During the Monsoon Assembly session on 21st July 2023, MLA Ganesh Gaonkar had tabled a
resolution on the floor of the house. The resolution reads as below.
“This house strongly recommends the Government to make provision for political reservation
in the Goa Legislative Assembly for the Scheduled Tribes of Goa State. As per the census of
2011, Scheduled Tribes (ST) constitute 10.23% of Goa’s population. This community deserves
to be brought in to the mainstream, needs support to make the community more educated as
well as empowered and hence needs a larger political representation to achieve the same”
The above mentioned resolution was supported by ruling BJP Government as well as
opposition. After brief discussion on the said resolution, it was passed unanimously. While
speaking on this resolution, Chief Minister of Goa Shri. Pramod Sawant who is also the
Minister for Tribal Welfare further assured to the house that he will take all party delegation to
the Union Government of India to resolve the long pending issue of ‘Political reservation for
Scheduled Tribe of Goa in Goa Assembly’.
However, even after three months from the day of adopting the said unanimous resolution, we
have not seen any positive steps taken by the Goa CM and Goa Government to fulfill the said
assurance and to take the all-party delegation to the Centre. Therefore, the entire Scheduled
Tribe (ST) Community of Goa is feeling cheated and betrayed. It appears that Goa CM and
Goa BJP waiting for the upcoming Loksabha elections to be announced so that another fake
assurance and empty promise is given to the ST’s of Goa in light of the upcoming Loksabha
elections of 2024.
We hereby remind the Goa CM and Scheduled Tribe MLA’s who are presently part and parcel
of Government of Goa, that our community has already sacrificed two youths during the
infamous Balli agitation of 2011, while protesting for the demand of ‘Political Reservation’
and other 11 demands. At that time, since BJP was the main opposition, it openly supported
this agitation. However, after coming to power, it appears that BJP has become blind on the
main demand of political reservation.
Therefore, in order to awaken the Goa CM and Government of Goa from their deep sleep on
the assurance given to the ST Community on the floor of the house, this ‘Mission Political
Reservation for Scheduled Tribes of Goa’ gives an ultimatum of 15 days from today to take all
party delegation to the Union Government of India and come back with a notification reserving seats for the Scheduled tribes of Goa. Or else, this ‘Mission’ will launch the ‘Ulgulaan’ movement across Goa from the 16th Day, from the residence of Goa CM.
