Fernandes
Wise men say that the best things in life are free, but most of us don’t even know to count the things that come without a price tag, no matter how important. We have been so conditioned to count everything in terms of money that we hardly realize the blessings that we are born into and often run after illusions. The mass exodus of Goans is a case in point. We could have judiciously utilized the privilege of a Portuguese Passport to upgrade our economic status without uprooting ourselves from the beautiful land of our ancestors. But the lock, stock and barrel migration of Goans is indeed beginning to be a matter of grave concern as villages are emptying out and it looks like the whole of Goa is gradually going the Siridao way! Are we really weighing out the costs and benefits properly in this mad rush for Pounds & dollars that is luring us like the rats in the ‘Pied Piper of Hamelin’? Are we getting carried away by illusions; the feel-good factor?
Speaking about illusions and reality, an interesting illustration comes to mind: An old horse breeder had three sons. One day he decides to go on a pilgrimage to a far off land. The day before he sets foot, he calls all his sons together and reveals his plans. He tells them that should anything happen to him on the way, they should amicably divide his horses amongst themselves in the given proportion: the elder son is to get one half of the horses, the second son one third and the last son one ninth. A few days after he is gone, news comes that the old man has died on the way. When the sons begin the task of dividing the horses, they find that their father owned seventeen horses. Now seventeen is a number divisible only by itself. The elder son is not happy with eight horses and his brothers won’t let him take nine. Soon a big fight erupts!
A wise man riding that way hears the commotion and draws near. After listening to the quarreling brothers, he adds his own horse so that the total number of horses is now eighteen. He gives nine horses to the elder son, six to the second and two to the youngest. All the brothers go away very happy after profusely thanking the stranger for his extraordinary generosity. Task accomplished, the wise man mounts his horse which is still there (9 + 6 + 2 = 17) and gallops away.
Religion teaches us to love our neighbors; my well-to-do neighbors have put a padlock on the door and moved to London. Does the white man treat us better or pay us well for jobs that the locals there are not willing to take up or is it just the Feel –good factor/illusion that makes us happy? Does it make sense to live in London and count our money in Indian rupees? Yes, perhaps it does if at least your family stays behind in Goa and certainly not if all you have in Goa are your old parents who need you more than the money. A time was when people literally believed that the streets in London are paved in Gold and the word ‘Londonkar’ opened up doors. Those illusions and that status is long gone for a toss, but strangely the mindless migration to UK continues gaining momentum.
People from all over the country sense opportunities in Goa, we see only the problems. Today, almost every field of activity, baring a few like the sausage making industry, is dominated by outsiders who see Goa as an El Dourado. The other day as I was walking down the Velsao-Dando beach, I noticed an old fisherman, his mouth agape, gesticulating towards the sea. Unable to fathom what his trained eye could see, I inquired. Pointing out, he told me that there is as much ‘Shevto’ there (so close to the shore) to fill up a few trucks.
