The pictures that are emerging from the debris of Baina, where 66 families are now one with nature, are cruel, with the sky as their roof and beach their kitchen and toilet. Beyond their destruction lies the sea, angrily lashing against the remaining homes ready to swallow and consume them. And yet there are no tears, no anger or protests. There is no breast beating or the outpouring of activists here in Goa. In Karnataka though the tide is very different with protests and slogan shouting and the declaration of how their Kannadiga pride has been hurt at their migrant brothers being treated so shabbily.
The Baina incident cannot be seen in isolation any longer. Notwithstanding the obvious human jolt that the oustees have faced, and which we have duly reported, Goa needs to take a policy decision on two things, one legal and other very fundamental. The first is a simple ask a) Are we going to continuously allow, a predominantly labour force to come and take over land illegally, converting them into slums and then becoming political currency which buys them power, water, ration cards and voting rights. b) Will this be the trend and the mantra in every town and village where the absence of a local labour force will make us dependent on outside labour with disastrous consequences?
While the cleaning of Moti Dongor or Baina or Camurlim may happen due to a pro- active government is further charged by a center which is clearly anti migrant, the issue at hand isn’t as simplistic as it may sound. The fundamentals of the constitution allow Indians to move to any part of the country for business or residence. This movement cannot be stopped by law and shouldn’t be. But considering that the bulk of this mass movement into Goa is from the unorganized sector which puts pressure on land, water and other resources in a sustained continuous manner, a policy needs to be in place on how to deal with this sector. It is clear that this force is critical to Goa’s industries, farming and fishing, with Goan hands minimal. They should therefore be treated as a necessary workforce that provides support to industry and dedicated spaces should be earmarked for them in each taluka. These gated areas can have small inexpensive dwellings, basic sanitation and other facilities which will prevent them from littering and defecating in an uncontrolled space. The maintenance cost of these areas can be met by a very minimum charge of Rs 5 a day recovered from those who live there with another amount coming from the local factory or building project which needs their services.
There has to be a coming together of industry, mainly private, and the government, should keep this labour force in specific areas where resources can be better managed. Meanwhile costs of electricity, water and other facilities will be metered and paid for through the same system of participatory payment by the labour and his employer. This should also stretch to those who employ labour as domestic helps. If their services are needed, then we must be prepared to share the costs of keeping them there which can even come out of the wages we pay.
The bottom line here is that no longer can migrant settlements and their evacuation be seen as large state exercises. Every-one who has availed of a service provided by a migrant labour is accountable for the mess that their swelling population has caused and like in Delhi and Mumbai, Goa is in danger of becoming one sprawling slum and if a policy is not drawn up of a participatory approach of people and government, the slum and migrant problem will bury us.
