Lambanis living in Goa with dignity and pride: Parrikar tells Karnataka CM

Lambani community, which has been living in Goa for ages, have their origin in Karnataka.

Panaji, May 4: Even as one of his ministers has spoken out against the Lambani community, a Kannada-speaking nomadic tribe, Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has said the community has been living in Goa with dignity and pride for many generations.

Parrikar has written a letter to his Karnataka counterpart Siddarmaiah, in which he said that members of the Lambani community have been living in Goa with dignity and pride for many generations.

Parrikar was responding to a letter written by his Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on April 19, in which the latter had expressed concerns over the safety of lambani community in Goa.

Goa tourism minister Manohar Ajgaonkar was quoted in certain media reports saying that lambanis should be thrown out of Goa for creating nuisance on the beaches, which are frequented by the tourists.

"Goa is a vibrant melting pot of various national and international cultures, where people belonging to various background have a long history of living together in harmony and peace, without losing their native identities," Parrikar said in the letter to Siddarmaiah written on

"Members of the Lambani community have been living in Goa with dignity and pride for many generations, which makes them Indians first and Goans next," the Goa CM said.

"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 Lambanis community," he said.

"You would agree based on your own past experience that newspaper reports can be misleading and they ought to be supplemented by detailed due diligence," Parrikar added.

After being lambasted for his statement against the community, Ajgaonkar had later said that the state government would take action against anyone who is creating nuisance on the beaches.

PTI