imilar to how most of the people from Goa especially the youth look forward to moving to other parts of India and abroad for better job opportunities, people of other States of India such as UP, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Nagaland etc come to Goa in search of jobs. Due to the lack of Goan labour workforce or interest in the younger generation to take up traditional occupations, the vacuum was eventually filled by the migrant workers.
Many of these migrants equipped themselves with knowledge and skill sets when it comes to the field of masonry, carpentry, painting and even larger sectors like construction.
However, there were concerns that the migrant had started to take over some of these jobs.
But now with the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 50% of these migrants have moved back to their home States, which has presented an opportunity to locals, especially the youth to rebuild their traditional businesses with their own resources and local labour.
Speaking to Herald, a mason named Ramesh Anant Sawant from Mandrem said, “The world is moving fast and accordingly people want everything to happen as quickly as possible. This demand of the people was fulfilled by the migrants. While our youth look forward to only having white collar jobs, they always ignored our profession, which can actually help them earn good money. Now since the non-Goans have moved out, this is one of the best opportunities for people especially youth to make their name since now they will have fewer competitors”.
“Goan masons have no future if the youth only look at it as a profit making business. Migrants had captured over this profession. But now since most of the migrants have moved out, getting into this profession is easy”, Sawant added.
“Non-Goans had had taken over all type of businesses. Even, if it was for setting up a road-side stall. Giving fast service with less expense was their formula but now the situation is slightly different.
All this while, people were blaming migrants for the locals not having jobs, but now most of these non-Goans have moved out so the Goans should
take interest and get into traditional and other businesses”, said Mahesh Kanolkar, a road side stall owner.
A fisherman Pritesh Gaonkar said, “The migrants had not spared even the fish selling business. More than locals, the number of migrant fish vendors had increased. They use to somehow manage to attract customers by selling the fish for cheaper price. But now since these migrants are gone back, it is an opportunity for our locals to get back into it.
It is to be noted that many Goans have got back into the business of selling fish, fish products as well as other home prepared food dishes.
A carpenter named Ramesh Chari said," Non-Goans who were having knowledge of carpentry had taken over most of the carpentry business. While our boys were more into doing jobs, outsiders had made a good base here. Some had even opened shops of their own and were running the business. If today's youth realise the value of traditional business and take up the business using new technology, then there is no need for them to take jobs elsewhere, or stay unemployed or even depend on the government to provide jobs. The time for action is now though.”
Many across the State believe that this is a good time for the youth to enter traditional occupations but lament that there doesn’t seem to be enough interest even though some of these youth are crying about being rendered jobless due to the lockdown effects on the economy.
A hotelier pointed out that tourism will take years to recover and in the immediate future, the job scenario in this sector will only be able limp back slowly to normalcy. There is a similar scenario in other professions too and the common consensus is that one may have to look at a new line of work entirely.
People involved in traditional occupations, many of them self-employed, pointed out such jobs need helping hands and this is where the youth can help bridge the gap. Or else, one would have to wait for another set of migrant labours to come in to help complete jobs if locals don’t take up the same.
Rama Kerkar from Mayem is one such person who has his traditional business and concurred with others that this is the time Goan youth should enter the profession given that the non-Goans who were in this profession have left. He however felt the attitude of Goans have to change first.
“The attitude Goan youth have towards such jobs is what’s not there and thus we have to rely on outsiders for finding labourers. This is the time youth should come forward and take up these age-old traditions as we are still doing our work and there are job requirements. Goans already have that stamp of having a ‘susegado’ mentality and they want to sit like a boss and make others work. Goans only want white collared or government jobs instead of our traditional type of professions” he added.
James Gracias from Aldona who is into the occupation of fishing says that after the migrants they left the State his business has got into trouble. But he feels that in a way it is good and those who are jobless should venture into their forefather’s occupation.
“This is a golden opportunity that has come to the youths and those who are jobless should take up this trade. We don’t know whether the migrants would come back or not but the Goans should help their family traditions flourish. Fishing or any other traditional occupation has hard work but in today’s scenario they pay off. Even government has several schemes for the youths and they could be their own boss.” James explained.
However, locals pointed out that in the present scenario, Goans have not yet ventured into such businesses. A local from Bicholim pointed that in the traditional bazaar for chillies and other organic products had only one lone Goan present and all other vendors were non-Goans. When the Goan was asked why this is happening, he said even the children of people who were into such business are not ready to sit in the market.
At the same time, it is to be noted that there have been many locals in other parts of Goa that have come and sat in the market or road side to sell vegetables, fish and other products. Many such persons had other jobs before that but due to the current financial scenario have taken this up as a stop-gap measure.
Besides, traditional occupations, companies at the industrial estates that are labour-intensive have suffered. These include warehousing, packaging, and other industries where manpower is required. Sources said that that in many companies, the lack of labour force has affected their output.
Mangesh Bagade , operations manager at Borkar Packaging unit at the Margao Industrial estate said they are running short of 30% of the labour force. "The contract labourers which were migrants have left the State due to the COVID-19 lockdown. Our unit is running at 30% lower efficiency. All the industrial units small or big are affected due to the lockdown and the consequential exit of labourers" he stated.
Sources added that many companies are now looking at automation as one such solution. However, it is to be noted that there have been companies that have managed to retain their migrant labour workforce.