Diana, You have highlighted the key points in this land scam scourge. However, nothing will change in Goa unless politicians and their pimps go to jail for violating land laws. A current MLA and son of a former Chief Minister was reported by NDTV last year for having set up several scam companies to organize illegal deals. He is now a Minister in the current government. No current Goan politician can and should be trusted. Every major land transaction of the last 10 years should be reviewed and the guilty sent to jail. Nothing less. Who is willing to do this? Protests by a motley group of well-meaning activists mean nothing in the long run. The land mafia will turn Goa into one large slum.
Regards, George P.S. I did not change the subject line and the word "ghantis". For all the labored explanations, it is derogatory. They are still, as Gandhi called them, "children of God" - even if unwelcome in Goa. --- Flower2 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Frederick, Yes, in migration is as old as the hills in Goa, but I think everyone will agree, that in the past, Goans have assimilated migrants quite graciously. I think we have to understand why Goans have suddenly taken to "chauvinism" as you put it. Could it be that the migrants are now descending in overwhelming numbers? Perhaps there is no question of assimilation now, because Goans are being drowned by the waves. You may have a point as you said at the Goenkaranchem Daiz meeting that Goans are not competitive enough, but here in Margao, I have seen the cartels that the out of state migrants have quickly formed with regard to other traditional trades. They have marginalised outmanoeuvred the naive Goans and taken over. As I see it, the Goan is a gentler breed than that hailing from other parts of the country - all that is fast changing now that the natural Goan graciousness has been exploited to the hilt by migrants ( and here I do not refer only to the poorer classes) of course in cahoots with our politicians.
