As the hot light of the afternoon sun beats down on thenarrow roads of Siridao, two fisherwomen make their way home after a longtiring morning of selling fish. The roads are devoid of even a cyclist, most ofthe houses that line the roads are locked and do not look like they have beenlived in for a while and a silence that borders on eerie palls the village.When the fisherwomen were queried about the empty streets and houses, theyreplied, “Everyone has left home for greener pastures abroad. It is the likesof us who remain now.”
After unsuccessfully knocking on several doors, one isfinally opened by an old man with an artificial leg. He says he lives in thebig house with his sister and his four nephews are working in London. Jacinta,the sister, divulges more information, “My four sons with their families andchildren are in London. They work there and their children go to school there.They visit frequently “ every three months or so “ or when I am ill. I too havevisited them several times and have stayed there.” This is the case with almostevery family in the village of a population of 3700 people (census of 2001).The younger generation has moved abroad “ a majority of them to Europeancountries and to London “ with their families and it is only the parents whoremain here. Interestingly, many of the houses are two-storeyed bungalows andare well designed and freshly painted. Another old couple sits outside acottage house as they supervise the construction of their bungalow. With atoothy grin the old man says, “I had a Portuguese passport and my son then madeone. My children now live in London. I surrendered my Portuguese passport as tocontinue to keep it I had to keep paying 10 000 rupees,” he says.
Why was there an exodus of people to Europe? “People heredid not have jobs. The primary occupations were toddy tapping and fishing andthese were not valued. The government did not do much to help either,” says theold man. “And when one family sees that their neighbour has made a Portuguesepassport and is successfully working abroad, they follow suit. And so ithappens.”
Migrating to Europe was also the case in the neighbouringvillages of Goa Velha and Agassaim. “Going to Europe was not difficult if theparents had a Portuguese ID. All they had to do was register themselves andtheir marriage and this made access easy for the children,” says a shopkeeperfrom Goa Velha whose relatives in Agassaim live and work in London. “It iseasier to get integrated in London as the other EU countries require one tospeak the native language,” says Nancy Gonsalves who is in Goa on a visit fromLondon.
There is a saying in these parts that from Goa Velha toAggassaim, if you throw a stone, it will land on a Portuguese passport holder.This is indeed a stretch full of Goans, but not many Indians.
