He has been living in Goa for 19 years, a voter at Pedda, Benaulim, whose vote has
been precious for almost every eventual MLA of Benaulim. He speaks Konkani as a
local and is accepted as a part of the village. Life in paradise was exactly as
it should be, till Vasappa Malgimani decided to own a taxi and start running it
for business. This is exactly when Vasappa Malgimani became an outsider and a
migrant again.
Other Goan taxi
drivers, wanted to boot him out of business, turn their ire against the
“growing menace” of migrants and claimed that they were running unauthorized
businesses like drug and prostitution. And then the matter was raised in the
gram sabha which passed a broader resolution on curbing the activities of
migrants and lamanis, where it was interestingly pointed out that while
Kashmiris return to their State after the season is over, lamanis remain in Goa
only and are causing a demographic change in the village. And then of course
came the allegation that this “lamani” cabbie had threatened to kill someone.
All this is now a
trend. And while the presence of migrants in Goan villages is increasing, a
blind eye is being turned towards the factors that bring them there. There’s
another small matter of all Indians being allowed, under the constitution, to
live and work anywhere, but as we mentioned- that hasn’t been a point of
concern at all. And we aren’t saying this. Honest locals are.
Do we have double
standards on migrants and some basic questions?
It indeed is time to,
if not call out the double standards, at least debate the contentious issue of
whether migrants are indeed taking away Goan jobs. And importantly, is the
sweeping allegation that they are involved in drugs and prostitution, taking
the local ire too far. Thirdly are Goans themselves willing to do without
migrant labour on fields, fishing boats, households and bakeries?
Interestingly, many Goans, especially the youth, saw the reality and brought to
the fore clear fallacies in the line of action proposed by the Benaulim gram
sabha.
Local South Goans
especially xaxtikars consider shack business, tourist taxi, toddy tapping,
coconut plucking, owning gaddas, bakery, selling breads, running restaurants,
fishing and selling fish as local traditional Goan business and they are irked
that now non-Goans living in Goa are slowly taking over these business.
“Constitutionally
Indians are allowed to work, live and own property or business anywhere across
India. To an extent that many Goans in the IT sector own flats in high rises in
Gurgaon, Bangalore, Mumbai and Pune. And Benaulim residents pulling out a
resolution like that is unconstitutional,” explains Keneth Dias, a law student
from Varca.
“It’s crazy how in
Benaulim and the whole Salcete coastline we say that Indians, from outside Goa,
are the highest spenders. Indian tourists today spend more than Russians and
English tourist. The maximum number of service rooms have Indians from other
states living in them working in shacks, hotels, restaurants, cafes and other
allied services in Benaulim, Colva, Varca, Orlim, Carmona, Majorda, Seraulim,
Utorda, Betalbatim and all the beach side areas and how can a resolution like this
see the light of the day?” questions Roger Fernandes who runs a small rent a
bike business in Benaulim village. Ironically, Roger admits that his own family
members support resolutions like this.
“My clients in
selling antique Goan furniture and other Goan antiques are all non Goans from
across India. And most of these antiques I buy from Goans who can’t manage it
anymore or want to sell it for a quick buck. In Benaulim itself tons of Goans
have migrated to the UK and run their homes as homestays entrusting it to so
called migrants. Every vehicle mechanic, fresh fruits stall, electronics
technician in Benaulim is a non Goan”, says a local Goan businessman and
trader.
Biryani and butter
chicken in Benaulim dinner menus
Earlier these
migrants in these mid-level jobs had their wives at home as house wives but now
they work in homes as cooks, some of them from various parts of India are good
cooks and take food orders and that’s how weekend party menus in Goan homes in
Benaulim is biryani and butter chicken compared to the earlier pulao, sorpotel
and sannas. You can literally say these women are now small time entrepreneurs
as cooks and tailors.
No migrants, no
fishing
Ask Joao Pereira why
his fishing boats are grounded and besides blaming the rain, he tells us how
the workers from Jharkhand and Bihar are yet to return and are delayed by their
harvest and floods back home. Joao explains that the trawlers and ramponkars
purely depend on migrant workers and the fishing industry in Benaulim and
Sernabatim and other coastal areas cannot function without the migrant workers.
Festivals, political
festivals and leave from work
Similarly, a Benaulim
based Hotelier explains how previously if he hired his staff from Goa from
security to housekeeping to kitchen staff or chefs, he would face staff
shortage during all feats and festivals
Hence it’s a common
practice that hoteliers and restaurateurs on the coastal belt to hire non Goans
to have issues of absenteeism and interference from local politicians. Since
politicians in Goa interfere in licensing and permissions and even from
stopping a cop from issuing a challan to a traffic violator.
It
is clear that while official meetings, sabhas and politicians statements often
directed against migrants, they are here to stay. And importantly can Goans
claim that they can carry out traditional occupations without them, especially
since many young Goans of South Goa, armed with Portuguese passports, have
actually become migrants in the UK, the Gulf the other countries. Shudder to think
if those countries had ‘sabhas’ and passed similar resolutions to keep migrants
out.
