Goa Khabar : At a crucial time when Goa’s future, identity and heritage are under unprecedented threat, South Goa MP Captain Viriato Fernandes has taken a decisive step to protect Goa’s Asmitai/Identity by introducing a Private Member’s Bill in Parliament seeking Special Status for the State. The Bill, which was introduced in the just concluded winter session of parliament, seeks to safeguard Goa’s land, environment, culture, and the rights of its people.
Speaking on the introduction of the Bill in the presence of Gen Secretary Adv. Srinivas Khalap and the District Presidents Virendra Shirodkar and Savio D’silva, Captain Viriato Fernandes said, “This Bill is born out of the love we hold for Goa and the responsibility we feel to protect it. Over the years, we have watched our land change beyond recognition, our forests and rivers under threat, and our villages and communities losing the character that makes Goa so special. Every Goan feels the weight of this loss. Progress and development matter, but they can never come at the cost of destroying the Asmitai and spirit of our homeland.’’
‘’This Bill is our commitment to safeguard Goa, its culture, heritage, natural beauty, and the way of life that defines who we are as Goans. It is a pledge that our children and grandchildren will inherit a Goa where nature and tradition coexist with growth, where communities are respected, and where the soul of Goa endures. Special Status is not just a law, it is protection for our identity, a lifeline for our people, and a promise that the heart of Goa will survive for generations to come.”
Speaking on the Bill, Adv. Srinivas Khalap, Gen Sec of GPCC said: “The Goa Congress will always fight to protect Goa and serve the best interests of Goans. Our approach is clear and uncompromising — Goa and Goans first. Every policy, every law, and every decision must put Goa’s land, people, culture, and environment above all else. This Special Status Bill is a sincere constitutional effort to ensure that Goa’s future is decided by Goans, and not sacrificed to uncontrolled, vested commercial interests.”
Goa is a small and ecologically fragile State with a unique cultural identity. Rapid land conversion, environmental damage, unplanned construction, and demographic pressures have deeply affected Goans across the State. The Special Status Bill seeks to provide strong constitutional protection tailored specifically to Goa’s realities. The Bill seeks to address several key areas critical to the protection and development of Goa:
• Goa Sustainable Development Council: The Bill proposes the creation of a Goa Sustainable Development Council, to be headed by the Chief Minister of Goa, with representation from the Central Government, Members of Parliament, experts, and other stakeholders. The Council will guide development decisions to ensure protection of Goa’s land, environment, culture, and traditional communities, while promoting sustainable and balanced growth.
• Protection of Goa’s Cultural Identity: The Bill seeks legal safeguards for Goan heritage, art forms, architecture, traditions, and way of life, so that development does not erase the cultural soul of the State.
• Protection of Land and Environment: Special Status will enable stricter regulation of development in eco-sensitive areas and stronger protection of rivers, forests, beaches, lakes, hills, khazan lands, paddy fields, and traditional agricultural land, since environmental damage in Goa is irreversible.
• Protection of Traditional Goan Communities: The Bill provides special safeguards for fishermen, farmers, tribals, artisans, toddy tappers, and other traditional communities, protecting their land rights, livelihoods, housing, and access to education.
• Addressing Demographic Changes: Recognising concerns over demographic imbalance, the Bill enables policy measures to maintain Goa’s socio-cultural balance, ensuring that Goans do not become marginalised in their own State, while remaining within constitutional limits.
• Promotion of Konkani and Marathi: The Bill promotes and protects Konkani in both Devanagari and Roman scripts, whilst recognizes Marathi for its cultural and historical significance in Goa.
• Special Powers for Environmental Protection: The Special Status framework proposes special powers for the Governor and the President of India to intervene when development threatens eco-sensitive zones and sustainable development.
• Definition of “Goan of Goan Origin”: The Bill provides for a clear legal definition of a “Goan of Goan Origin”, based on the Civil Code of 1867 and other relevant criteria, to safeguard Goans’ rights relating to land, culture, and identity.
