Why tribal status for Gouly-Dhangars is a hot potato for BJP in Goa polls
The small electorate size of assembly seats makes the Gouly-Dhangar mandate crucial. The community has presence in most talukas
Elections to the Goa legislative assembly are due in early 2027 but speculated to be held earlier.
The Registrar General of India and Union ministry for tribal affairs have rejected the demand for inclusion of Gouly-Dhangars in the ST category. The Office of the Registrar General of India in March noted that the community remains listed as 'Dhangar' in the Central List of Other Backward Classes, and asserted that no fresh data was provided to justify a re-examination.
The tribal population in Goa is 149,275 or around 10.23 per cent, which includes Roman Catholic Christians. Tribal people are regarded as the original settlers and inhabitants of Goa. While North Goa is estimated to have a tribal population of 56,606—which is 6.9 per cent of the region’s 818,008 population—for South Goa it is 92,669 or 14.47 per cent of the region’s 640,537 population.
Gouly-Dhangars are estimated to number around 25,000 in the state. They have presence in most talukas, sans Tiswadi, which includes capital Panaji and Old Goa. In polls, however, Gouly-Dhangars could still tilt the scales given the small electorate sizes of assembly constituencies. For instance, in Sanquelim in 2022, chief minister Sawant won by just 666 votes against Dharmesh Saglani of the Congress.
In the 1980s, members of the Gauda, Velip, Kunbi and Dhangar communities launched a movement ‘Mull Goenkarancho Ekvott’ and sought recognition as STs. In 2003, the Gauda, Velip and Kunbi communities were added to the ST category. However, the Dhangars, who are described as a traditional, pastoralist and forest-dwelling community, were left out. The ST category includes smaller tribal groups like the Dubla, Siddi, Naikda, Varli and Dhodia.
“We have been demanding recognition as STs for the past 23 years. This is a now-or-never battle,” said a leader of the Gomantak Dhangar Samajonnati Mandal. Leaders of the community have launched a village-level outreach and set an ultimatum of August 15 for the government to fulfil the demand.
“The demand of Gouly-Dhangars is genuine and has been raised since the 1980s,” said Ravindra Velip, vice-president of the United Tribal Associations Alliance (UTAA), the nodal body of tribal groups.
Tribal activist Govind Shirodkar, who is the convenor of UTAA, said the Goa BJP was dithering on the issue as demands for tribal recognition were being made by the Dhangar community in BJP-ruled Maharashtra too, which is being resisted by tribal communities in that state.
The recognition of Dhangars in Goa as STs would intensify similar demands by the Dhangars in Maharashtra. “However, if Gouly-Dhangars fulfil the criteria, they must be recognised as tribal. Moreover, this status is area-specific and will not have any bearing on Maharashtra,” reasoned Shirodkar.
Tribal voters in Goa are already upset over the delay in granting them political reservations. If implemented, this may result in four of the 40 seats in the assembly being reserved for STs.
Tribal angst over ST status is thought to have singed the BJP in the South Goa Lok Sabha seat, where the party’s Pallavi Dempo was trounced by Captain Viriato Fernandes (retd) of the Congress in 2024.
Tribal communities form substantial numbers in the Priol, Nuvem, Quepem, Sangeum and Velim constituencies. Although STs and Scheduled Castes (SCs) have 12.5 per cent and 2 per cent quotas respectively in jobs and education, the STs have not been given political reservations in the assembly. The SCs have one seat reserved for them in the House—Pernem bordering Maharashtra in North Goa, which is represented by Pravin Arlekar of the BJP.
The bill for granting political quotas to STs in Goa was approved in Parliament in August 2025. However, a year on, the Union government has not taken steps such as issuing a notification for implementation of the law.
The state government has swung into damage control. Tribal development minister Ramesh Tawadkar said STs had never opposed the inclusion of Dhangars in the category. He added that they had a greater need of these quotas.
Sawant had written to Jual Oram, the Union minister for tribal affairs, in June, stating: “We urge a review of this decision based on the community's distinct socio-economic vulnerabilities. The ministry of tribal affairs' decision to reject the Goa government's proposal regarding the Gouly-Dhangar tribe is a setback for a community It is deeply disheartening that the very institution established to protect and uplift tribal communities has summarily dismissed this decades-old demand, a move that breaks from historical precedent and leaves the community's fight for justice in limbo.”
“Gouly-Dhangar was the first community to be recommended by the Goa government for inclusion in the ST list way back in 1963. In 1992, the government of Goa pleaded to declare only the Gouly-Dhangar community as ST. Proposal for declaring Gawdas, Kunbi and Velip was subsequently submitted in 1993,” he added.
Sawant said the community had primitive traits, distinctive culture, geographical isolation, segregated habitations, shyness of contact and general backwardness. “The Registrar General of India’s decision to dismiss this valuable, empirical evidence ignores an authoritative academic evaluation. This denial prolongs the historical injustice faced by the community, blocking their rightful access to ST status and essential constitutional protections,” said Sawant.
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Elections to the Goa legislative assembly are due in early 2027 but speculated to be held earlier.
The Registrar General of India and Union ministry for tribal affairs have rejected the demand for inclusion of Gouly-Dhangars in the ST category. The Office of the Registrar General of India in March noted that the community remains listed as 'Dhangar' in the Central List of Other Backward Classes, and asserted that no fresh data was provided to justify a re-examination.
The tribal population in Goa is 149,275 or around 10.23 per cent, which includes Roman Catholic Christians. Tribal people are regarded as the original settlers and inhabitants of Goa. While North Goa is estimated to have a tribal population of 56,606—which is 6.9 per cent of the region’s 818,008 population—for South Goa it is 92,669 or 14.47 per cent of the region’s 640,537 population.
Gouly-Dhangars are estimated to number around 25,000 in the state. They have presence in most talukas, sans Tiswadi, which includes capital Panaji and Old Goa. In polls, however, Gouly-Dhangars could still tilt the scales given the small electorate sizes of assembly constituencies. For instance, in Sanquelim in 2022, chief minister Sawant won by just 666 votes against Dharmesh Saglani of the Congress.
In the 1980s, members of the Gauda, Velip, Kunbi and Dhangar communities launched a movement ‘Mull Goenkarancho Ekvott’ and sought recognition as STs. In 2003, the Gauda, Velip and Kunbi communities were added to the ST category. However, the Dhangars, who are described as a traditional, pastoralist and forest-dwelling community, were left out. The ST category includes smaller tribal groups like the Dubla, Siddi, Naikda, Varli and Dhodia.
“We have been demanding recognition as STs for the past 23 years. This is a now-or-never battle,” said a leader of the Gomantak Dhangar Samajonnati Mandal. Leaders of the community have launched a village-level outreach and set an ultimatum of August 15 for the government to fulfil the demand.
“The demand of Gouly-Dhangars is genuine and has been raised since the 1980s,” said Ravindra Velip, vice-president of the United Tribal Associations Alliance (UTAA), the nodal body of tribal groups.
Tribal activist Govind Shirodkar, who is the convenor of UTAA, said the Goa BJP was dithering on the issue as demands for tribal recognition were being made by the Dhangar community in BJP-ruled Maharashtra too, which is being resisted by tribal communities in that state.
The recognition of Dhangars in Goa as STs would intensify similar demands by the Dhangars in Maharashtra. “However, if Gouly-Dhangars fulfil the criteria, they must be recognised as tribal. Moreover, this status is area-specific and will not have any bearing on Maharashtra,” reasoned Shirodkar.
Tribal voters in Goa are already upset over the delay in granting them political reservations. If implemented, this may result in four of the 40 seats in the assembly being reserved for STs.
Tribal angst over ST status is thought to have singed the BJP in the South Goa Lok Sabha seat, where the party’s Pallavi Dempo was trounced by Captain Viriato Fernandes (retd) of the Congress in 2024.
Tribal communities form substantial numbers in the Priol, Nuvem, Quepem, Sangeum and Velim constituencies. Although STs and Scheduled Castes (SCs) have 12.5 per cent and 2 per cent quotas respectively in jobs and education, the STs have not been given political reservations in the assembly. The SCs have one seat reserved for them in the House—Pernem bordering Maharashtra in North Goa, which is represented by Pravin Arlekar of the BJP.
The bill for granting political quotas to STs in Goa was approved in Parliament in August 2025. However, a year on, the Union government has not taken steps such as issuing a notification for implementation of the law.
The state government has swung into damage control. Tribal development minister Ramesh Tawadkar said STs had never opposed the inclusion of Dhangars in the category. He added that they had a greater need of these quotas.
Sawant had written to Jual Oram, the Union minister for tribal affairs, in June, stating: “We urge a review of this decision based on the community's distinct socio-economic vulnerabilities. The ministry of tribal affairs' decision to reject the Goa government's proposal regarding the Gouly-Dhangar tribe is a setback for a community It is deeply disheartening that the very institution established to protect and uplift tribal communities has summarily dismissed this decades-old demand, a move that breaks from historical precedent and leaves the community's fight for justice in limbo.”
“Gouly-Dhangar was the first community to be recommended by the Goa government for inclusion in the ST list way back in 1963. In 1992, the government of Goa pleaded to declare only the Gouly-Dhangar community as ST. Proposal for declaring Gawdas, Kunbi and Velip was subsequently submitted in 1993,” he added.
Sawant said the community had primitive traits, distinctive culture, geographical isolation, segregated habitations, shyness of contact and general backwardness. “The Registrar General of India’s decision to dismiss this valuable, empirical evidence ignores an authoritative academic evaluation. This denial prolongs the historical injustice faced by the community, blocking their rightful access to ST status and essential constitutional protections,” said Sawant.
Subscribe to India Today Magazine
Elections to the Goa legislative assembly are due in early 2027 but speculated to be held earlier.
The Registrar General of India and Union ministry for tribal affairs have rejected the demand for inclusion of Gouly-Dhangars in the ST category. The Office of the Registrar General of India in March noted that the community remains listed as 'Dhangar' in the Central List of Other Backward Classes, and asserted that no fresh data was provided to justify a re-examination.
The tribal population in Goa is 149,275 or around 10.23 per cent, which includes Roman Catholic Christians. Tribal people are regarded as the original settlers and inhabitants of Goa. While North Goa is estimated to have a tribal population of 56,606—which is 6.9 per cent of the region’s 818,008 population—for South Goa it is 92,669 or 14.47 per cent of the region’s 640,537 population.
Gouly-Dhangars are estimated to number around 25,000 in the state. They have presence in most talukas, sans Tiswadi, which includes capital Panaji and Old Goa. In polls, however, Gouly-Dhangars could still tilt the scales given the small electorate sizes of assembly constituencies. For instance, in Sanquelim in 2022, chief minister Sawant won by just 666 votes against Dharmesh Saglani of the Congress.
In the 1980s, members of the Gauda, Velip, Kunbi and Dhangar communities launched a movement ‘Mull Goenkarancho Ekvott’ and sought recognition as STs. In 2003, the Gauda, Velip and Kunbi communities were added to the ST category. However, the Dhangars, who are described as a traditional, pastoralist and forest-dwelling community, were left out. The ST category includes smaller tribal groups like the Dubla, Siddi, Naikda, Varli and Dhodia.
“We have been demanding recognition as STs for the past 23 years. This is a now-or-never battle,” said a leader of the Gomantak Dhangar Samajonnati Mandal. Leaders of the community have launched a village-level outreach and set an ultimatum of August 15 for the government to fulfil the demand.
“The demand of Gouly-Dhangars is genuine and has been raised since the 1980s,” said Ravindra Velip, vice-president of the United Tribal Associations Alliance (UTAA), the nodal body of tribal groups.
Tribal activist Govind Shirodkar, who is the convenor of UTAA, said the Goa BJP was dithering on the issue as demands for tribal recognition were being made by the Dhangar community in BJP-ruled Maharashtra too, which is being resisted by tribal communities in that state.
The recognition of Dhangars in Goa as STs would intensify similar demands by the Dhangars in Maharashtra. “However, if Gouly-Dhangars fulfil the criteria, they must be recognised as tribal. Moreover, this status is area-specific and will not have any bearing on Maharashtra,” reasoned Shirodkar.
Tribal voters in Goa are already upset over the delay in granting them political reservations. If implemented, this may result in four of the 40 seats in the assembly being reserved for STs.
Tribal angst over ST status is thought to have singed the BJP in the South Goa Lok Sabha seat, where the party’s Pallavi Dempo was trounced by Captain Viriato Fernandes (retd) of the Congress in 2024.
Tribal communities form substantial numbers in the Priol, Nuvem, Quepem, Sangeum and Velim constituencies. Although STs and Scheduled Castes (SCs) have 12.5 per cent and 2 per cent quotas respectively in jobs and education, the STs have not been given political reservations in the assembly. The SCs have one seat reserved for them in the House—Pernem bordering Maharashtra in North Goa, which is represented by Pravin Arlekar of the BJP.
The bill for granting political quotas to STs in Goa was approved in Parliament in August 2025. However, a year on, the Union government has not taken steps such as issuing a notification for implementation of the law.
The state government has swung into damage control. Tribal development minister Ramesh Tawadkar said STs had never opposed the inclusion of Dhangars in the category. He added that they had a greater need of these quotas.
Sawant had written to Jual Oram, the Union minister for tribal affairs, in June, stating: “We urge a review of this decision based on the community's distinct socio-economic vulnerabilities. The ministry of tribal affairs' decision to reject the Goa government's proposal regarding the Gouly-Dhangar tribe is a setback for a community It is deeply disheartening that the very institution established to protect and uplift tribal communities has summarily dismissed this decades-old demand, a move that breaks from historical precedent and leaves the community's fight for justice in limbo.”
“Gouly-Dhangar was the first community to be recommended by the Goa government for inclusion in the ST list way back in 1963. In 1992, the government of Goa pleaded to declare only the Gouly-Dhangar community as ST. Proposal for declaring Gawdas, Kunbi and Velip was subsequently submitted in 1993,” he added.
Sawant said the community had primitive traits, distinctive culture, geographical isolation, segregated habitations, shyness of contact and general backwardness. “The Registrar General of India’s decision to dismiss this valuable, empirical evidence ignores an authoritative academic evaluation. This denial prolongs the historical injustice faced by the community, blocking their rightful access to ST status and essential constitutional protections,” said Sawant.
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