James Fernandes
A lot is being debated on Portuguese passport holders in Goa. Let me give you my frank opinion. The government of India has every right to delete our names and call us foreigners once we obtain a foreign nationality. Every Goan who lives here knows very well that he will be a foreigner once he gets another nationality and has no right to cry once he makes this choice. We have come here to earn more. Many say that we come here for jobs and that the government of India and Goa should have given us jobs. We do here all sorts of jobs, cleaning floors, toilets, packing chicken, loading trucks, driving, to name few and some or few do other clerical jobs n private companies. My question to all who are making an issue on this is this. Are these above jobs not available free of cost in Goa or India? Why did we leave the so called our land? Cleaning toilets, floors cutting and packing chicken, drivers, work as vendors in shops or work as clerks in companies are all in Goa nowadays being handled by the so called “ghantis” in Goa. Our people don’t want to do it. Why? It’s because here in UK the same job we earn more. It’s the greed for money that brought us here, not the greed for employment. If a “ghanti” paying rent can survive doing those jobs in Goa, so too we could, if we are so proud of Goa and India. We are “ghantis” here. Let us be proud of one land one country. Let’s not sit in our balcaos, criticise Indian government just because its election year. If UK withdraws from EU next week, I want to see all our Portuguese passport holders go back to Goa and do the same jobs they are doing here. Goa streets need you, Goan hotels need you, Goa toilets need Goa airport needs you, Goa car companies need you. Yes so proud of Goa lets go back.
I hope this goes to all politicians and people. We made a choice to opt to be Portuguese, no one was naive. The government of India has full right to protect its sovereignty.
