No Goan can or should expect a blanket protection in the form of reservation in the field of employment.
But logically and in fairness to the local population, industries being set-up in Goa, which consume local resources such as water and electricity, utilise the existing facilities such as roads and waterways, which are built and maintained for the benefit and comfort of the resident population, have a right to expect that the industries being established on their land would benefit them, at the very least, by way of jobs for their youth.
If this is not taking place, then why is the government allowing such industries into Goa? Is it to dilute the Goan content in the demography of Goa?
Why has the government created the Industrial Promotion Board (IPB) to fast track approval of new industries and other projects, if employment for the locals is uncertain or not assured? Was the formation of such a body really the need of the hour?
How do all these programs mesh with the demand, approved by the Goa Assembly unanimously, for Special Status, which was meant to protect the culture, the land and its customs from being wasted and destroyed by uncontrolled migration, along with rampant and aggressive purchase of land by outsiders?
It has now become very apparent that the Goa government is either unable or unwilling to create conditions that will lead to the employment of locals in the enterprises being allowed to set up shop in our State. Every State in India is protecting itself against immigration by ensuring that jobs go to locals. The State government is well versed in arm-twisting when it suits it to do so, to resort to coercive methods to get its way.
The CM’s show of helplessness therefore does not cut any ice.
If such be not the case however, then the government must proactively initiate and put into motion steps that will stanch the haemorrhage of local talent that is migrating on a daily basis in search of jobs in foreign countries or to other States.
What does the government need to do? In the first place, it would need to identify the type of industries which would be desirable from the point of view of presently available potential employable talent. Secondly, to train locals to take up jobs in the private sector, but be allowed to set-up businesses at a later date when the educational institutions, established for the purpose by the government, start producing candidates competent to be employed in those industries. This is the way the government could start protecting Goans.
But there is yet another set of businesses presently generating employment opportunities, for which there is local talent available, which seems to have escaped the scrutiny of the government. One such area is the public banking sector, which at one time used to be manned mainly by Goans.
But the situation is presently quite different; where the bank employee only speaks to the customer in Hindi and with great difficulty, in broken English. The second is the Konkan Railway Corporation, which it appears employs all its personnel, even those manning railway crossings, from outside Goa, mainly from Karnataka. This is despite the fact that great swathes of land were acquired for the rail tracks and other infrastructure from the local Goans.
The third is the airline and airport ground personnel, where only very few Goans are employed.
These are only a few of the areas where the government needs to act immediately if it is serious about its avowed aim of helping and protecting Goans.
There is tremendous disgust amongst Goans about the programmes and the model chosen by the government to carry forward what it terms as “development” in Goa. This disgust stems from the fact that this model has only brought high pollution levels to the fields, the rivers, the sea and the air.
Rampant cutting of vegetation and hillsides for construction of new multi- dwelling units such as in Reis Magos, Sancoale, Old Goa, Pomburpa and others; destruction of natural springs and unending approvals by the TCP with the active collaboration of the Chief Town Planner and of the IPB, despite the scarcity of settlement land; is making agricultural fields and private forest areas and hills as new targets.
The Goa government, with its army of supposed experts, has failed to carry out any study on the carrying capacity of the State or perhaps it is avoiding carrying out such a study, even though it is crucial to avoid disastrous consequences in future. Nature is unforgiving and it has already started sounding its warnings (what happened in Wayanad is still recent memory). Will the Goa government and the CM heed to these issues or will it keep on blandly repeating ‘bhivpachi goroz nam’ until it is too late to correct the situation?
This is not “development”, but planned destruction of our beautiful Goa and it is time to stop it. Enough is enough. The people of Goa are crying out for relief from such sustained and relentless attacks on their motherland!
(The writer is a practicing advocate based in Mapusa, activist and convenor of Movement for Special Status for Goa 'MSSG')