Margao: Members of the tribal community on Thursday warned of a “severe backlash” if political reservation for the Scheduled Tribe (ST) community in the Goa assembly is not implemented before the 2027 elections, demanding that the process be completed within two months.The warning came at a United Tribals Associations Alliance (UTAA) meeting at Mardol after govt reportedly denied the outfit permission for a celebratory gathering at Azad Maidan, Panaji, marking the coming into force of the Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes Act, 2025.UTAA president Prakash Velip said notification of the Act had already been delayed by a year, and the community would not tolerate further delay.“We now want the reservation of seats completed within the next two months,” Velip said, adding that members had made significant sacrifices for the cause and wanted their long-standing demand for four ST MLAs to be realised in the coming elections.“We had decided to hold a get-together at Azad Maidan today (Thursday) to celebrate the Act coming into force. But what happened?” he asked, referring to the denial of permission that forced the event to Mardol.“We are only seeking our constitutional right, not taking away anything that belongs to others. STs missed out on reservations for four consecutive assembly elections. We cannot wait any longer. Enough is enough — 23 years is a long wait,” he said.Priol MLA Govind Gaude also warned of retaliation. “We have been fooled for long. We won’t be fooled anymore,” he said.“We will not rest unless all those who brought us out on the streets are also brought on the streets in the near future,” Gaude said.A sizeable number of tribals from across Goa attended the meeting despite heavy rain.
