01 May 2020  |   03:22am IST

The Corona storm has landed Gulf Goans on very choppy seas

many Goans have lost their jobs in the middle east, some haven’t been paid while others have been furloughed. And like many seafarers, gulf farers from Goa or of Goan origin are clamouring to return home

Ajit John;

Almost every other family in the state has someone either in the middle east, England or some other part of the world. They have gone over to settle or to work and earn some much-needed dirhams or dollars.

Their families back home in Goa have benefitted and have able to afford a good education and a decent standard of life. It is a hard life undoubtedly with many employed in the middle east in the hospitality industry. Many of them are employed in pubs, restaurants and hotels which have been hit by the virus. This has resulted in many such outlets being shut with no knowledge as to when they will be reopened.

 Many have lost their jobs and others are at home without pay. They are living hand to mouth and are finding it difficult to survive while paying the rent as well as trying to buy daily necessary commodities.  Their plight has caught the attention of people at home and has created an outcry. There is a demand by NRI Goans that they would like assistance in returning home.

Edgar who is based in Abu Dhabi said that the conditions of Goans there, was heart-breaking with many having lost their jobs in the malls and the hospitality outlets? Some of them he said were surviving on food provided by groups who helped the poor. Many were keen on returning home but clearly did not have the money for the ticket.    

Another long-time resident of Dubai, DJ Ringo aka Cajetan Pereira who runs an event management company in Dubai and Goa now said the business in Dubai had completely collapsed and he was now sitting in Goa. He said many of his friends had lost their jobs and more were expected to do so if the condition as it was now.  He said, “I believe that the state government should help get our people back”. When asked why the state ought to be helping people who left for a job on their own accord, he said they had to leave because the state could not provide these people with jobs that could help them live a decent life. The state he said should now stand up and help these people.

Many Goans have no income, rent still has to be paid, food still has to be bought, if they fall sick and their medical insurance is tied to a job that they no longer have then that will be a crazy additional cost.

 

This is a subject where everyone seems to have a position. Prominent Goan entrepreneur Bharat Kamat felt that it was a peculiar position to be in. He said “Goa has to care for those here who need support to survive in day to day basis. And all energies have to be expended on caring for them. Those overseas have to be dealt with as per the MHA guidelines. If they have to pay for the service so be it. But at no time should we forget that they are our own”

The Goa govt has done well asking for those overseas to register on the NRI portal”. Kamat added that Goans with Portuguese passports too should be brought back as they are OCIs and their spouse and/ or parents are Indian nationals. He said “Why should we hold back when it comes to Goan Portuguese passport holders? As they are Portuguese nationals, we can enter into an agreement so that Portugal pays for them”.

The state government is doing its bit to gain an understanding of the situation on the ground. Anthony D’sSouza, NRI Commission Nodal officer said every second someone was registering on the website and the number was increasing rapidly. He said there were various kind of cases like OCI’s who were stranded abroad after the country was in lockdown till May 3^rd. Then there were those who could not afford to live in the middle east because they did not have a job, then those who were financially ok but had lost their jobs and then those who had been living in the middle east for decades and were financially strong but did not have a home there and were interested in migrating but were now looking at Goa as a possibility of making it their home.  This data he said would be provided to the Govt of India and then possibly the appropriate decision would be taken.

Local businessman and popular MC Xavier Fernandes felt the government ought to organise special flights and bring back these people who were now stranded. He, however, went onto say that everyone’s business had been affected and he had lost income due to marriages being cancelled and his wine store being shut for so long, so it was time the state did something for people who were living here too. As taxpayers, he felt the government ought to work out incentives to help them. No one he said was special, everyone was.