The soul of real
Goans need to be lashed with the brush of village life in its purest essence.
Beyond the world of tourism, charters, the baggage that comes with local taxi
drivers, setting their own rules and low business in restaurants, village life
in Goa pulsates. And those who are actually making ends meet with a little left
over for their simple lives to function for the sole purpose of sustaining the
happiness quotient of other locals are those who run road side stalls, barber
shops, grocery stores and tavernas, the fishermen who go out to sea and the
fisherwomen who sell them in the markets
The economics of life, especially in
Saclette in South Goa, is governed by Universal Basic Happiness, which nurtures
the essence of Goan existence breaks every theory and myth of grass-root
economics, which straight jacketed theorists can never fathom. Long before the
Universal Basic Income scheme was envisaged and offered as a pre poll, magnet,
Goans running tavernas and restaurants in Salcete have mastered the art of Universal
Basic Happiness.
It worked on this formula. A family
home, plus plot of land and a little shop, restaurant and tavern with no
overheads, barring a few tables on the road side, gave you enough to live
comfortably, amidst the bounty of nature, with ample fruit and coconuts as
bonuses. Over the years, you either became a “Martins Corner” or remained the
“Tequila bar” in Benaulim (next to the football field on towards Maria hall ).
Folks who run both these places have made choice and are happy with them. Martins
Corner which started with four tables is virtually a high end signature go to
restaurant, which still draws locals. The Tequila tavern on the other hand
remains the comfort zone of its owner Rio, known in these parts as Papod. Papod
has simply used his living space to make this tavern. His entertainment,
relaxation and his business all happen in that space. As long as there is his
whiskey and wifey continues to make delicacies of a different order in her home
kitchen and people (including yours truly) get their pork solantolem and
urrack, Rio goes to sleep happy with some money in his pocket.
In Goa, Universal Basic Income happens
organically, you keep your expenses low, make small tavernas and restaurants
extensions of home and make them comfort zones. And you end up getting more
than Universal Basic Income. Goa lives on Universal Basic Happiness.
(This column is shorter than its normal due to space constraints
Next week, readers will be on this journey as we discover three absolute gems
of Benaulim and nearby areas which thrive on Universal Basic Happiness)