Bound to the Land
TNN | Mar 13, 2012, 04.10AM IST

Panchanama Ona-Maulinguem-Curchirem-Bicholim

Maulinguem, a village spread across 735.30 ha, is home to about 1,000
residents who, 50 years after Goa's liberation from Portuguese rule,
are still bound by feudalism. The erstwhile rulers had deemed that
together with Ona and Curchirem, Maulinguem would serve as revenue
lands to the Rane clan. This Mokasdari system exists to date in
Maulinguem, while for Ona (189.70 ha) and Curchirem (770.17 ha) the
land owner is now the government of Goa.

Maulinguem's land was owned, till his death very recently, by Baba
Rane. The absence of a successor is an added worry for locals who in
the absence of ownership rights are unable to avail government
schemes, mortgages or even permission to construct their homes.

Interestingly, despite the Rane clan producing two astute
politicians-Poriem MLA Pratapsingh Rane, a former assembly speaker and
a five-time chief minister and his son, Valpoi MLA Vishwajit Rane, a
former health minister-efforts to improve the lives of Maulinguem's
residents began just two years ago.

"The residents are mostly illiterate and are very poor and efforts
have been made to keep them that way," says Sunil Mhavalingkar, a
resident of Harijanwada-Maulinguem. He adds that though the late Hindi
film musician Dattaram Wadkar was from Naikwada-Maulinguem, youngsters
with talent in the village get no chance to develop their skills.

Unable to own land, the locals, mostly of the warrior clan of Nave
Marathe, do not carry out agriculture or horticulture and large tracts
of Maulinguem are jungle. Livelihood is often by way of daily-wage
work or labour in laterite brick mines. Their lives are not unlike
that of the poor dhangars (tribes) who reside at Kangaliniche Mol.

"Our children have to walk 3km through jungles to the nearest primary
and high schools. We walk with milk-laden pots on our heads for 4km to
get to the nearest town. Our children have no jobs and though we now
know that there are schemes for us, none have reached us," says
72-year-old Bhago Varak, a dhangar leader and former panch.

Mhavalingkar adds, "There are around 30 dalit families residing in the
hamlet who struggle for even basic amenities. There is no sound source
of livelihood. The dropout rate among our youth is very high. No one
has paid any heed to our woes."

Shiva Shripad Gaonkar, sarpanch of Ona-Maulinguem-Curchirem village
panchayat says, "We are victims of the Mokasdari system. Land
ownership has prevented our villagers from availing benefits of
government schemes." He adds that since he took over three years ago
works under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee
scheme have been given priority in an effort to give the locals some
source of income.

Newly re-elected Mayem BJP MLA Anant Shet says, "I am aware of the
problems faced by the village panchayat. I will try my best to resolve
them with the help of our leader and chief minister Manohar Parrikar."
-- 

Problems Problems

Edu ailments

The two-decade-old Rauji Rane Memorial High School today functions
from the Government Primary School, Maulinguem, and has only four
rooms with no basic facilities, while the Government High School
Curchirem lacks appropriate teaching faculty as well as basic
infrastructure.

Dangerous lines

"The village has high-tension wires running through settlement areas.
Three years ago Sharda Shashikant Gaonkar was electrocuted. No proper
steps are taken to provide safety to locals," says panchayat member
Rajendra Usapkar. He adds that Barajanachi Rai, a sacred grove at
Curchirem, also faces problems due to Gas Authority of India work.

Woes galore

In the absence of toilets, locals of Maulinguem and Curchirem defecate
in the open. Maulinguem has a sub-health center with a lone nurse
available only part-time, while BSNL's telephone connectivity is
missing in Curchirem, say residents.

People's Take

Our children have to walk 3km through the jungle to get to the primary
and high schools. We walk 4km to town with our milk-laden pots. We
have no jobs and no schemes have reached us

- Bhago Varak, former panch

There are around 30 dalit families who call Harijanwada home and who
are struggling for basic amenities. The dropout rate among our
youngsters is high and we have no source of livelihood. No one has
paid any heed to our woes

- Sunil Mhaulingkar, resident of Harijanwada in Maulinguem

Top View

Land ownership has prevented our villagers from availing the benefits
of government schemes - Shiva Shripad Gaonkar, sarpanch

I am aware of the problems faced by the village panchayat. I will try
my best to resolve them with the help of our leader and chief minister
Manohar Parrikar  - Anant Shet, MLA

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Bound-to-the-Land/articleshow/12240979.cms
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