Friends, My friend Frederick was excited at the caution sounded by two panelists, Kalpana Sharma and Shekhar Singh when speaker after speaker from the villages raised the migrant issue at the People's Audit on SEZ held on sunday at Panjim. The panelists immediately linked this sentiment with the Mumbaikar v/s outsider issue and warned of the dangers of such arguments. Though Shekhar Singh also supported Kalpana Sharma, he was more politically correct when he justified opposing influx due to carrying capacity. He spoke about cultures being enriched or too strong to be threatend by migrants. The we are all Indians issue again came up in defence of the migrant influx. He also cautioned that there will also be local anti-social elements and so migrants should not be solely blamed for law and order problems. Frederick was too quick in prompting me to mention this to my friend Rajan. I decided not only to inform Rajan but put forward my counter questions to those Goans who criticise our an ti-migrant stance. 1. Villagers do not know the art of being politically correct in expressing their sentiments like our elitist journo friend Frederick. They talk straight from the heart and they are genuine not hypocrites. Do they not have a right to speak out at what they feel is the truth? 2. Considering Goa's dangerously low birth rate ratio which is already in the red, should Goans not have the freedom to enjoy more sane development and other benefits of health, sanitation and economic......? 3. Do Goans migrating in search of employment destroy the demography of that State? 4. Do Goans impose their culture and language on other States? 5. Do Goans create ghettos and set up a mini Goa wherever they migrate by taking fellow Goans to colonise the place? 6. Why should Goans commit the same mistake as Mumbai, Chennai, Calcutta or other cities that have been turned into stinking sewers? 7. Do Goans run down the local communities and criticise their culture and work ethics in the States to which they migrate? 8. How many markets in India operate in a language other than their State language? 9. Do Goans control markets and favour only their kith and kin in other States? 10. If other State Governments have messed up their States, should a tiny State like Goa bear the brunt by entertaining hordes of poor migrants in search of jobs? 11. How many anti-social Goans do we have in other States? 12. How many Goans conciously refuse to learn to communicate in the official language of that State to which they migrate? 13. If goans get attacked in other States would our political leaders be tolerated if they go there to protest like Deve Gowda who comes here in support of Kanadigas? 14. How many States pamper migrant Goans by giving them housing and ration cards and other benefits on their arrival? Let us not be ashamed to say 'Stop the migrants'. We have no more place for them in Amchem Goa. Let it be very clear that we do not need good character certificates from Delhites or Mumbaites. We are a seperate State and we know what is best for our State. Charity begins at home and let us not deprive ourselves through our benevolent behaviour to impress the rest of India.
-Soter
