THE GAUNKARIES OF GOA (GAUNPONN)
The word "COMUNIDADE" is a Portuguese appellation for GAUNKARY. A Gaunkary means an indigenous ancient association as a community of villagers and represented by men from the first settlers or inhabitants of Goa inter alia with inherited common contractual responsibility in a given locality. Rules were made to be obeyed and to carry out common duties/obligations in order to promote their own welfare and that constituted its society or Gaunponn. The Gaunkaries/Comunidades cannot be engaged in trade or business or in any commercial activities to earn any profits i.e. its basic structure is that of social welfare of the village through agriculture and allied pursuits. Large tracks of land have been husbanded and brought under cultivation, encatchment areas built and irrigation system developed at the cost of Comunidades. The Comunidades reserved large tracts of land for grazing grounds for cattle and oxen in the village for the benefit of farmers and cultivators. Lands also stand reserved for religious purposes such as Temples and Churches, crematoriums and cemeteries besides other common benefits for the community Comunidades provided health centers and shelter for the needy villagers and farmers. There is no provision even to buy or sell any land or promote commercial organizations, other than progressive development of their own land for agricultural or horticultural purposes by husbanding the land at their own cost for the common maximum benefit to the Gaunkars and with concern to other residents in the locality, as the case may be. The land and all the assets of the Comunidade belong to the respective Gaunkars, being successors-in-interest in common through their first common ancestors. The lands of the Comunidades cannot be alienated or demised in favour of any person or authority, in any manner whatsoever. The land of the Comunidade cannot be mortgaged or attached by any means to settle debts, loss or deficit of the Comunidade, if any. A Comunidade without land is like a bird without feathers. See Foral (Charter) of Afonso Mexia dated 16.9.1526, Government Order in the Official Gazette dated 15.5.1958 and Preamble of the Diploma Legislativo No.2070 dated 15.4.1961, confirming the social activities of Gaunkaries.
Gaunkaries are ancient Indian socio-agro-economic institutions established by the original inhabitants (indigenous people or most primitive) over thousands of years, prior to Portuguese rule in India, for harmonious co-existence. It is said that GAUNKARIES came into existence much before constitution of the STATE itself, when nomadic life hunting for green pastures came to a halt. A Comunidade consists of definite boundaries of land from village to village with its topographic detail, its management and social, religious and cultural interaction. There are at present about 223 Comunidades functioning in Goa. In most cases their functioning stands crippled by undue and unjustified interference of the Government. Most of the Comunidades at present have lost their original character and status by permitting acts contrary to their basic structure. The reasons among others, being a care-a-damn attitude by some irresponsible, corrupt and selfish Gaunkars/Componentes themselves. As said, the basic functions of every Comunidade in every locality are those of agriculture and welfare, and are even more than what is stated under Article 39 of the Constitution of India.
The motto of the Gaunkary is harmonious co-existence of society in a sort of cooperative form of all other social elements (cultivators and farmers besides artisans, merchants, etc.) by contractual obligations by considering and accepting the Head of State always to be the Supreme Arbitrator to settle all and whatsoever disputes or breach of contract inter-alia the Gaunkars or the others as the case may be. It is the Gaunkars who originally contributed their own assets and resources, so as to attain the maximum common welfare benefits and share the leftovers or unspent revenue, after meeting all the contractual obligations, including pious obligations, on year to year basis. The excess revenue earned during the year in the course of providing social welfare measures is shared or distributed proportionately among Componentes of the Gaunkary on a year to year basis as per provisions of the Code and/or as per the particular law/rule of the respective Comunidade/Gaunkary. The quota that is disbursed to Gaunkars is known as Jono, which can be considered to be a sort of honorarium for common service rendered to the Gaunkary.