Masonry being one of the oldest professions in Goa. Goan Mason is on the verge of decline for the last few years. Nowadays, we hardly locate few Goan Masons working full time.
It is said that Pernem is the cradle of artists be it acting, carpentering, singing and 70 per cent of Goan Masons were also from Pernem as family tradition or due to lack of education!
Lack of education and non-availability of schools in Pernem 50 to 60 years back where hardly some people used to get their children admitted to schools was one of the reason why people of Pernem got into the profession of masonry.
Speaking to Herald, mason Ramesh Anant Sawant from Sawant wada, Mandrem, shared his experience when he started off and the sea change he has witnessed.
Ramesh Anant Sawant, 64, kick-started his work in the field of Masonry at the age of 13. Travelling all the way from Pernem to places like Margao, Marcel, Colva, Ponda he says during that time, people had to walk for almost 10 to 15 kilometers a day to avail of public transport so that they could travel further and reach their work site. Fifty to sixty years back, there was no proper source of income nor education which had forced people to move out of Pernem to earn a living. The source of travelling from Pernem to other locations was the Siolim Ferry which used to leave sharp at 7am. People had to walk for almost 1 or 2 hours to reach there.
Sawant had started his work in masonry as a helper. He was just 13. Seven years down the line, he started working as a professional contractor and also designed houses! In a career-span of 50 years, Sawant has constructed around 50 houses all over Goa as well as in some areas of Maharashtra too. And because of his expertise, he’s still in high demand.
Sharing about his experience, Sawant said the struggle was harder then as they did not have easy access to anything. “When we started working, we used to get Rs 3.50 per day which included food and accommodation.
“But today with the fast moving life, the demand has increased. During our time, we had to literally search for helpers but today, there are helpers galore, however, they are very choosy too.”
Back then, if the helpers got Rs 3.50 per day, the masons were paid Rs 4.50 on a daily basis. And the amount used to increase only after the completion of a year.
Talking about the quality of work, Sawant said, there is bulk work but quality at times goes for a toss. During our time, the masons used to take the pains to handle the minute details of things. They in fact, created. Today, contractors don’t use quality material too. In this scenario, don’t expect creativity.
Today its more about professional designing. Today’s youth will not understand the type of work and quality of a Goan mason.
Goan mason has no future today since the migrants have taken over this profession. Also, there is no government support to keep this profession alive. Once a mason is old and can’t work, he’s left to fend for himself. The legacy is not carried forward.
