Hi Frederick, Basically the Communidade was an original Indian tradition -- the Portuguese did not change it much but to some extent legalised and gazve it a formal existence -- there are traces of similar systems in other parts of India particularly the tribal areas -- but the British with their propensity to enact Acts and Laws for everything destroyed this informal set up -- even though they themselves do not have a written Constitution but go on the basis of NATURAL JUSTICE.
Panchayats are efforts to revive this old system -- Why can't the old Communidades be the Panchayats of today -- with some changes to make them more democratic and universal Under the Communidade system no land was personally owned by anyone -- all land belonged to the village --- Communidade or Community -- and was leased to specific persons for specific use with conditions that if those conditions were violated the land reverted to the Communidade -- also in respect of agricultural land, if the successful tenent / farmer did not till the land and left it fallow, it reverted to the Communidade who then auctioned it to whoever promised to till it and pay the lease rent -- Now with land to the tiller, many of these so-called land owners have stopped tilling and are selling the land -- for DEVELOPMENT -- building houses, shops, etc -- Already Goa imports most of its agricultural produce from neighbouring states -- areas which were normally green throughout the year are green only during the paddy growing season and that too only for one crop -- rarely see paddy grown in the winter crop. We should investigate the benefits of the old Communidade System and incorporate the best practices into the Panchayat system without the corruption that has already crept into most Panchayats and Communidades also. There should not be both systems operating -- there is conflict already and this will get greater. I hope this starts a discussion of the merits and demerits of both systems and maybe we could then export the best practices to the rest of India for incorporation into Panchayats throughout India. Let Goa set the example. All the very best Aloysius ----- Original Message ----- From: "Frederick [FN] Noronha * फ्रेडरिक नोरोंया" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Saturday, July 21, 2007 5:16 pm Subject: [Goanet] Panchayat India link... check out this list To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Check: Experiences of participating in the Pilerne (Bardez) Gram > Sabha.http://groups.yahoo.com/group/panchayat-india > FN > -- > Frederick Noronha Journalist http://fn.goa-india.org > E: [EMAIL PROTECTED] or [EMAIL PROTECTED] > P: +91-832-2409490 M: +91-9970157402 > Yahoo: fredericknoronha Skype: fredericknoronha GTalk: > fredericknoronha784, Sonarbhat, Near Lourdes Convent, Saligao > 403511 Goa India >
