Ghanti – Misunderstood and Demonised The term Ghanti is commonly used in Goa to describe migrant labourers from the Ghats, who arrived in search of livelihood, mostly through manual work. Over time, the term expanded to include educated professionals—teachers, engineers, and others—who came from neighbouring states after Goa’s Liberation and found respectable employment. Yet all are casually labelled Ghantis, often with prejudice.
Today, a massive influx of skilled and unskilled workers from Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kerala and beyond has filled the labour vacuum created by Goans migrating abroad. Goa has become an El Dorado for thousands who now work as masons, carpenters, welders, goldsmiths, bakers, mechanics, tailors, shipyard fitters, construction workers, domestic helpers, electricians, cooks, and street vendors. These are the very professions once proudly held by Goans, now abandoned under the illusion that manual labour lacks dignity. The growing visible presence of migrants has raised concerns—unregulated street vending, rise in petty crime, and suspected political patronage that turns them into a vote bank through documents, free health care, and education. Departments such as the PWD reveal how easily outside workers are absorbed, sometimes through corruption, secrecy, and influence. However, the problem is not migration alone. The real crisis lies in Goans distancing themselves from traditional occupations while demanding white-collar jobs for their children. When labour becomes scarce, wages rise, and dependence on outsiders becomes inevitable. If Goans wish to reduce the so-called Ghanti influx, the answer is not demonisation but rediscovery of dignity in labour and a return to skilled trades once held with pride. Nelson Lopes Chinchinim Nelson Lopes Chinchinim https://lopesnelsonnat.wordpress.com
