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Date: 17th August 2007
To
The Editor
Sir,
I am forwarding a press note regarding a representation that GaunkarsFirst
has sent to the Information and Technology Minister Mr. Dayanand G. Narvekar
in connection with his proposed IT Park project at Socorro.
Since there are some legal terms involved, I would be most happy to clarify
any doubts arising there from.
I hope you will give us due coverage in your esteemed newspaper.
Thank You.
Sincerely
Sd/-
Savio Herman D'Souza
Convenor
GaunkarsFirst
Office: 0832-2416573
Mobile: 9422063937
__________________________________________
FOR FAVOUR OF PUBLICATION
GaunkarsFirst the organization championing the cause of the Gaunkars of Goa,
has in their Representation to the Information & Technology Minister and
M.L.A. Aldona Constituency, Mr. Dayanand G. Narvekar, sought to bring to the
attention of the Minister how the Comunidade Administrator, a political
appointee has misguided the Minister and the Government by approving an
illegal resolution purportedly passed by the General Body of the Comunidade,
granting land to the Government (IT Ministry) for purpose of setting up IT
Park in Socorro falling within the Comunidade Village of Serula.
Convenor of GaunkarsFirst Mr. Savio Herman D'Souza, himself a Gaunkar of the
said Comunidade of Serula, has stated that the locality of Socorro falls in
an absolute private Comunidade Village of Serula and is not constituted by
any Government of any State Land Tenure holders and hence is not a "Revenue
Village" of the State Government for the State Government or the IT Ministry
to pursue so aggressively such a project as the "IT Park", which is to be
implemented in "Revenue Villages" of the State Government only.
The representation states that the Government is the Guardian of the
Comunidades and is expected to protect the Comunidades from any prejudice.
Neither the State-made laws nor the law of the Gaunkars provides any scope
for setting up an IT Park in the Private Comunidade Village. Neither is the
Managing Committee or the Gaunkars of the Comunidade of Serula competent to
grant any land for the purpose of IT Park when the same stands prohibited by
law. Such an IT Park can only be set up in the Comunidade Village by the
Government by abuse of authority and fraud.
The representation went on to say that for several years illegal meetings of
the Comunidade are convened, due to which illegal committees are approved
even after the Gaunkars have challenged the Administrator for permitting
illegal constituents and non-Gaunkars to participate in the meetings of the
Comunidade. The representation accused the Government of pretending to be
the guardian of the Gaunkars while permitting infiltration of goondas and
anti-social elements, bogus constituents and other vested elements in the
Comunidade with the connivance and blessings of selfish politicians.
The representation went on to state the present manner in which meetings of
the Comunidade are conducted are illegal and hence the Gaunkars have not
participated in the same. Hence the approval for grant of land for IT Park
by the Comunidade is not binding on the Gaunkars.
The representation strongly criticized the Government, who being the
guardian of the Comunidades, is not expected to take benefit of Comunidade
land and its resources to itself by becoming the "approving authority" of
such illegal resolutions of the Comunidade which shall not be binding on the
Gaunkars of Serula.
Convenor Savio D'Souza summed up the representation by stating that there is
no provision in the Law of the Gaunkars to grant Comunidade land either
belonging to Serula Comunidade or any other Comunidade in Goa, to the
Government, for the purpose of "IT Park" or any such natured purposes. If
the Government or the IT Ministry pursues the matter any further it will be
construed that the State Government wants to take benefit of an illegal
resolution such as that of grant of land belonging to the Comunidade of
Serula to set up an IT Park in Socorro and appealed to the Minister not to
add to "the Sins of the State."
The representation made mention that the current manner in which the
Government and/or the Ministry is carrying out atrocities against the
Gaunkars amounts to ethnocide and cultural genocide which violates the "UN
Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples" to which India is a
signatory.
sd/-
Savio Herman D'Souza
CONVENOR
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