During Portuguese time population of Goa was much less compared to Goan needs. Portuguese government always focused in increase of population. In those days people used to have 5 to 6 children on an average. Portuguese government even announced prizes and many facilities when people had many children. One landlord from Margao was felicitated and prized for having 25 children i.e.24 sons and the last daughter. Even now in some European countries the government is stressing on more population, this is because there are more jobs than actual labour and they don’t want to import labour.
When Goa was liberated in 1961 our population was 0.7 million i.e. 7 lakhs out of that Hindus and Catholics were almost the same percent. Catholics were slightly higher and Muslims were around 2% .Slowly the population started increasing the main reason was due to migration from other states and presently we are around 1.6 million registered.
Many Goans are working in Gulf countries and aboard the ships, but last few years many Goans have migrated to UK with the Portuguese passport which is not good news because many of them have even sold their houses, ancestral properties towards paying agents for the charges towards Portuguese passport and travelling etc.
At the same time many people from Delhi, Mumbai, Gujarat etc. are buying properties, apartments, bungalows etc. in Goa on large scale since they have lot of black money to invest and the prices in Goa is much cheaper for them. As a result, prices of land in Goa is sky rocketing and it is difficult for Goans to purchase land.
Time is come that Goans should stop migrating to other countries and save their own ancestral land and properties. Money is important but money is not everything. It is not bigger than your homes and land. Our state is our identity which we have to save at any cost. We can sacrifice something for the betterment of our future generation.
