In our Canacona taluka most of the land belongs to Communidade & forest & a very few lands belong to people (private land). Canconkars have very few lands to build their houses, as most of the land where houses can be built by Bahujan & Minority people are unavailable due to CRZ setback, Highway setback, Railway setback. Due to scarcity of land, these people face the problem of building houses for their protected stay. People in this belt mostly belong to Bahujan & Minority society & economically poor. These economically backward people have no capacity to buy land at prime locations & build houses on it. Only option left to them is to build houses on communidade land at it available at cheaper price & that is the prime reason why these economically poor people of Bahujan Samaj & Minority Community built houses on communidade land in Canacona & that too without taking benefit of any government schemes, by using their own hard-earned money. These people are not Pakistani or Bangladeshi infiltrators, they are “NIZ GOENKARS”, “BHOOMIPUTRA OF GOA”. Ancestors/forefathers of these people had sacrificed their lives, abandoned their family/home, became martyrs for the freedom of Goa. If these Goan people are not allowed to build houses in Goa for their safe stay, where can they build houses? What benefit did they get from the freedom of Goa?
In our Canacona taluka, office bearers of Mandal of a Political Party have constructed illegal houses on communidade land by encroaching on such land by using political clout & have given these illegal houses/spaces for commercial use for hefty amounts. Why does the government hesitate to take action on these illegal encroachments of office bearers of Mandal? On one side a political party is constructing houses under “Shram Daan” & on other side running bulldozers on the already constructed houses of poor people of Bahujan/Minority community. What sort of justice is it? In the past the Government had brought amendments in bills/passed laws in the assembly to regularize/legalize illegal hotels/bungalows (Old Goa bungalow) of rich/influential people. Why is the government afraid/hesitant to bring a legislation/amendment in law to regularize houses of these poor people. Only rich/influential people are privileged of justice, protection & why poor people of Bahujan Samaj & Minority Community are deprived of justice & protection? Therefore, I appeal to the MLA of Canacona, all Sarpanchas/Panchas of various villages in Canacona to consider the cases of these poor Goan people on humanitarian grounds & take initiative/efforts with the government & convince the government to cancel this barbarian act of running bulldozer on houses of poor Goan people.
Our Congress Party will stand with these Goenkar people with any cost till the end & will not leave these people to suffer silently. Our Congress Party will fully support these “NIZ GOENKARS/BHOOMIPUTRAS” to protect their houses & will not hesitate to take law in hand to save the house of these poor people. We also appeal to the fellow Canconkars not to remain a mute spectator of this injustice, as tomorrow they may be victims of such injustice & therefore request them to come forward & join their brethren to protect their houses/their families. We can unitedly fight against this injustice/barbarian act.
Janardhan Bhandari
Goa Congress Warrior
