Manohar Parrikar’s statement that he has requested the Centre to give a one-time “amnesty” to Goans who have registered their births in Portugal and have not taken their passports, can lead one to the conclusion that Goans are criminals who are betraying our nation. Have Goans ever betrayed India. The answer is a definite ‘no’.
For over four centuries Goans have been part of an independent nation while India was not even a nation. And even when India became an independent nation in 1947, many Goans who were serving the erstwhile British empire continued to serve independent India. But nobody in India questioned their nationality, when they were officially Portuguese citizens of the then Estado da India.
After Goa was annexed to the Union of India in 1961, Goans formally became Indians. If many of them availed the facility given by Portugal to register their names in Lisbon, this in no way amounts to a betrayal of our nation. The facility only opens to Goans a door to the European Union. Both the Centre and the State governments have to question themselves whether they have done enough to provide Goans with reasonably well paid jobs which was solemnly promised to them on December 27, 1961. I, together with many other Goans was a witness to this solemn promise. I still recall the words spoken in Konkani “Tumka manink Goyam bhairvochunk poddchenam – Soglleank tumkam hanga nokreo melltoleo” which translated into English renders as follows “You will not have to go out of Goa for jobs – all of you will get jobs here”.
The government of India itself has been considering for some time now the question of dual citizenship. Why not give this benefit first and foremost to Goans? Goans will never betray India and there are enough laws in place to deal with betrayal if any. Moreover the foreign remittances of Goans add to the nation’s wealth.
Although, in my personal opinion, I am against Goans going abroad, at present there are many apprehensions in the minds of Goans specially the youth with regard to their future in Goa. The centre and the state governments never cared for Goans. On the contrary our selfish politicians only care for the migrants whom they blindly nurtured as their vote bank, thus forcing Goans to leave their country of origin making them aliens in their own land, unable to buy a piece of land to build a decent house or even to get a job.
Even now our chief minister seems to fool Goans saying that he will lead a delegation to the Centre to press for special status. On the other hand he solemnly states in the assembly that he will regularize the illegal constructions in communidade and private lands till February 28, 2014 when most of these illegal constructions belongs to migrants actively supported by politicians, thus depriving Goans of their land. Then where will Goans go?
