Is Goa ready for Participatory Democracy?




Goa seems to be splitting apart at the seams. The very fabric that holds our society together, our government seems no longer concerned with fulfilling the aspirations of the people. Our government consists of a motley bunch of purely selfish individuals making up a Representative Democracy. They are an insult to the “Goan” both in Goa and abroad. The current situation in Goa calls for a participatory democracy to bring about a clean system of governance.



The traditional “Representative Democracy” tends to limit citizen participation to voting, leaving actual governance to politicians. Participatory Democracy on the other hand emphasizes the role of every citizen to be a part of the decision making process. It envisions a society where citizens can communicate their desires face-to-face with their political representative. The community meets to discuss issues concerning its affairs like education, corruption, transport, economy, government schemes, crime, health etc. and selects few representatives to report the same to local officials. These local officials then report these concerns to the central elected representative who is then bound to act upon these. The central elected representatives are then required to reply with written copies regarding the action taken within a specific time frame.



Participatory governance can be associated with decentralization in which efforts are made to shift power and resources away from a single state center in order to improve responsiveness and accountability. There are different types of decentralization, including de-concentration (shifting decision-making personnel from a capital to various districts), devolution (transfer of authority to sub-statewide government) and delegation (transfer of powers to public corporations or special authorities). Decentralization should not, however be seen as a necessary condition for participatory governance. A strong center of government can promote and be enhanced by the participation of citizens in policy formulation and implementation as well as the monitoring and evaluation of policy implementation.



The idea is to provide a flexible schema of information delivery in order to improve the quality of government services. Central to the success of participatory governance is strong leadership and a political will and commitment to bring about changes suggested through the participatory governance experience. The onus will be on the people to make sure that the participation is extensive and accountability assured. This will prevent local heavyweights and government representatives to dominate the community decisions. These measures are meant to tackle problems such as inefficiency in the conduct of official business, ineffective participation by the weaker sections of the public in local governance, lack of transparency in the planning and implementation of projects, weak financial condition of local bodies, no accountability for any wrong-doings, poor recovery of taxes, misuse of taxpayer money etc. so rampant in representative democracy.



Participatory form of governance plays a critical role in providing a platform for the voice of the people to be heard. It also promotes accountability by ensuring broader involvement of elected representatives. It will provide a forum to develop leadership qualities and promote avenues where voluntary work is encouraged. Our state needs to be people-oriented and capable of addressing the socio-economic needs of its entire population, especially the poor, marginalized and oppressed. It will provide a platform to spread awareness regarding various schemes and acknowledge basic rights of an individual. It envisions a society where dignity of labor is respected and local unemployment is minimal. Incidentally South Africa employs this form of governance.



We have the panchayat system operating at the village level that acts as a mini-version of Participatory Democracy. Here the citizens can meet through “gram sabhas” to discuss various aspects related to the governance at the local level. These meetings provide ample opportunities for citizen and non-governmental organizations to discuss their concerns and participate in the decision making process. However the ground reality is that the decisions taken are the sole prerogative of the ‘Sarpanch’ and other members of the ‘panch’. Another distressing thought is that these decisions are open to veto by the bureaucracy, the members of which are mostly non-Goans who have scant respect for the wishes of the people. These babus actively support the plans of our unscrupulous netas to sell our Goa to the highest bidder.



The aam aadmi is growing increasingly disillusioned by the lack of transparency, responsiveness and accountability shown by our politicians. The RTI (Right to Information) Act drafted to examine the issue of lack of transparency in our government offices has become useless. This is because either the controversial files suddenly go missing or the officials take their own time to file the reply. If the public officials are determined to do their duty, they are transferred post haste by our corrupt ministers from one remote outpost to another until they toe the line. Our ministers are busy plotting methods to increase their bank balance at the expense of the taxpayer’s money and our land. The government machinery it seems is rusted and the only oil that will let it function smoothly is cold-hard cash. Goa has acquired a reputation of being one of the most corrupt states in the country.



The disconnect between the public and the officials is obvious by the plethora of schemes mooted by the government that are only detrimental to the life of the average Goenkar. Our communidade and agricultural lands carefully nurtured by our ancestors for centuries are being usurped by outsiders for creation of housing colonies or slum vote-banks. The greed to make a quick buck along with the archaic “Mundkar Act” is causing Goan landowners to sell off their land. Mega-housing projects are coming up all over the place, their prices putting them well beyond the reach of the common man or are usually reserved for a particular (non-Goan) community. The once beautiful villages now resemble concrete urban zones with our neighbours akin to strangers from another planet. Many ambitious real-estate development plans are finalized without consulting the people who will be affected by it. The vote-bank politics is attracting migrants and soon Goans will be a minority community in our own state. Migrant slums are breeding grounds of criminals, but the cops are loathe to raid these areas as these non-Goans have political overseers who milk them for their votes.



Ministers are going on foreign trips with huge entourages consisting of extended families at the tax-payers expense. Lavish parties are organized for ministers, bureaucrats and party oficials and nonchalantly billed as a state expense. Government contracts are awarded without inviting any tenders to contractors so the concerned ministers can receive kickbacks. The rising crime graph and increasing notoriety mean that the once popular tourist destination is receiving fewer footfalls. The government promises that 80% jobs in every industry would be reserved for locals but non-Goan owners ensure that people from their region get higher priority in the absence of any checks. This is because of a conspicuous superiority complex where Goan folk are presumed to be lazy troublemakers unlike the migrant worker who works without complaints regarding deary working conditions or poor remuneration. The indiscriminate mining is laying havoc to the ecologically-rich Western Ghats, with Goa receiving minuscule royalty from the forex income generated.



The good news is that post the S.E.Z (Special Economic Zones) agitation, the Goenkar has risen up to be counted. Never have we felt such a rebellion spread in our villages and fire burn in our hearts since we fought for liberation from the Portuguese. The need for urgent reforms to our political setup by introducing concepts of participatory governance is felt now then ever before. It can be implemented in our setup by revamping the functioning of the panchayat. The gram sabhas must be held on a regular basis every month, wherein important decisions regarding community welfare should be taken up. The representatives of the villagers and the members of the sarpanch, should then have a forum to meet the ministers concerned and present their case. The ministers are duty bound to give written replies to the village before the next gram sabha convenes. Apart from this every public project with huge budgets are bound to seek approval at the village level through majority votes. The role of the bureaucracy should be confined to act as a mediator between the people and government. The role of information dissemination is crucial to the success of this type of governance and the bureaucracy can also act towards this. Ministers in their role as public figures are also required to submit quarterly reports regarding how they utilized the tax-payers money.



The concepts of the 73rd and 74th amendment of the Constitution of India would be implemented both in letter and in spirit. The 73th amendment deals with the powers of the Panchayat and more importantly its gram sabhas. It was meant to promote village level planning and pave the way for ensuring grassroots participation in governance. The gram sabha was constituted as the crucial link between the community and the state to provide avenues where development initiatives can be planned by villagers. It set all aspects of local life like land use, agriculture, forest conservation, health care, small scale industries, education, cultural activities, social welfare, maintenance,schemes for economic development and social justice etc. to be governed by the gram sabha and Panchayat.



The 74th amendment call for increased responsibilities and financial powers to municipalities, adequate representation of weaker sections and women, regular and fair conduct of local elections, and constitution of Wards Committees, District Planning Committees, Metropolitan Planning Committees and State Finance Commissions to oversee local governance. It also provide a basis for State Legislatures to guide the State Governments in the assignment of various responsibilities to local bodies in the village and towns. The modus operandi for devolution of power to district, taluka and village level committees are given in its guidelines. Thus the local government now includes the elected members (such as the Mayor, President and Councilors, who are representatives of citizens), the nominated members (persons having special knowledge or experience) and the ex-officio members (such as the MPs and the MLAs, who are responsible for spending funds received from the government on various development works within their constituency).



In today's world where e-governance is the new age mantra, the internet can go a long way in promoting the concepts of participatory governance. To this end, efforts can be made to bypass normal communication hierarchy by providing information kiosks in every village, preferably at the Panchayat. Here, ordinary denizens can submit queries directly to the concerned ministers or bureaucrats in a open blog. There facilities can also be provided to obtain any official documents like land and family records or even government notices. The government can digitize all its records or files as a means to prevent controversial files from suddenly missing. Efforts should be directed towards revamping and expanding the information technology sector. With the digitization of records, effective data retrieval and and overall efficiency can improve, especially with regard to answering RTI applications and monitoring official schemes.



The system will aim to create politicians whose roles are analogous to corporate managers. As the public face of the people the politicians would be expected to be well behaved and law-abiding citizens. A minimum qualification of being a graduate in any discipline would also be necessary, though this norm could be relaxed in the initial transitional period as political old hands help the new leaders learn the ropes. The setup will also have small terms of two and a half years each for every cabinet minister, with no minister holding more than one portfolio. In case of any irregularities or scams, the ministers are duty bound to resign and portfolio transferred to the chief minister. The crux of the matter being that the administration becomes more responsible towards the welfare of the people.



Participatory democracy promotes the creation of a liberal society where respect for freedom and fundamental human rights is paramount. This form of democracy helps liberate the human mind to pursue avenues that were previously frowned upon like political and social activism. The idea of providing a voice to every individual would help lower the thrall of morbid religious fanaticism, ethnocentric thoughts, prejudiced feelings and discriminatory behavior. The role of professional private organizations will also be promoted with corporations being encouraged to adapt a social project in lieu of its product promotion.



The institutions that ensure promotion of justice, will have to be revamped. The police force and judicial courts need reforms targeted towards ensuring disputes are resolved quickly and the guilty given strict punishments. The reimbursements given to law officials also needs a overhaul as the salary difference between high ranking officials and juniors is disproportionate to the work done. An example of this disparity being that the Advocate General of Goa(one of the smallest states in India) commands a salary that is five times what the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India receives. Goa has been at the mise en scène of several high-profile cases that has brought it international notoriety which could have been resolved if investigations were conducted promptly. The onus again goes to the people to demand for a post-haste, free and fair trial, especially in front-page news invoking crimes involving foreign nationals.



The advent of participatory democracy in a state like Goa will have to however be preceded by declaring Goa as a state with "special status" within the republic of India. The last few years has witnessed a onslaught of immigration both from India and abroad. The state's population has tripled since liberation from the Portuguese notwithstanding the relatively low birthrate of native Goan populace. The granting of a special status to Goa will ensure that the state preserves its unique identity within the multiplicity of India. The demand for a special status can be justified as Goa joined the union territory of India in 1961; more than 10 years after the formulation of the Constitution. The Constitution of India under Part XXI provides for temporary, transitional and special provisions to be made by Parliament with respect to certain states. Within this Part a provision under Article 371 has states like Jammu & Kashmir issue statutes for regulating/restricting ownership and transfer of land especially with respect to sale of land to non-residents/foreigner. Similar stipulations are also implemented to states like Sikkim, Mizoram, Nagaland, Uttaranchal etc.



There have been many calls for Goa to be converted into a special administrative region in lieu of it s small size and threat to its population by uncontrolled immigration. The onus for this has to start from us first. Let us resolve to minimize our dealings with these migrants, not unlike the non-cooperation movement popularized by the father of our nation Mahatma Gandhi. The concepts of participatory governance can be integrated into the political establishment of Goa. States like Kerala have taken the initiative by aggressively promoting the guidelines given in the 73rd and 74th amendment of the Constitution of India. It requires considerable effort on the part of the people to push for this type of change but if successfully implemented, it can promote the creation of a Utopian society. The intelligent and highly literate population of Goa is ready for this evolved type of governance. It is time for our second liberation. It is time we set a precedent for the rest of India to follow...



`Reuben

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Naval Aviation Museum, Dabolim
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Naval Aviation Museum, Dabolim
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A regional party by Activists in Goa?




The Election Commission designates two types of political parties in India. Political parties whose realm of influence extends to four or more states are termed as ‘national’, the rest being classified as regional. Regional parties contest for elections within that state and are considered to be truly representing the welfare of the people in that state. A casual glance at the political scenario in our Goa shows that we have no regional party of note to protect our interests. The two major political parties in Goa are both branches of a national party. The ministers of these parties are more interested in following the commands from the central ‘high-command’ and the aspirations of the locals are put on the back burner.


The first regional parties in India originated before independence. In Tamil Nadu the “Dravida Munnetra Kazagham” (DMK) party helped form the Tamil state and safeguarded the interest of the Dravidian people from immigrant north Indian Aryan culture. The “Akali Dal” in Punjab is a religion oriented party whose followers are the Sikhs. In Andhra Pradesh, “Telegu Desam” was founded to protect local Telugu culture. In Assam with the “Assam Gana Parishad” and in Maharashtra with the “Shiv Sena”, there are political parties which came into existence because of the discriminatory feelings of the local 'sons of soil' population. The seeds of dissent were sown by frenzied migration from poorer neighboring states as well as countries like Bangladesh and Nepal, a situation similar to what we are seeing in Goa today. In recent years these parties have moderated their ideologies to integrate in the national coalition governments. The other notable state parties in India include the National Conference in Kashmir, Haryana Vikas Party in Haryana, Manipur People's Party in Manipur, Sikkim Democratic Front in Sikkim, Mizo National Front in Mizoram, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazagham (AIADMK) in Tamil Nadu and many other parties. People who broke away from larger national parties founded some state parties like the Trinamul Congress, Tamil Manila Congress, Kerala Congress, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena etc.



It may be recalled that before Goa ’s Liberation, Jawaharlal Nehru, the then prime minister of India had declared: " Goa has a distinct personality, and we have recognized it". He subsequently stated “We do not want to impose anything...If anything is to be changed, that shall be decided by Goans alone...” Though the need to preserve Goa ’s identity was often mentioned, no endeavors beside the language opinion poll were undertaken to ascertain the people’s wishes.


The need of a legislation or status for Goa to protect the interests of the Goan populace was felt even then fearing that Goa would sooner or later be lost in the mammoth ocean that is India . Such “radical” thoughts were however quashed by a pseudo or ultra patriotic fervor that swept the land after liberation from the Portuguese. A look at the socio-economic scenario today makes you reckon that those apprehensions were indeed genuine. The influence of national political parties towards this predicament cannot be summarily dismissed.



The scenario post liberation from the Portuguese rule was different. Goa was then a union territory with two strong regional parties, the Maharastrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and the United Goans Party (UGP). Goa had managed to carve a unique spot in the multi-cultural concoction that is India. This sense of identity along with a series of stable governments allowed the state to make rapid strides towards modernization. In spite of some populist laws like the Mundkar Act, Land to the tiller Act etc. that were enacted in that era, Goa began to flourish. Unfortunately nothing was done to regularize the mining industry nor were our communidade lands safeguarded, which has resulted in their incessant exploitation now. The quintessential old world charm remained a part of the Goa and attracted tourists from all over the world. The tourism industry went on to be the backbone of our economy.



Goa attained statehood in 1987; a political milestone that got it renewed attention from the central government. The entrance of national parties like the Congress and Bharathiya Janata Party (BJP) made the Goan political scenario take a turn for the worse. Goa has a unicameral legislature consisting of a forty member Legislative Assembly, headed by a Chief Minister. Despite a relatively small legislative strength, the modus operandi for getting a simple majority has eluded successive governments. For the 20 years since being declared a full-fledged state, Goa has had 19 Chief Ministers, only one lasting the full term of office. This reflects very poorly on the judgment of the people of Goa. Political analysts often blame this volatility on the rampant corruption, infighting and frequent defections orchestrated by the MLA’s of these national parties. The Indian ingenuity to find loopholes and circumvent rules and regulations is perhaps unparalleled. This regrettably is the culture that our present MLA’s have inherited.



Regional parties in India came into existence ostensibly to safeguard the legitimate interests of an individual state where the national level parties, for specific constraints, are handicapped to undertake that. In the present era of coalition governments, regional parties play the balancing role by extending conditional support to national parties based on a common agenda in order to ensure sops for areas neglected in the national scenario thus ensuring the country’s growth. Most of these regional parties have agenda fitting certain culture dominant within that state but may also partake in neighboring states, which have constituencies with culture similar to the first state. With no central leadership in the national capital to oversee the wings of these regional parties and none to report to about the programs and functioning, they enjoy unequivocal freedom. With comprehensive jurisdiction over the state’s resources and finances, these parties could either use them for the state's welfare or misuse them for individual benefit. Hence the onus is on the people to ensure that they elect representatives who are genuinely concerned with the welfare of the state.



The Congress Party was the first national party that came into power after Goa ’s statehood on the strength of its leadership and strong ideals. However the party members soon fall prey to corruption, seeing the benefits of having a cabinet berth and the potential income to be had. All elected MLA’s began harboring thoughts of occupying the “Chief Minister’s” chair and so began the trend of party hopping and defections. The party began offering ‘tickets’ to dubious characters with unquestionable criminal backgrounds and even political lineage. In recent years the Congress party has been responsible for the once inconceivable slums that now dot Goa ’s countryside to cultivate migrant vote-banks. In order to please the central party leaders, Goa ’s land is being sold to outsiders and top bureaucratic jobs are offered on a platter to non-Goans. Today their slogan of “aam aadmi(ghanti) ki party” is thought to refer to non-Goans, with the niz Goenkar being relegated to second class status.



The other alternative, the BJP is incontrovertibly communal. The BJP style of governance is based on hate and despotic behavior just like the Congress thrives on lethargy and corruption. It can be argued that while BJP was at the helm of affairs the government was disciplined and there were no “mega-issues” like we have today. However during their reign, a free hand was given to the cadres of their sister organizations in the Sangh Parivar, some of which are arguably involved in funding and organizing bomb blasts in various parts of the country. Also the press was given a gag order and many controversial topics were held under wraps only to emerge as ‘mega-issues’ now. Can Goa take the risk of having a BJP led government when in other states of India, BJP governed states are hot spots of ‘terror strikes’ and ‘communal riots’?



The regional parties in Goa include the MGP, UGDP and Save Goa Front (SGF). The members of the latter are mostly ex-MLA’s of either the Congress or the BJP. The Su-Raj party also holds promise but their outlook has been perceived as too conservative. The SGF offered many promises last election but eventually sold themselves out in an effort to acquire ‘cabinet berths’. As the incumbent government stumbles along the rough and ‘mine-infested’ road that is Goan politics and reaches its closing stages, there is a question that assails our consciousness. Which of these lesser evils should we elect to represent us for the next four years? Why can’t we choose something good? On this note, let me quote George Bernard Shaw “Some men see things as they are and ask why. Others dream things that never were and ask why not?”



It is said that the night is darkest before the dawn and with the coming of the RPG-2021 and a special status for Goa , we can feel the dawn approach. Now is the time to leave the failed policies of the previous administrations and start afresh. In a small state like Goa with only 40 representatives in the Legislative Assembly, we can afford the luxury of examining the credibility of every candidate seeking to be elected. It wouldn’t hurt if the Election Commission is more vigilant in checking the antecedents and disqualifying nominees who file false affidavits about their education and finances. The highly literate population of Goa is ready to have MLA’s who are at least graduates in any discipline. The Goan political scene also needs more women candidates to soothe our frayed psyches.


We would need new leadership and policies of participatory governance. Do we have any leaders of caliber who can lead Goa out of the deep hole we are currently stuck in? We have to look no further that the very architects of change and reform that has transformed Goa today…our activists. To quote Ross Perot, “The activist is not the man who says the river is dirty. The activist is the man who cleans up the river”. We need our activists to clean up this murky river that is Goan politics, because frankly I see no one better suited to the job. If our activists come together under the guidance of stalwart selfless political old-hands there is still some hope. We have many prominent activists who are more in touch with the ground realities in Goa when compared to our political pretenders. Do we have 40 people who can stand up to be counted as our architects of change? Permit me to quote the beacon of hope and change, Pres. Barack Obama, “Hope is the bedrock of our nation. The belief that our destiny will not be written for us but by us, by all those men and women who are not content to settle for the world as it is, who have the courage to remake the world as it should be.”



Not all of the current MLA’s in the assembly are corrupt and there are still some who are genuinely concerned about the welfare of Goa. The Goan political scene also needs more women candidates to soothe our frayed psyches. With a population that is predominantly young, it is time we have some young political leaders to inject fresh and progressive thinking to our policies. In the past bribes, petty promises, pessimism and sheer apathy had us voting for one candidate even when our heart shed quiet tears for the ‘honest’ candidate. The onus is on the Goenkar to listen to their hearts and select the appropriate candidate; after all they are in the best position to know what the incumbent MLA has done for their constituency. Remember that the Goan population still consists of about 60 percent niz Goenkars. Assuming the migrant vote-bank will be inclined towards re-voting in their political benefactors, your every vote can make a difference. The time for pontification and petty squabbles is past, it time to be united and aggressive to preserve our Goa or what is left of it. If and when our activists do come together under a political banner then they will have my vote, the decision here is not mine alone, the question is will you?

`Reuben

Migration impact on Goan demography




Migrants have become a significant contender in Goa’s socio-economic scenario. They can be loosely classified into the poverty-stricken immigrant and their affluent counterparts. The poor form the majority of the non-Goans that are found begging and loitering in the streets, over-crowding the local buses, living in the slums and generally promoting the anti-outsider sentiment. The rich non-Goans are indiscriminately buying up property all over Goa and fueling the real-estate and construction boom, thus making the niz Goenkar unable to afford new housing options. It is opined that around 40% of Goa's population today is made up of migrants. Despite native Goans having a relatively low birth rate, Goa's population as tripled since liberation four decades ago precisely because of immigration.



The migrant slums have ceased to be a mere eyesore anymore; instead they have become a downright repulsive sight. These encroachments on public and comunidade properties by unscrupulous elements are a cause of concern for both the locals and civic authorities. The increasing number slums have led to a corresponding rise in the crime graph over the last few months. The overt political patronage and powerful slum lords mean that these areas have been out of bounds to the local police authorities. The recent demolitions are just eyewash with only fringe areas being targeted. The slum fiefdoms that form the majority vote-bank to our political punters are largely left alone. The migrants are made to shell out advanced rents for up to 6 months for every squalid structure, a system very similar to that adopted by the infamous Dharavi slums in Mumbai.



The authorities, through political coercion are quick to offer ration cards to the newcomers in exchange of the promised votes. The ration card acts as a precursor to obtain further legal documents ensuring their unhindered stay here. Interestingly the municipal authorities hold no record of the number of people living in the slums, even though official documents like the ration card are distributed liberally. These benefits are bestowed on them promptly, without even verifying whether such facilities are available to them elsewhere and whether their names have been canceled in their earlier place of residence. This vote-bank political strategy has unfortunately gained precedence over the safety and security of the Goenkar and our Goa. Migrant slums put considerable strain on the infrastructure through fraudulent procurement of water and electricity supply. These areas are potential health hazards owing to lack of sanitation. Thus poor migrant non-Goans, being an unofficial resident of the state, have no obligation to pay taxes. Effectively it is 60% of the Goan taxpayer who's pay for the upkeep and upliftment of almost 25% migrant poor.



The indiscriminate rise in numbers is due to the greed of labor contractors. Contractors bring in a group of migrants workers for one of those rampant real-estate mega-housing projects. These builders are supposed to provide facilities like water, housing, toilets and crèches conveniently forget to do so putting the newcomers in a vulnerable position. Here the enterprising politicians enter the scene, providing a dwelling in slums and a ration card for subsidized food in exchange for a vote. As the project proceeds, they realize that the higher wages, peaceful people and ration cards mean a better life for their kith and kin, who are then promptly summoned. The easy availability of railway routes from all parts of India, initially meant to promote tourism, has only exacerbated the situation. After the project is over they become a liability as the contractors scour the Indian hinterland for a new cheaper labor force.



They then get involved in petty trade through illegal shops or work as daily wage laborers. Some however resort to anti-social practices like burglary, cheating, prostitution, begging and harassing tourists.They are trying their best to melt into the local population. After being generally perceived as rude and untrustworthy you wonder what they are doing to integrate. Well believe it or not, there has been a spate of changes in individual migrant names to reflect local nomenclature. Also the registrations of new births in slums have seen many children given typical Goan names like Pedro, Santan, Bostao, Joao etc. However honest their intentions may seem, the underlying ulterior motive is to avail of schemes of the state government, which are meant for the traditional Goan SC, ST and OBC’s.



There is little doubt that Goa needs the daily-wage migrants as they constitute a sizable segment of the labor force in public as well as private sectors. They form the backbone of the construction, agriculture and fishing industries as the natives are not interested in low-paying jobs. There is an uneasy unrest among the migrant communities over the daily wage rate with people from poverty-stricken states willing to work for lower wages and competition with increasing immigration. The ugly menace of pedophilia has reared its head once again in our state because of the supposed effortless availability of migrant children. This being said, politicians not having their own migrant vote-banks indulge in migrant bashing to appeal to the middle class voters and act as a diversion from real issues like mining, health care, garbage disposal and mega housing projects.



Goa’s rich and varied landscape from the beaches to the ecologically rich Western Ghats coupled with our unique cultural heritage has made us a hot spot in the tourism scene. For many years we have played good hosts to guests from all over the country and the world. Now however it seems as if the guests have overstayed their welcome. They are haphazardly buying the lands nurtured by our ancestors. The large concrete structures are giving Goan villages a soulless cosmopolitan guise. Goa’s land and its resources are up for grabs to the highest bidder. The investments in local properties by dubious Indian rich and political bigwigs have escalated the land prices. Now people earning local salaries find it difficult to purchase a house. We are effectively selling our homes to outsiders and left with nowhere to go.



The more wealthy non-Goans hold many posts in the education sector. These non-Goan bourgeois heavily patronize members from their own states and go to extraordinary lengths to secure posts for them overseeing qualified Goans. They have a sizable presence in bureaucratic and government departments. Their presence in the latter are attributed to their ability to pay heavy bribes to the ministers who appoint them. This stinging truth about our government is the reason Goa is ranked as one of the most corrupt states in India.


A more recent occurrence is emergence of the middle-class 'bhailo' which literally means outsider in Konkani. The notorious political goodwill towards a newer "vote-bank' and easy availability of housing (part of the governments infrastructure 'development' ignoring issues of roti,kapda aur makaan) has attracted settlers. These immigrants usually arrive in droves, often occupying whole housing colonies. The worrying trend is that there a many exclusive hubs where Goan families are actively discouraged from relocating. Thus we have exclusive areas with Gujaratis in Porvorim; Muslims-only colonies are widespread around Moti Dongor,Verna,Valpoi and Sada; Kashmiris in the Salcete belt; Russians in Calangute, Betalbatim and Canacona beach areas; and so on and so forth. In today’s scenario with Goa being declared a prime target for terror outfits, we cannot afford to have unsolicited people here. The modus operandi of these outfits has often been to visit the targets for a reconnaissance operation. While the police has been quick to round up poor migrants to verify their identities, they have often overlooked the middle-class and rich 'bhailo'. It is true that the migrant living in the slums are responsible for many petty offenses, but isn't it also true that the modern day terrorist is well funded with sophisticated technology?



Since the Indian constitution guarantees the right of free movement, it can be argued that migration is inevitable. However a look at the current demographic situation in Goa will make you think otherwise. This is the reason we demand a law for special status to Goa so that land will no longer be sold to non-Goans. Goans are unhappy with a prevalent sense of a superiority complex amongst these non-Goans who believe that we cannot do without their help. Let us resolve to minimize our dealings with these migrants, not unlike the non-cooperation movement popularized by the father of our nation Mahatma Gandhi. While it is economically feasible to invite technically skilled people to bolster our industrial growth, emphasis must be laid on providing jobs for the qualified local youth who are forced to seek jobs outside Goa.



The government must formulate a clear policy on migrants from the lower strata of society. It can start me implementing policies making contractors responsible towards the labor force employed by them. It would also help if a comprehensive survey is conducted on the number of non-Goans living in slums with the voter rights being revoked unless they have a proof of residence of at least 15 years within the union territory of Goa. The government departments should be asked to monitor the conditions of migrants belonging to the unorganized sector. The poverty and crimes in their parent states force them to flee elsewhere. Ironically, few of the people who work in the mega-projects here have been displaced by similar endeavors in their home states. They essentially are working towards building houses for their well heeled Indian counterparts.

The demand for a special status can be justified as Goa joined the union territory of India in 1961; more than 10 years after the formulation of the Constitution. The Constitution has this special status provision where amongst other things, sale of land to non-residents is forbidden. This stipulation is implemented by states like Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim etc. Under the annals of a special status there should be a immediate check on immigration into Goa. The onus should be placed on the police force to take the initiative and verify the background of every new settler from the turn of the millennium. The government should also liaison with the states these "bhaillo" come from to verify their antecedents and make arrangements towards deporting criminals and anti-social elements. The housing projects can be offered to Goans on a leased basis at subsidized rates as the normal prices are almost extortionate. The villas can be reserved for NRG's (Non-Resident-Goan) as they can afford the same. The builders veer towards luxury villas as there are higher profit margins or perhaps that is the only way to make enough money after paying bribes to our politicians.

An examination of sales records of land in Goa shows that at least 85% percent of them have some illegality or the other. Under the annals of the special status, Goa can also demand at least 50% revenue from its mining exports (Goa's GDP now receives only about 3% with India getting 80% forex and the rest going to mining corporations). Goa annually exports an average of 30 million tonnes of iron ore (40% of India's export) at a cost ranging from $70 to $120 per tonne depending on demand and quality... that is a lot of money... you do the math. The revenue received from selling these precious chunks of Goa's iron ore resources can be used to buy off the all and sundry builders and other land deals to non-Goans chalked out in the last decade or so.

The government needs to take up issue with many ads on television that portray Goa as a site for a vacation villa /retirement dwelling. The setup of exclusive colonies segregated on basis of religion or the immigrants place of origin is plain wrong and will only foster further hatred. It is not that there are not enough laws to curb the illegalities going on, its just that these laws are interpreted by different babus and ministers differently to suit their own purpose. The last resort for the common man, our judiciary is swamped by other disputes. That being said, the government defends its failed policies by fighting these cases on limitless taxpayers money as the aam aadmi is left to fend for themselves. The way things are, the limited infrastructure will soon collapse as the population has already reached a saturation point. We do have a moral duty to look after our fellow men, but should we curb our own development to rectify the failure of other states?

`Reuben

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