The proposed amendments to Codigo das Comunidades (Code of Comunidades) are unwarranted, draconian and will sound the death knell for the Comunidades in Goa. The Gaunkari system of Goans, codified by Afonso Mexia and successive Portuguese administrations, was not given its due by post liberation Governments. While the government grabbed chunks of Comunidade land under the sweet guise of "development", the remaining was grabbed by illegal encroachers, thanks to the unholy nexus between Comunidade office bearers, government officers and the migrants. Today, Usgao Comunidade, of which my ancestors were the founders, has been grabbed by migrants who are surprisingly declared as mundkars by the Joint Mamlatdar-II of Ponda.
How can a migrant who has been living for 10-15 years become a mundkar? My frantic letters about this to the attorney, administrator and even collector have been shown the bin. The government's proposed amendments will further demolish whatever remnants of comunidades we have today. We must oppose these amendments tooth and nail, if need be, by knocking the doors of the High Court.
