NERUL: It takes a certain kind of determination and perseverance to change one’s fate, something that Shashikala Nagvekar Govekar is well versed in. Born to a simple day labourer’s family, she was a nobody. Today, she's someone people look up to.
Shashikala’s father, a day-wage worker, struggled to feed their family of 8. As the sole breadwinner, he did his best, but three meals a day were not guaranteed. With only a roof over her head and some food in her belly, Shashikala didn’t know life could be any other way. However, when she was forced to give up schooling at the age of 8 to help with familial duties, it saddened her greatly. Still, a dutiful daughter, she helped her parents with household chores, including collecting firewood from nearby forests and taking up odd jobs in the neighbourhood.
At 15, she met and fell in love with Janu Govekar, a toddy tapper. He didn’t offer grand promises, as he had to support his parents and siblings. What he promised was to love her, and that’s all she wanted.
As newlyweds, they lived on what Janu could make in his daily business, but they were happy. Their kind landlady gifted Shashikala sarees and clothes. It was difficult to make ends meet, but Janu did his best. He spent back-breaking hours collecting clams on the beach before his regular workload, and Shashikala sold these clams at the Nerul Market.
Without formal education, Shashikala, at a young age, couldn’t count clams or the money she received. Fellow fisher folk helped guide her, ensuring she didn’t go into loss. As her proficiency in selling grew, so did their family.
Shashikala moved her sales to the larger Calangute market and ventured into buying and selling fish on credit. Back in the day, extending credit based on someone’s word was common. Shashikala recalls selling mackerels at Rs. 1.50; now, a kilogram costs around Rs 250.
Because of her friendly nature, Shashikala’s business grew in leaps and bounds. Introduced to the Mapusa Market, she became a popular figure and prospered. Former MP Ramakant Khalap offered her a loan to buy a tempo, to expand her business. Though she was initially unsure of the large investment, along with the red tape that went with it, he convinced her to go for it, even offering to carry out all the paperwork for her instead.
After she bought her first tempo, Shashikala started a new routine. At 1 am, she would leave the house and drive to the Margao wholesale fish market to purchase freshly caught fish. Then she would drive back to the Mapusa market and sell the fish to local sellers and customers alike.
Within a few years she purchased five additional vehicles on loan, hired three drivers, 10 workers under her, and started investing around three to five lakh rupees in fish daily. Shashikala’s business has grown to such an extent that she now supplies fish to Pernem, Bicholim, Valpoi, Sanchelim and the Central Jail as well.
Despite moving business from the Nerul market to Mapuca, she’s still a much-loved figure in the community. Her fondness for her community and vice-versa is undeniable, having held the post of Sarpanch for the village of Nerul three times, apart from being a panchayat member once.
Today, Shashikala owns a flat in Mapusa, lets rooms on rent, has helped her three sons construct their own houses, owns a restaurant in Nerul, owns a fleet of fishing trawlers, and has several boats for tourist activities like joyrides and sightseeing tours. A woman of simplicity and discipline, she still maintains her routine of leaving the house early in the morning to go to Margao, and reaches Mapuca market at 6 like she has being doing so for years.
Balancing the demands of work, politics, and family life was taking a toll, so eventually; she
decided to retire from her career in politics. But her legacy remains as her son is now a member of
the Nerul village panchayat. Shashikala believes that there is love in sharing and giving.
Shashikala, now president of the Fisher Workers Union, remains a woman of the people, inspiring others to change their lives through hard work.