MARGAO
Close on the heels of Sports Minister Govind Gaude publicly voicing his anger that the tribal community is yet to get justice in the State, the United Tribal Alliance Association (UTAA) on Saturday demanded that the government fulfill the aspirations of the tribal community, including the demand for political reservations, disposal of forest rights cases and construction of Tribal Bhavan, better rate for the ST cashew growers et al.
UTAA’s demand and plans to go to the wards inhabited by tribals from June 6 to strengthen the organisation comes against the backdrop of the ongoing game of one-upmanship between tribal leaders Minister Govind Gaude and Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar coupled with speculations that the latter, representing Canacona in the Legislative Assembly may be inducted in the Cabinet post-June 4.
That UTAA chief Prakash Velip on Saturday announced that UTAA is going to the wards across the 10 talukas along with Minister Govind Gaude and other tribal leaders, to strengthen the organisation is seen as an attempt to flex muscles in political circles.
Contrary to the statement made by UTAA chief Prakash Velip in the run up to the May 7 Lok Sabha polls that the BJP government had resolved most of the tribal demands, Velip on Saturday said many an issue plaguing the tribal community remains unresolved till date.
Citing an instance, he pointed out that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who also holds the Tribal Welfare portfolio, had laid the foundation stone for the Tribal Bhavan at Porvorim two years ago. “Work, however, on the project is yet to kick start till date. We had handed over the land to the government when late Manohar Parrikar was the Chief Minister. The bhavan would have helped the tribal youth to use the hostel facility to pursue professional education and courses. Absence of hostel accommodation has prompted many a tribal youth to give up professional education,” he said.
That’s not all. Velip demanded that the Goa government has not extended the coaching scheme for tribal students pursuing professional education. “Private coaching institutes charge a bomb, around Rs 2 lakh to coach the students. Since the ST youth cannot afford to foot the coaching bill, we request the government to extend the scheme to the tribal youth by providing minimum 70 per cent financial support,”
he added.
Asked what has prompted UTAA to suddenly go to the wards in all the 10 talukas having ST population, Velip said, “We want to strengthen UTAA organisation. Youth may not know UTAA’s contribution to the realisation of tribal demands. The ward yatra will also help UTAA to understand the issues facing the tribal community inhabiting in the remote areas of the State.”
The exercise UTAA to the wards will kick start on June 6 at Ponda with the participation of Minister Govind Gaude and other leaders, which will later culminate into a ST parishad followed by a Chintan Baitak.
Denying there’s any rift in the UTAA movement, Velip said UTAA is pursuing the agenda set by the seven organisations that had come together to resolve the issues plaguing the tribal community. When asked whether Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar is with UTAA, he said if someone does not want to associate with the organisation because of his view, it cannot be said the movement is divided.
Velip, however, pointed out that Minister Govind Gaude has been part of UTAA and has emerged from the agitation launched by the organisation in support of the 12-point charter of demands.
