MARGAO
The Mission Political Reservations for the Scheduled Tribes has on Saturday demanded that the BJP-led NDA government should fulfill the demand of political reservation guaranteed to the Scheduled Tribe community in recently held Lok Sabha elections.
In fact, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi returning back to power after the Lok Sabha polls, the Mission Political Reservation for Scheduled Tribes of Goa has vowed to continue to pursue the demand of getting political reservation and to reserve seats for Scheduled Tribes in the Goa Assembly.
Addressing the media, Mission president Adv John Fernandes recalled that in the run up to the May 7 Lok Sabha polls, the Union Cabinet on March 7, 2024 had given a nod to introduce ‘Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Bill, 2024. In fact, he pointed out that following the Cabinet decision, leaders of the Goa BJP unit had gone on a celebration mode, declaring the Cabinet decision as ‘Modi Ki Guarantee’, by promising the Scheduled Tribes community that the party will fulfill the promise once the NDA government comes to power at the Centre. “Now that the BJP led NDA government has already formed a government at the Centre and with Prime Minister Narendra Modi sworn in as PM once again, the Mission would like to remind the Goa government and the Prime Minister to fulfill his promise made to the ST community of Goa by introducing the necessary law in the Parliament or by introducing an Ordinance so that the process to reserve the seats for Scheduled Tribes in Goa can be started,” John stated.
He, however, has raised serious reservations over the proposed ‘Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Bill, 2024, fearing “if introduced would supersede all the previously published figures by Registrar General of India, Census Commissioner, etc.”
In fact, the ST leader Govind Shirodkar drew attention of the Prime Minister and Goa Chief Minister that there are already figures published by Registrar General of India through Ministry of Home affairs, Government of India on 31st October, 2013. “If these published figures are superseded, then the Election Commission or Delimitation Commission would require to restart the process from zero. This will make further delay as the procedure involved is lengthy because of which the Scheduled Tribes of Goa may not even get the reservation in the Assembly elections of 2027,” he said.
