Suggesting that media reports on Goa Tourism Minister's remarks against Lamani tribals could be misleading, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Wednesday assured Karnataka counterpart Siddaramaiah that the tribals are safe in the coastal state.
"You will agree, based on your past experience, that newspaper reports can be misleading and they ought to be supplemented by detailed due diligence... I assure you that I have an uncompromising sense of moral and administrative responsibility towards ensuring peaceful co-existence and prosperity of every Goan, which invariably includes every member of the Lamani community," Parrikar said in a letter to Siddaramaiah.
On April 3, Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar allegedly said that Lamanis should be banned from Goa, because they bring bad reputation to the state, especially when Lamani hawkers pester tourists.
An association of Lamanis demanded an apology.
Lamanis are a nomadic community from parts of Rajasthan, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, many thousands of whom are settled in Goa and engaged in a variety of businesses along the coastal belt.
On April 19, Siddaramiah wrote to Parrikar, expressing concern over the well-being of Lamanis living in Goa.
"Lamani community has been living in Goa with dignity and pride for many generations, which makes them Indians first and Goans next....," Parrikar said.