Four hundred and fifty years of Portuguese Rule has made life of Goans perennially relaxed and in festive mode, indulging in unending celebrations of anniversaries, baby showers, engagement ceremonies, birthday parties, wedding receptions, traditional Shigmo and Carnival parades, zatras, various fests, cultural & musical programmes, year round festivals from wines and fish to films, generously sponsored by the Goa Government and seasonal elections. For topping, there are day and night casinos, 365 days a year.
The ‘susegad’ culture under the garb of well- deserved easy and relaxed life-style which was earlier restricted to so called aristocratic families has now percolated to all sections of the society and made them sluggish. To support this life style, there is flow of money from the Seventh Pay Commission salaries (1 out of 14 Goans is a Government servant), bribes, kick-backs, illegalities, government contracts, shop rents, underhand dealings of elected representatives. In left over time, they attend to their business activities.
During the Portuguese regime, businessmen including mine owners flourished in a closed and protected environment in the absence of any outside competition since no persons other than Portuguese citizens were allowed to set up any business in Goa. Business also thrived with smuggling of imported gold from across the border to neighbouring India.
Talents and enterprise of Goans -Hindus and Catholics alike, who fled from the Portuguese rule to distant places such as Mangalore, Sirsi, Udupi, Cochin thrived and flourished with their business acumen, enterprise and hard work. Rego, Albuquerque, Saldanha, Kamaths, Pai, Prabhu are some well-known names.
Only when Goans went outside, did their talents flower to make big names in music, art, literature, media, defence services, film and hospitality industry.
Goa’s skilled artisans, craftsmen, goldsmiths, carpenters, masons, farmers and bakers have vanished and their children devoid of any skills are hanging around politicians for soft government jobs.
Second generation of traditional business families, flooded with cash from legal and illegal mining, real estate, political deals, have lost their animal spirit of risk and enterprise and are content with good life, foreign tours, flashy cars, cocktail parties unending gossips and meaningless talks on all subjects of the world. One of the favourite topics of Goans in general is condemning ‘bhailes’ (outsiders) and at the same time desperately looking for their services as plumbers, electricians, painters, carpenters, maids, garbage collectors, construction workers, contract labourers and even for their morning daily bread. Instead of being grateful, they are abused as ‘ghantis’ forgetting that more than 12 percent of Goans work outside Goa.
Other have-nots, not fully occupied, turn activists to keep themselves engaged with unending agitations and protests, dharnas, candle light marches, road blocks, RTIs etc.
If the young generation of Goans do not wish to be second or third rate entities in their homeland, they should roll up their sleeves to break away from this ‘susegad & festival culture’. Instead of going to business schools, they should imbibe qualities of enterprise of neighbourhood ‘marwaris’, who are successfully running their business establishments from Mandrem to Loliem; open from early morning to late night, 365 days a year adjusting to alien culture and environment. One can learn a lot from Marwaris by observing and implementing their discipline, business sense, enterprising spirit, hard work, service attitude, marketing and modest simple life inspite of riches.
For a Marwari, business is a passion, love and joy and priority above anything else. He believes in ‘olkhan’ (networking) to expand business operations. He is free from jealousy and has no time for gossips and litigations.
A Marwari learns tricks of the trade since childhood from his family. However, he will never venture into business on his own unless he has honed proper skills as apprentice in tough conditions and has dirtied his hands.
He greatly values book-keeping and engages a ‘munim’ first before anything else to account each and every stock and cash and to draw daily profit. He will not leave his shop till stocks, bank accounts and cash is tallied. He maintains his commitments at all costs and healthy relationship with suppliers, bankers and tax professionals.
The art of procurement is learnt at early age through hands-on experience. He learns to buy best quality goods at lowest price and in the process he develops the skill of scouting different markets to find best quality merchandise, and locate best vendors and develops ability to negotiate favourable deals. He keeps updated with latest business trends and technologies.
For a Marwari, customer is a God to be welcomed with a smile and service even when he knows that the customer may not buy his goods. He leads his children and employees by personal example of discipline, frugality, hard work and avoids wastage at home and in work place. His vigorous bargaining even for small things is to inculcate habit of savings and cost reduction. Though the Marwari salaries are less, employees prefer to work under them to gain experience in the trade and helps them in case of need.
A Marwari never has an ego and takes inspiration from capabilities of successful persons. He avoids arguments, criticisms, and litigations and carries an ice factory in his head and a sugar factory on his tongue.
He is ambitious, never cowed down by obstacles or problems and finds ways to overcome them in any situation. The family is his strength and they share their daily experiences during dinner time.
Fun all the time and no work has made a Goan a dull boy. For survival in this challenging, competitive, and innovative world, there is need to blend Marwari qualities of enterprise for growth and prosperity and to enjoy life in meaningful way.
Note: The word Marwari here denotes special qualities of certain Indian business communities like Marwaris, Gujaratis, Jains, Reddys, Chettiars, Khatris, Ismailis, Boharis, Memons, built over generations through strict practices.
(The author is a chartered accountant by profession)