MOVEMENT FOR SPECIAL STATUS FOR GOA
(MSSG)
C/o Prof. Sergio Carvalho, 2nd. Floor, Liberty Apartments, Feira Alta,
Mapusa, Bardez-GOA - Ph: 2252682
Date: 14. 8. 2012
Mr. Manohar Parrikar,
The Hon. Chief Minister of Goa,
Secretariat,
Alto de Penha de Franca/Britona - Goa.
Subject: Goa's case for grant of Special Status/Special Provisions under
Article 371 of the Constitution of India.
Dear Sir,
We begin by taking this opportunity to congratulate you on the stand taken
by you on the issue of Special Status and you promise to take it up directly
with the Prime Minister of India.
Soon after its independence, the then Prime Minister of India late
Jawaharlal Nehru started his campaign to remove the European powers from the
Indian Sub-Continent. The Foreign powers having colonies in the Indian
Sub-Continent were Portugal and France. The former had the political entity
know as the "Estado de India" comprising of territories of Goa, Daman and
Dir, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and the French had its possessions in
Pondicherry, Mahe, Karkal and Yanan. The latter European power was willing
to negotiate with the Government of India and indeed did so, whilst the
former refused to recognize that India had any claims upon the portion of
land comprised within the Estado de India.
It is in this context that the late first Prime Minister of India Pandit
Jawaharlal Nehru declared, at Bombay on 4. 6. 1956, in no uncertain terms
that Goa could choose whether it wished to merge with the Indian Union or to
remain apart from it. In fact the words used by Nehru were: " I want to
explain myself. If the people of Goa, that is minus the Portuguese
government - it and when the Portuguese go and the people of Goa
deliberately wish to retain their separate identity - I am not going to
bring them by force or compulsion or coercion into the Indian Union. I
merely say that my national interest involves the removal of the Portuguese
from Goa, not coercion being used in bringing about the union of Goa with
India, although I wish it, I desire it and it is the only solution. That is
a matter ultimately for the people of Goa to decide.
I want to make it perfectly clear that I have no desire to coerce Goa to
join India against the wishes of the people of Goa. But the point is that
we feel that Goa's individuality should remain and that whenever the time
comes for any changes, internal or other, it will be for the people of Goa
acting freely to decide upon them".
Goa has acquired, in the course of its 451 years of subjugation under
Portugal, a unique character which is a blend of Eastern and Western
culture. This fact was recognized by many of the Indian leaders apart from
lat Jawaharlal Nehru himself who on his visit to Goa in the year 1963
reiterated his earlier promise to preserve, protect and nurture this unique
culture and identity of the Goan.
Fifty years down the line the situation is tragic to say the least. From a
population of around six lakhs which was existing in Goa in 1961, the same
has risen to around 15 lakhs in 2012 and keeps increasing by leaps and
bounds despite the fact that Goans have been migrating in droves and the
natural increase in the Goan population is minimal. The increase in the
population is mainly due to the uncontrolled influx of migrants into Goa who
find employment in labour-intensive units which have been allowed to be set
up in Goa despite the fact that Goa does not possess a large labour force,
in the construction line which is now dominated by firms based outside Goa
which are erecting mega housing projects which are catering to the rich and
powerful of India and where the Goan is unable to find a place of abode due
to the exorbitant prices charged, in the mining sector which has seen a
tremendous increase in the tonnage of ore extracted as well as in the area
being mined resulting thereby in the destruction of forests, pollution of
its rivers, depletion of the water tables and the cause of pulmonary and
other diseases to the people residing in surrounding villages. All this has
resulted in a change of the demographic profile of Goa.
The victory of Goans in the opinion poll held in the year 1967, whereby the
proposal to merge Goa with Maharastra was rejected with Goans asserting
their right to their own separate identity and the declaration of Statehood
in the year 1987, are becoming meaningless in view of the fact that Goans
are about to become a minority within the broders of Goa. The promises made
by Nehru to safeguard the culture, ethos and identity of the Goan are about
to become a dead letter unless the Government of India recognizes that the
issue of preservation and nurture of the Goan identity is paramount and
that failure to do so would trantamount to a violation of the human rights
of the Goan people to survive as a viable entity and would also be a
violation of the United Nations Charter and its principles with regard to
erstwhile colonies. In fact the Government of India needs to recognize that
what is happening in Goa is exactly the same thing that is taking place in
Tibet where the Chinese Government is actively promoting the re-settlement
of Han Chinese in the Tibetan region in order to turn the original Tibetans
into a minority. The whole world has been protesting this action by the
Chinese Government.
These points are being put before you by the Movement for Special Status for
Goa (M.S.S.G.), not because you, sir, are not aware of these facts but in
order to urge you to put such facts and arguments before the Prime Minister
of India, whom you are about to meet in order to put forward Goa's case to
be included under the Special Provisions of the Constitution of India and
more specifically under Article 371 thereof so that Goa's Legislature may
have ample powers to regulate on:
a) The Customary law and procedure, its language, culture and ethos.
b) Ownership and transfer of land and the exploitation of its resources
and the preservation of its natural and architectural heritage.
c) The regulation of entry and settlement of persons who are not of
Goan origin/Migrants.
d) Establishment of industries and employment therein.
e) Protection of age-old traditional institutions such as Gaumkaris
(Comunidades-Village Communities) and their assets.
f) Protection of the original SCs , STs abd Gounli (Dhangars)
belonging to the State.
This demand by Goa is nothing new as similar protection has been provided in
States such as Nagaland and parts of the States of Maharashtra and Gujarat
as well as Assam, Manipur and Andhra Pradesh. It may be argued that Nagaland
has been provided this protection as that State comprises mainly of tribals.
It may be noted however that if that were solely the case, then there would
not have been further provisions for the protection of the people residing
in Tuensang District of that State. The State of Goa also comprises of
Schedule tribes, Schedule Castes, Gounlis and OBCs who constitute over 60%
of the population of Goa and therefore, even on this count, Goa has as good
a case to be categorized separately in line with the categorization given to
the State of Nagaland, if need be.
We hope that during your tenure in Government you will being to fruition
this dream of late Matanhy Saldanha and of lakhs of Goans for Goa.
Let India, at least now, keep the word given solemnly by Nehru to Goans!
Thank You,
Yours Sincerely,
The Convener:
Sd/-
(Adv. Antonio Lobo)
The Executive Committee:
Prof. Prajal Sakhardande ..Sd/-
Annabelle Pereira .. Sd/-
Prof. Antonio Alvares .. Sd/-
Jose Maria Miranda .. Sd/-
Adv. Ryan Menezes.. Sd/-
Miguel Vaz .. Sd/-
Joseph L.R. Vaz .. Sd/-
Sidharth Karapurkar..Sd/-
H.X. Fernandes ..Sd/-
Ex-Speaker Simon D'Souza .. Sd/-
Adv. Tonia Lobo ..Sd/-
