act in a certain manner”.
Addressing the media after the District Registrar's decision, Prakash Velip explained the history behind the setting up of UTAA around 21 years ago, saying the organisation has launched an united movement to secure the Constitutional rights of the ST communities.
“UTAA lost two tribal youth in the Balli agitation on May 25, 2011. We commemorate the day every year as Prerna Day. A former minister was dropped from the Pramod Sawant government after he spoke from the platform of the May 25 Prerna Diwas”, he said.
Both Prakash and Viswas said they will take the movement forward by going to the people door to door and explain how the government has restrained UTAA’s functioning. “The Scheduled tribes will question the BJP over the move to ban UTAA and the Gomantak Gawda Maratha Samaj”, Vishwas Gawde added.
