Nobody leaves Goa because they love to do that. Goa is a paradise which the inhabitants love and which has been visited by thousands of tourists throughout the year. The beauty of Goa is so divine, that people fall short of words to describe it. You could shoot a film or click some breath-taking pictures in some of the most beautiful places of Goa and the viewers would fail to even recognize that it’s in India. Goa may just be a dot on the map, but even vacation for a month or two is not enough to bask in the entirety of Goan natural and architectural beauty. Goa is not just known for the beauty of the landscape but for the warm hearted and hospitable Goykars (Goans)! Goa is also a land of varied cultures and a place where people of different religions co-exist in peace, harmony and mog (Love).
In early years of the 16th centuary sailors on long voyages came in search of new land, Vasco-da-Gama ended up discovering this pearl of Great price. These foreigners fell in love with place and the richness it had to offer. Goa came to be known as the ‘Lisbon of the East’ indicating its importance. Goa was so attractive and amusing that everyone who visited wanted to have their share of Goa. Foreigners continue to visit Goa and are charmed by it. Many people started settling in Goa. Goans are relaxed and happy go lucky people, but not all who came from outside were kind hearted, some took advantage of this simplicity and started purchasing land in Goa. Goans started moving abroad for better opportunities. Some had to go abroad against their own will because they wanted to see their families prosper. Many Goans earned respectful positions in foreign countries while some others had to toil hard to earn a living. Whatever may be the reason to migrate or whatever may be their status in their new found home, they always consider themselves Goans and eagerly wait for vacations so that they can spend time with their friends and family back here in Goa. They feel proud to call themselves Goan and long to come back.
Some may say these people can’t be called Goans since they left Goa and are enjoying elsewhere. But, are there job opportunities in Goa? Is the pay equivalent to the work done? Are the jobs given based on merit? Above all are they respected for whatever work they do? Apart from these there are many more questions that are yet to be answered or rather since we know the answers we can call them rhetorical questions.
The wretched part is not that they are gone abroad; the shame is that some living in Goa consider them as outcaste. Those who are the cause of corruption and inequality are the ones who make such nasty statements about those staying overseas. Some claim that those staying outside Goa have no right to get involved or have a say in what is happening in Goa. Is this admissible? Just because you stay away from your parents do they disown you? Similarly though these Goans stay away from their mother land they still love and are concerned about Goa… we can’t disown them because ultimately they are the sons and daughters of Goan soil. Irrespective of where a person of Goan origin stays he never forgets his Goan roots. The persons heart is always Goan and it hurts when Goa seems to be in destructive hands. A Goan seeing the misery of hisher birth place can’t stay still, grows restless and cries out in agony. She can’t be physically part of protests meant to save Goa, thus they express through songs, videos, articles, interviews etc. The gag here is that those who are all out to destroy Goa will feel insecure, thus in self-defence they make horrible comments disowning those overseas.
Those living in foreign lands too want to protect Goa, which child would stay still when hisher mother is suffering?
