Goa and Goan Identity. Where is it headed?

We have had enough. Goa, a tiny dot on the Indian map on the western border of the country is a paradise and there is no doubt about that. We Goans are fun loving, kind and affable people and that is the reason why tourism has taken off in Goa so wonderfully well. After all its not only natural beauty of a region that defines its paradise value. The people are equally responsible ambassadors. And we have done our bit.

But we have had enough. Our own people amongst us are out to destroy Goa and with little care or caution. The lure of money has gotten into their blood streams by now and that is a bit too far to rewind them to their old selves, if there was one. They have absolutely no regret or remorse for their actions which are denigrating Goa by the day. Even popular civil movements and agitations of the people are not driving the message into their thick skulls. They need to be dumped and dusted out from every nook and corner of the Goan establishment.

Our champion citizens

While our citizens are fighting the establishment for issues against SEZ, megaprojects, language scripts, regional plans etc, we have a much more dangerous issue facing Goans today. Our Identity. A small state with minimum resources and scarce land, we have been trampled upon by all and sundry. Our lands have been bought by people from all over the world with no rhyme or reason of contributing fruitfully to the state and we stand to lose our very identity which made this beautiful place into what it is.

And the land sharks

Haphazard and gawky development for economic greed being the reason, land sharks are pumping money in large tracts of land in Goa just like a pervert man does not know how to react when he sees a virgin and pounces upon her. These land sharks have no attachment for Goa and for our values. All they see is the sense of money and in their bid to achieve their goal they find some traitors within our own community who sell this priceless treasure for a few crores and thrust Goa into the hands of treacherous plotters plotting the next big residential or industrial tsunami on us.

For whom is it?

And what use will be our hard fought agitations if Goa is not left for Goans?. What is the use of the official language konkani and all its scripts if we and our children cannot live here to use them ? What is the use of crying hoarse for our civil rights when we are bound to be outnumbered soon?

Special status now!

What Goa is therefore crying for now is a special status for Goans whereby our land is protected for our own use. Such a law is prevalent in Arunachal pradesh and Himachal pradesh in the country and it is therefore a mystery as to why the Goa government is dragging its feet to adopt a similar legislation to protect the scarce resource of Goa for Goans.

Our Goan identity is on its last verge. And we need special status before any other. Everything else can wait. Without special status we will soon see Goa bruised and battered and left without any energy to stand up. The time is now and Goans need to stand up. But will we?

 

Xittuk Goencar