Today is December 10, 2024 International Human Rights Day. A look is required at the status of tribal rights in Goa.
Tribal movement in Goa at the beginning of this century fought successfully to gain status of Scheduled Tribes. Then portion of leadership got into defending tribal and other lands from mining industry. Contribution of GAKUVED has been significant without any doubts.
UTAA played significant role om political mobilization in support of political assertions. Adivasi Sanghatna (formerly Christian Adivasi Sanghatna) in Quepem contributed enormously towards cultural assertion of the tribal communities with their regular festivals.
Group of young people from tribal communities in Goa got into intellectual collaborations around identity question into "Hanv Konn" project and later publications.
Tribal research Centre in Canacona has been instrumental in promoting thought in defence of culture-livihood-forest right concerns.
Scheduled Tribes Association has challenged might of Dempo plant at Sao Jose de Areal in NGT. Dempo red category industry located scandalously in residential area feeds local people with black dust for breakfast, lunch and dinner in addition to daily dose in their lungs - the fly ash. Neither Srinivas Dempo nor Pallavi Dempo care about human live as much as they care for cash and votes to Parliament.
However there is great tragedy that tribal organisation has systematically ignored any focus of promoting awareness of provisions and enforcement of Sceduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989. Consequences of such a neglect are terrible. Tribal people are unable to resist attacks, abuses, insults, tagging etc.
This is certainly not a good sign for the leadership of tribal communities in India. This neglect is willful attraction of damage to the community and nobody other than entire tribal leadership is responsible for this. Earlier the leadership wakes yp better it is. If not, then certainly the consequences will be unpredictable.
Will Goa's collective tribal leadership rise up to the occasion? Or will continue to go with the flow of dangerous current politics?
The responsibility of tribal community is huge and we wish huge success!
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