Bus was full beyond its capacity, but thankfully I had got a seat. I was travelling from Ponda to Panjim after celebrating Easter. I was to catch a bus to Pune. Being seated just next to the door I could catch a glimpse of all the people alighting and boarding the bus. And thus I started to think.....
It may not be new to the Goans now, that when they use the public transport, their fellow passengers are not all Goans. In fact the non-Goans outnumber them. The industrial estates are giving them ample opportunities to come and work there. Mostly they are employed for the odd jobs, I am informed. And then I start wondering where did the Goans go. Another question arises in my mind, where do these migrants stay? Looking outside the widow I could see Houses of the Goans being turned into small rooms and rented for these migrants. They are to be seen almost everywhere. There were too many questions in my mind now.
How did these migrants come here first of all? Today they own shops in prominent places in the market. Go to the fish-market they are even there. Want a hair-cut, no chance you can get a Goan barber. Want to cultivate your land? All your hiring hands will be migrants. Want a maid to help in household chores? No way you will get a Goan? I was searching for a mason for some small construction at my home and I had to turn to migrant. Where did all the Goans go?
No matter, many of our Goan bretheren do the same or similar odd jobs abroad or on the cruise liners, and they fetch a huge sum. No wonder why everyone wants to go abroad. Some even pray in churches or temples that their sons or daughters get a job on the cruise liners or abroad. Sounds lucrative right? Whatever it is it doesn't matter even if it means to be janitor or in the laundry? And let me remind you, it is not that Goans lack academic prowess or degrees. Many are even first class academic record holders. But its the money that speaks.
But there are exceptions in that lot too. You can count me in. There are professional graduates that pass out from Goan colleges and then are on a lookout for a job. To tell you a sorry tale, we have to give up our search in Goa and take the road that leads to Mumbai, Pune or Bangalore. The reason? The government is not keen to provide us the necessary infrastructure back home. Thus not inspiring young children to take up professional studies and all the academic brilliance goes down the drain. Many oppose the IT hub saying that it will bring a lot people to Goa, who in fact would be higher earning class, and which could easily dominate Goa. But no one is attentive to the influx of migrants that is already in Goa. To tell you the truth you can count the migrants in the Vote banks of the politicians. The higher earning class that you are afraid of would be easier to keep a tab on, and thus cannot be counted in the Vote banks. So you now know who the culprits are. Hope things will change soon.
So here we are. The outflux is very high among Goans. May it be of the professional class, or the non-professional ones. So it is fit to say all the Goans today are away from their motherland. And the influx of migrants, I need not say anything on that. So we are left with Goa with no Goans. Those who dare to remain back keep crying over what is happening to Goa. All I could pray to the government and all the people of Goa is to create good opportunities in Goa, so that we may not have to leave our motherland for work opportunities. The government needs to keep a tab on the influx of migrants in our state. Also create a database of professionals (IT, medicine, other fields of engineering, etc) from the state of Goa working elsewhere in India.
All I am wishing here for Goa is to retain its identity. Viva Goa.
It may not be new to the Goans now, that when they use the public transport, their fellow passengers are not all Goans. In fact the non-Goans outnumber them. The industrial estates are giving them ample opportunities to come and work there. Mostly they are employed for the odd jobs, I am informed. And then I start wondering where did the Goans go. Another question arises in my mind, where do these migrants stay? Looking outside the widow I could see Houses of the Goans being turned into small rooms and rented for these migrants. They are to be seen almost everywhere. There were too many questions in my mind now.
How did these migrants come here first of all? Today they own shops in prominent places in the market. Go to the fish-market they are even there. Want a hair-cut, no chance you can get a Goan barber. Want to cultivate your land? All your hiring hands will be migrants. Want a maid to help in household chores? No way you will get a Goan? I was searching for a mason for some small construction at my home and I had to turn to migrant. Where did all the Goans go?
No matter, many of our Goan bretheren do the same or similar odd jobs abroad or on the cruise liners, and they fetch a huge sum. No wonder why everyone wants to go abroad. Some even pray in churches or temples that their sons or daughters get a job on the cruise liners or abroad. Sounds lucrative right? Whatever it is it doesn't matter even if it means to be janitor or in the laundry? And let me remind you, it is not that Goans lack academic prowess or degrees. Many are even first class academic record holders. But its the money that speaks.
But there are exceptions in that lot too. You can count me in. There are professional graduates that pass out from Goan colleges and then are on a lookout for a job. To tell you a sorry tale, we have to give up our search in Goa and take the road that leads to Mumbai, Pune or Bangalore. The reason? The government is not keen to provide us the necessary infrastructure back home. Thus not inspiring young children to take up professional studies and all the academic brilliance goes down the drain. Many oppose the IT hub saying that it will bring a lot people to Goa, who in fact would be higher earning class, and which could easily dominate Goa. But no one is attentive to the influx of migrants that is already in Goa. To tell you the truth you can count the migrants in the Vote banks of the politicians. The higher earning class that you are afraid of would be easier to keep a tab on, and thus cannot be counted in the Vote banks. So you now know who the culprits are. Hope things will change soon.
So here we are. The outflux is very high among Goans. May it be of the professional class, or the non-professional ones. So it is fit to say all the Goans today are away from their motherland. And the influx of migrants, I need not say anything on that. So we are left with Goa with no Goans. Those who dare to remain back keep crying over what is happening to Goa. All I could pray to the government and all the people of Goa is to create good opportunities in Goa, so that we may not have to leave our motherland for work opportunities. The government needs to keep a tab on the influx of migrants in our state. Also create a database of professionals (IT, medicine, other fields of engineering, etc) from the state of Goa working elsewhere in India.
All I am wishing here for Goa is to retain its identity. Viva Goa.
