Decode Politics: Why ST quota demand in Goa is gaining traction

What is the issue and is it new?

Last week, members of the tribal community marched towards the Assembly demanding ST-reserved seats when they were stopped by the police, following which a government delegation met them. The STs in Goa enjoy reservation in elections at the panchayat, municipality and zilla parishad-level but not in the Assembly elections.

Sawant’s assurance and the renewed focus on the issue come ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections after an umbrella group, Mission Political Reservation for STs of Goa, comprising 16 ST organisations, unanimously passed a resolution in May last year threatening to boycott polls if their demand was not met.

In July 2023, the issue also came up in the Assembly, which passed a private member’s resolution recommending reservations for STs in the House. “These communities (STs) deserve to be brought into the mainstream, need support to make the community more educated as well as empowered and hence need a larger political representation to achieve the same,” the resolution said.

On Saturday, Goa Forward Party (GFP) chief Vijay Sardesai said he would continue to strongly voice the long-standing and “justified” demand of the ST community. “The Union and state government’s feeble excuses and insincere promises are reflective of the ruling party’s habitual disregard for native Goans and their rights. I will not back down until the community’s privileges, accorded under the Constitution, are recognised and upheld,” he said in the House.

What is the political significance of STs in Goa?

The state has 40 Assembly constituencies, of which one (Pernem) is reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs), which constitute 1.74% of the state’s population, according to the 2011 Census.

Tribals, whose tally was 566 in the 2001 Census, increased to about 1.49 lakh in the 2011 Census after the Gawdas, Kunbis and Velips were granted ST status in 2003. They are known to have a significant presence in four Assembly constituencies – Quepem, Sanguem, Priol and Nuvem. However, none of the 40 seats is ST-reserved.

Priol falls under the North Goa Lok Sabha constituency, held by the BJP’s Shripad Yesso Naik, while Quepem, Sanguem and Nuvem fall under the South Goa Lok Sabha seat represented by Francisco Sardinha of the Congress.

What does the state government say?

Sawant, after meeting a delegation of community leaders on February 5, voiced his support for their demand. “It is my view that STs must be given political reservation… We are trying to constitute a delimitation commission before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls,” he said.

Last week in the Assembly, the CM reasoned why their demand has not yet been met. “In 2001, the ST population in Goa was 566 and this was considered by the delimitation commission. Hence, no Assembly constituency was reserved for them,” he said.

This is not the first time that the Goa government has taken steps to grant political reservation to the STs. In May 2023, the Directorate of Tribal Welfare had written to the Union Law Ministry urging it to constitute a panel to look into the demand.

“Article 330 and Article 332 of the Constitution of India provide for reservation of seats for SC/ST respectively in the House of People and Legislative Assembly of State in proportion of their population… As per the Census of 2011, out of 40 Assembly constituencies, four constituencies need to be reserved for ST communities and one for SC community,” the letter read.

The ministry reverted two months later and, while denying the state government’s request, said Articles 82 and 170 (2) and the explanation to Article 330 read with Article 332 of the Constitution provide that readjustment of seats in the Assembly would not be necessary until relevant figures for the first census after 2026 have been published. “Therefore… the number of seats to be reserved for the SCs and STs would only take place by a delimitation commission to be constituted for the purpose after the relevant figures of the Census taken after the year 2026 are published,” it said.

Have there been controversies over the issue?

In October 2023, Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale kicked up a row after he claimed that STs cannot get reservation in the Assembly as “they make up a very small percentage of Goa’s population”.

Following a backlash from the community, he apologised, claiming he was not aware that they make up around 12% of the state’s population. “Neither workers nor mediapersons brought the mistake to my notice. I support the demand for four ST-reserved seats in the Assembly. As a minister, I will also try to get the reservation approved,” he had said in October last year.

What do the STs say?

Mission Political Reservation for STs of Goa claims the lack of political will has deprived the community of their Constitutional rights despite a two-decade old demand for political reservation.

The Secretary of the umbrella organisation, Rupesh Velip, said Goa is perhaps the only state in the country where there are no Assembly seats reserved for the STs. “The estimated population of STs in the state is around 12%. The ‘double-engine government’ has no political will or lacks coordination. We will hold meetings in 300 villages, where there is a significant ST population, and then decide on the future course of action,” he said.

Velip said the CM’s “assurance” was not satisfactory and politicians in the past too have made similar assurances without taking any concrete steps on the issue. “In 2012, following a state-wide agitation, the tribal community voted overwhelmingly in favour of the BJP. But our demands have been brushed under the carpet. Elected representatives have become party loyalists and failed to raise the community’s concerns. Several issues concerning the communities can be addressed only representatives are elected to the Assembly from reserved seats,” the leader said.

He also questioned why the government was not bringing an ordinance in Goa on the lines of Jammu and Kashmir to grant political reservation to STs. “We do not know when the Census will take place. By the time it happens, there is a likelihood that the demographics of the state would have undergone a significant change due to the influx of migrants,” he said.

The president of the body, Joao Fernandez, said the community remains optimistic about the CM’s forthcoming talks on the issue with leaders in Delhi. “Our immediate demand is the setting up of a delimitation commission, which can be done if there is political will. We will decide the future course of action based on the outcome of the meeting in Delhi,” he said.