As long as we were not liberated from the Portuguese regime, Goans were united in getting rid of the yoke of the colonial rulers. Thereafter the unity of the people of Goa began to manifest into two distinct political formations namely the Maharashtra Gomantak Party (MGP) and the United Goans Party (UGP). Both had distinct and separate adherence from among the Goans based on religion and caste. Let us not throw these political developments under the carpet and ever since the story continues to unfold through the majoritarian mind set of the BJP and other formations led by the Congress. The recent Lok Sabha elections are a telling proof of the deep divide among the Goan community represented by the majoritarian BJP and on the other hand the Congress and other political formations.
When we reflect back when Goa attained its liberation, Goa was primarily an agrarian economy. Young men and women who aspired for a better life left Goa to study and pursue careers outside Goa and even India. At this time, Goa did not have institutions to impart quality education nor were there sufficient jobs. At this time, Goa had zero industries except for some nascent tentative prospecting mining and export operations. Fishing was purely traditional.
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Soon Goa witnessed the emergence of industries, further development of the port and other infrastructure. But the kind of industries that were set up in Goa have till date not completely fulfilled the aspirations of our youth. So you notice over a period of time our young adventurous Goans moving out of Goa in search of better pastures. This migration was prevalent even at the time of the Portuguese rule and led to a vacuum among the Goan communities.
Industries that were later setup required particular skills, aptitude and temperament. There has been migration of working people from other states which has filled the vacuum of young hands from the state. Naturally the pressure on the existing land mass of this tiny state was bound to be felt. It is a proven fact that Goans by and large love the comforts of life. They are fond of festivals and celebrate events with pomp and joy. If one visits the villages of Goa, you will notice many of the houses and lands have been occupied over a period of time by non-Goans. This process in my view is irreversible. It is needless to state that the ruling dispensation on the heels of the liberation of Goa seriously lacked the foresight and did not envision and act to protect the lands, livelihoods and the unique culture of Goa.
Succeeding governments have overlooked basic issues of land. Today what we see 63 years after liberation is an alienated Goa and people who in their frustration cry out “Sorrowing lies my land”.
“Pott Bhorta Thoim Ghor” – Where one fills ones belly that is ones community and country. This is a saying which aptly depicts the Goans or for that matter any community be it Phillipinos, Singalese or Pakistanis. Because wherever one finds ones livelihood is the place he befriends and builds his home. That is the story of many a Goan outside the state. Simultaneously there has been a heavy influx of migrants to fill up this vacuum. Thanks to our politicians these migrants have been empowered with voting rights, ration cards, electricity, water and house numbers and much more in the absence of any valid proof of residence or ownership documents of the land they squat and illegally build on.
We cannot discuss on the issues of land in a void unless we analyze the reality. Land is what holds families and communities together. Disintegration of a society begins with the sale of ancestral land. From the day Goa was liberated, Goans have been selling their land to the highest bidder regardless of whether the buyer was from within or outside the state. Freedom fighters who fought for freedom and the then political leadership did not at any stage demand for special status for Goa and her land. They all seemed to have heaved a collective sigh of relief and rested on their laurels post liberation.
The institution which gave a unique identity to Goa and protection to its land has been ripped apart with no care for the Code of Communidades. Land today in Goa has been taken over exponentially by the powers that be who act like pimps. Many a moneyed Goan businessmen and politician has bought huge lands in the neighbouring states of Maharashtra and Karnataka with the money they have earned.
Land is a free gift of nature. And it cannot be moved from one place to another as it lacks geographical mobility. The fortunes of individuals and societies have risen or fallen either by its loss or acquisition. So why is the ownership of land important to the prosperity of a society? The economic prosperity of a country/state is closely linked with the richness of its land. Beautiful Goa has been gifted with rich natural resources. Today our fields have become garbage and waste dumps. Our air is polluted and water bodies contaminated with sewage. Where have all our salt pans gone? Fish the staple diet of Goa has become scarce and unaffordable to most Goans.
Over the last few decades, Goa has become a preferred destination for investors and builders to build projects, hotels, second home or retired home aspirants. This has attracted a massive influx of people in search of Goa’s tranquility and peaceful life and has led to a demand for real estate. He who destroys his land destroys himself. Goans today are becoming alien in their land and are on a path of self-destruction. At the Epi-Centre of the conflict of identity that Goans face today is the ‘Paradise Lost’ Syndrome.
It would not be off the mark to suggest that the linkage between our young generations and ‘language’ is shrinking. Many Goans today ask ‘Hanv Konn’? – Who am I? There is a hue and cry throughout the length and breadth of Goa to save Goa and protect it from its destruction. For me, saving Goa is not only protecting its hills and greenery. As I understand it, saving Goa means protecting the ‘Goan Identity’ too. We cannot forget that Goa cannot exist without its identity.
On 15 April, 2013, our late CM Manohar Parrikar stated in the Goa assembly that out of 3702 sq.kms which compromises the area of Goa only 362 sq.kms. were left for future development. From 2013-2024 in the period of 11 years has anyone calculated how much land is left for Goans? The concept of inter-generational equity rightly propounded by the Supreme Court in the mining case of Goa is applicable to Goa’s land. Dispossession of land is one of the major areas of conflict in the world. Goans beware! It is a now or never situation. Time for us to rise unitedly and come out of our cocoons, before we become strangers in our own land.
(The writer is a social scientist and a senior practicing criminal lawyer)
