Cong seeks Prez probe into ST rights violations

Panaji: Accusing the Goa govt of systematically excluding and displacing scheduled tribes (STs), Congress wrote to President Droupadi Murmu asking for a presidential inquiry commission to investigate tribal atrocities, land dispossession, and misuse of laws in Goa and across India.

Congress also requested the President to direct the Election Commission to implement political reservation for STs in Goa. "Despite being recognised as STs in 2003 and constituting over 12% of Goa’s population, our communities have not been granted any political reservation in the Goa legislative assembly. We fear that for the 2027 assembly elections, we may be denied political representation,” said Ramkrishna Jalmi, the chairman of the Adivasi wing of Congress.

“We strongly oppose the activities of organisations like Janjyati Suraksha Manch (Goa). This is a direct attack on the constitutional status of STs. Tribals do not belong to any one religion – they are the first settlers of this country. Tribals must not be divided or delisted based on religious conversion,” said Jalmi.

The party also urged govt to expedite the 9,500 individual forest rights claims pending for years. “Without forest rights, traditional forest-dwelling tribes are losing access to ancestral lands, forest produce, and livelihoods, facing increasing conflict with forest officials,” he said.