MARGAO
In a major development, Scheduled Tribe organisations have resolved to boycott the 2024 Lok Sabha elections if political reservation is not given to the community.
This was decided at a meeting of ‘Mission Political Reservation for Scheduled Tribes of Goa’ along with Zilla Panchayat members, sarpanchas, deputy sarpanchas, panch members, councillors, executive committee members of 14 ST organisations and prominent members from ST communities from all over Goa here in the city.
Around 125 ST leaders from Scheduled Tribes community from all over Goa were present for the meeting.
The meeting discussed on the assurance given by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on the floor of the House of the Goa Legislative Assembly in the recently held Assembly session that the Scheduled Tribes of Goa will get reservation in Assembly in 2027 election.
ST members present for the meeting expressed their dissatisfaction on the assurance given by the Chief Minister and demanded reservation of seats for Scheduled Tribes of Goa before the 2024 Lok Sabha election.
Some members were furious as to why Chief Minister is seating with the file on the proposal sent to him by Director of Tribal Welfare on February 21, last to reserve seats for Scheduled Tribes in Assembly.
The meeting adopted a host of resolutions including the resolution to boycott the 2024 Lok Sabha election if the notification is not issued before the 2024 Parliamentary election to reserve seats for Scheduled Tribes of Goa in Assembly.
It was also resolved to conduct meetings and carry out awareness at every village/ ward wise where there is ST population in every taluka of Goa and to explain people how we have been denied our constitutional rights and injustice done to the community.
Spokesperson of Mission Political Reservation Govind Shirodkar warned the government not to take the ST community for granted. He demanded to know if the Central government has reserved seats by issuing notification dated 06.03.2020 to constitute delimitation commission for the purpose of delimitation for assembly and parliamentary constituencies in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the state of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland, why this discrimination for Goa State.
“The Chief Minister Pramod Sawant holds the portfolio of Tribal Welfare. He should approve the file which is on his table and submit the proposal for reservation of seats for Scheduled Tribes in Goa Assembly, to Ministry of Law and Justice, Home Ministry and Director Tribal Affairs, Government of India without any further delay so that the notification can be issued to reserve seats for ST in Goa Assembly before 2024 Lok Sabha elections,” he demanded.
Taluka level committees for every taluka has been constituted to make awareness at village level.
Following were amongst prominent leaders present in meeting: ZP members Suresh Kepekar, Dhaku Madkaikar, sarpanchas Joana Fernandes, Joseph Vaz, Herculiano Niasso, Nazia Amita D’Costa, Custodio Fernandes, besides panchayat members and executive committee members of 14 ST organisations across Goa attended the meeting.
