Days after hoisting the new Fatorda police station, TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai dashed off to the Margao fish markets. With typical flamboyance and armed with his Goemkarponn mantra, he set out to put the SGPDA retail and wholesale markets in order and promised a slew of measures including a mural painting on the market walls symbolising Goemkarponn and a background score of Konkani songs mingling with the high decibels of the people in business. Also on his list are promises of replacement of electrical wiring and illumination of the market and a change in flooring.
Vijai's intentions may be genuine, but it's easier said than done. The sprucing up plans are most welcome and so are his plans to win over the hearts of the stakeholders. To issue a list of do's and don'ts in an easy way out. Vijai needs to understand issues much beyond the cosmetic changes which at best could give a comfort feel to the fish vendors and the people visiting the markets. The heart of the matter is connected to the wholesale fish market where a chunk of retail selling happens as around 100 lamanis and migrants do brisk business eating into the retail market sale. It is precisely for this reason that fishermen at the SGPDA market had shifted from their spaces and moved on to the passages as a mark of protest.
Vijai's promise of mural painting on the walls and Lorna's songs in the background will not be music to the ears of those in the business. What the folks at the retail market are really interested this time around is how the SGPDA goes about cracking the whip against the sale at the wholesale market knowing well that all such previous exercises have failed. Other issues like erratic water and power supply will be pushed to the backburner for now.
While Vijai is striking an emotional chord speaking about an unbreakable bond between Goans and fish, one question that needs to be addressed is why Goans prefer to wade through the muck and stench to buy fish at the wholesale market. It is simply because the price of fish which has risen beyond the reach of the Goan is available there at comparatively much lower rates and in abundance.
Vijai's top priority should be to work on availability of subsidized fish as promised by his government. Without tackling this price issue, the entire process of bringing order in the retail fish market will be an excise in futility. There would be no logic if you are forcing Goans to buy fish at the existing prices without any price controls and relief mechanisms. This is where Goenkarponn will come into the picture.
