The migrants are coming. Last week around 1000 of them descended into Goa by train and locals watched with awe. On Monday, St Andre MLA Francis Silveira announced on the floor of the House that around 10,000 migrants are scheduled to arrive ahead of the resumption of fishing season. Why the expression of surprise? Every year hordes of migrants return to Goa during the last week of July when the fish ban is nearing
its end.
Now that the migrants have caught the attention of Goans, a few issues need to be put straight even as they pad up for the season ahead. These migrants are here for a reason. They form a major workforce for trawler fishing and construction sector, handle the menial jobs like gutter cleaning and garbage collection in the State which Goans by and large have shunned. Migrants have seized opportunities and which is why we have a non-Goan fish vendor and a poder. The susegad Goan lives in the belief that he is not in a position to handle strenuous jobs. While Goans have turned to the Gulf and Europe for greener pastures, migrants have found their Dubai in Goa. Who’s to
blame?
Another highlight in the entire Goan versus non-Goan narrative is the fact that nobody can stop them from nibbling at private sector job opportunities in Goa. With Chief Minister Pramod Sawant expressing helplessness in demarcating job quotas in the private sector on the lines of Andhra Pradesh, it leaves the field wide open. So when the government takes pride in announcing 3,498 jobs through the Investment Promotion Board-cleared projects, Goans should not be enthused, since there is no assurance that these jobs will be reserved for the sons of the soil. Leave alone the failed promise of opening up 28,000-odd jobs through the IPB route.
While the migrants make their presence felt, there are other areas of concern that the government should be apprehensive about. Most of these migrants hail from tribal and remote areas of States like Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, Karnataka and even Maharashtra. There are no health checks done on these workers and it is left to the trawler owners to register them with health cards.
Secondly, there are no serious background checks on migrants. This is against the backdrop that the State has seen a spate of robberies and dacoities involving non-Goans. Lest we forget, migrants have been involved in rapes of foreigners in Canacona and Morjim, threatening to hit our already-sinking tourism industry. The Constitution doesn’t bar inter-State travel of citizens, but it doesn’t stop States from implementing its own checks and balances either. Goa can’t be a free-for-all State and be a home for criminals and anti-social
elements.
It’s time Goans wake up to the hard ground realities and accept the fact that migrants have made themselves relevant on Goa’s landscape. Government must ensure that Goemkars are at least provided a safe, secure and peaceful environment in their own land.
