There are many reason why many Goans seem to leave Goa for good.
1. For now, the job market for their education and skills is considerable in the wealthy West. Good opportunities are also widely available for their offspring where permanent settlement permits.
2. They suffer infinitely less bureaucracy and endemic corruption than in Goa/India.
3. The curse of caste can be cheerfully left behind or discarded to the dustbin where it really belongs. Because of caste especially, I know some Goans in the West who have said that, "I'd rather, if necessary, be a second class citizen in the West than a third or fourth class one in Goa or India."
4. Few older Goans relish selling off their ancestral properties. Indeed they find it a very painful decision to take but are realistic that they are unable to maintain homes thousands of miles from their new homes in the West. Also, their chances of holding on to properties from a distance are often diminished by predatory relatives and others who see easy opportunities to usurp the title holders.
5. Portuguese law militates against clear title to property. Taking matters to court is a nightmare with some cases lasting (to my knowledge) for 45 years or more. Literally, everyone has an on-going legal case somewhere or the other in Goa!
6. The new generation of Goans born and bred outside India are unlikely to want to visit Goa often, except for sentimental reasons. There are just too many places elsewhere which compete with Goa for holiday purposes.
7. Once people put their roots down in a new country, it is often very difficult to uproot these. Parents want to be reasonably close to their children and grandchildren, and likewise the children feel the same way with regard to
mutual support even though old age care is much cheaper in Goa than most places in the West.
8. In an age of mass migration the Goans are doing what everyone else is doing. Do you want them to be different? If so, precisely why please?
9. No country remains the same for generations. Change is a fact of life and
increasingly rapid these days.
10. I want to suggest that it is unhelpful to advise that "all that glitters is not gold." Historically, those who leave and find new countries to settle in have been among the 'brightest and the best'. This is well grounded in theory, practice and experience and not a figment of my imagination. They definitely know for sure that all that glitters is not gold but make up their minds as they see fit. But most respect those who consciously opt to stay on in Goa to help make progress there.
11. It is notable that there is so much change in Goa. I see this every time I visit Goa but it is not entirely negative. There is also much
progress taking place. If only there was more work which paid for a reasonable living, the outflow would not be so great surely. My maternal grandfather left around 1895 and he would have been horrified to see that not much had changed on this count more than a century later. Very sad perhaps, but true, bearing in mind the powerful impetus today for so many to leave for what they see as better pastures/prospects abroad.
12. Those who go out, have traditionally sent remittances 'home'. These are not to be sneezed at. Also visits to Goa do bring in revenue which Goa needs as is widely proclaimed in the media, whether true or false.
13 Yes, it is nostalgic to have an image of Goa that once was. It just isn't so any more and will keep changing. Also, if Goans have traditionally gone out of Goa for a range of reasons why object to new comers coming in? As new settlers they are likely to make a positive economic and social contribution to Goa in my view. This has been the experience of all those countries which have taken in large numbers of new immigrants.
14. Sadly, those who have retired to Goa from the West have often returned to the hectic West because they can't easily settle down in Goa. For instance, trying to get reliable labour for essential jobs on a home is increasingly difficult. Alternatively, some spend winter months in the warmer climate of Goa but they will do this as long as they can still travel and before age infirmity sets in.
15. Some have found that they are having to pay for medical needs in Goa which they would get free as retired people in countries in the West which have good welfare facilities.
16. While it may be true that your investment in real estate may have yielded four-fold as you say, an investment in the West can also yield substantially, and in strong currencies rather than in rupees. Many who have left for the West have accumulated wealth unimaginable in Goa. It may not always buy happiness but it probably helps towards this end and even to sustain on-going nostalgia for Goa! I accept however, that you say that financial gain was not the reason why you opted for Goa after long years in the USA.
In short, dear Vivian, the situation is much more complex than you might perhaps have imagined. However, all I have done here is to provide some reasons which readily came to
mind. No place on earth has all the advantages with no disadvantages. Indeed, I have always said that life is tough, in its own way in the West, especially for those starting out. It therefore becomes a matter of personal judgement as to what best suits individuals.
Cornel DaCosta, London, UK.
----- Original Message ----- From: "Vivian D'Souza" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, May 11, 2005 11:29 AM
Subject: [Goanet]Wendell Rodricks lament
How very true, how touching, is Wendell's lament about the rape of Goa and its soil. Will Goans who have migrated to distant lands wake up and heed his call ? Almost every day real estate agents with foreigners in tow come through my little cul-de-sac, asking if there are any properties for sale. Many Europeans have bought homes and are building homes in Goa, while Goans have turned their backs on their motherland. The value of the land I built on, has multiplied over ten-fold in the few years since I purchased the land. But it gives me no solace as money is not what motivated me to move back to Goa from the USA to enjoy an idyllic retirement. Goans are so blinded by the glitter of the West. Just remember that "all that glitters is not Gold".
