PANAJI
GAKUVED, an umbrella organisation of tribals in Goa has reiterated a decade-old demand for a 10 per-cent quota of seats in the State's assembly election.On Thursday, the association along with Sanguem MLA Prasad Gaonkar, a tribal legislator, said the government should now stop proferring excuses and ensure justice is done by reserving four assembly seats for Scheduled Tribes (ST). Gaonkar recalled that the demand for political reservation for the community took root when the community got Constitutional ST status in 2003.
“Since then, three assembly elections were held in 2007, 2012, 2017, but the reservation demand for STs was ignored. We now demand reservation at the 2022 assembly election,” Gaonkar who is an Independent MLA said.
The demand for four seats (10 per-cent of the total number of 40 seats) was made in 2011 when the census had estimated the ST population of the State to be around 12.5 per cent.
“In 2012 election, we had demanded four assembly seats to be reserved -- Priol, Sanguem, Quepem and Nuvem -- where the ST population was highest. The demand was ignored then and also five years late at the 2017 election," Prasad said, adding that it was a clear indication that the government is negligent with respect to the interests of the tribal community.
Prasad said, a memorandum was submitted to the Goa government In 2019 but no response was received.
He pointed out that in the case of the Sanguem Municipal Council election, the Bombay High Court was approached and finally success was achieved within a month of the elections.
Meanwhile, a petition filed before the High Court four months ago seeking reservation of four assembly seats has made the Union Law Ministry, Election Commission and the Chief Secretary of Goa as respondents.
Prasad disclosed that after four hearings, the Union law ministry has failed to file its affidavit in reply which delayed the judicial process.
The High Court has now fixed December 17 as the next date of hearing when the Union law ministry has been mandated to file its affidavit in reply or in the alternative a representative of the ministry has to stay present at the hearing.
