Speaking at the World Tribal Day programme organised by the United Tribal Associations Alliance (UTAA), Shravani Govind Gaude, daughter of MLA Govind Gaude, urged Goa’s tribal youth, particularly Gen Z, to actively question the government and demand a concrete outcome on political reservation for the Scheduled Tribe community.
Shravani said obtaining the August 2026 Gazette notification bringing the ST political reservation law into force was an important step, but stressed that the process must now move towards actual implementation. She questioned the repeated assurances given by the government and said meetings with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, presenting bouquets and making positive statements to the media would not be enough unless they resulted in political reservation for Goa’s tribal community.
“I would like to know the positive response and the positive result. When are we going to get it?” she asked. Shravani recalled the long struggle of Goa’s tribal community for recognition, rights and a separate Tribal Development Department, noting that several demands were achieved only after years of protests and sacrifices. She questioned why Goa continued to lag behind other states in providing political reservation to its Scheduled Tribe community, describing it as a constitutional right.
Addressing tribal youth, she called on Gen Z to remain vigilant, question those in power and hold the government accountable for its commitments. “The people should not be afraid of the government; the government should be afraid of the people,” she said. Shravani stressed that the community now wants implementation and a final result, not merely assurances, adding that the government must ensure that the recent legal and constitutional steps translate into actual ST political reservation in Goa.
