Goa, But Not Gone ! Surfing the old archives of a renowned magazine I happened to stumble upon an article written in the year 1967, titled *“Goa, But Not Gone” *
The article illustrates the issue at hand, whether Goa after 451 years of Portuguese rule and five years as a semiautonomous "union territory" of India, should give up its separate identity and become part of the teeming Maharashtrian state or retain its distinct Goan cultural identity with statehood. Adamantly opposing the merger were the leaders of Goa's 250,000 Roman Catholics, a powerful force in themselves. "Think Goan," pleaded priests from their pulpits, while the farsighted politicians of the United Goans Party lobbied hard under the legendary Dr. Jack de Sequeira to retain our statehood. The determining question was whether Goa should cease to exist. Our brave forefathers didn’t fail us they did the right thing, rallied and fought hard to save our distinct identity and beloved state. Finally after much agitation, it was decided to have the decision made by Goan voters in an "opinion poll" conducted by the Indian government. In the end, Goans rejected the merger with Maharashtra by a vote of 172,191 to 138,170. Vibrant celebrations ensued in the capital city of Panjim, the results were cheered by a crowd of 10,000, who danced in the streets carrying branches symbolic of victory, firecrackers burst off and created such a joyous disturbance that the government had to call in police with tear gas to restore order. *“Goa is not gone yet !”* was the good news that flooded the airwaves. Today we find history repeats itself again, our generation faces a similar challenge with our identity and state under severe threat from rich money bags all over India who view Goa as prime seafront real estate, with absolutely no regard for, or understanding of, our traditions and our people. Today we see large insular gated communities across our serene villages being developed for wealthy non-goans. Foreigners have brought holiday homes in Goa, often circumventing the laws by forming front companies. Russians of dubious credentials have dropped anchor and brought land. Old Goan houses are purchased by non-goans. The large influx of migrants has reached an alarming 40% of our total population. A young Goan today can no longer afford to buy land or a decent flat with the phenomenal surge in property prices. Yet our leaders today, show no vision and action towards saving our rich cultural heritage, distinct identity and beautiful Goa. It is absolutely imperative that Goans today unite and fight to save what matters most. We must not forget history, the heroic struggle of our forefathers to retain statehood, that ensured the survival of our distinct Goan identity. We must do all we can to make sure that *“Goa is not yet gone !”* Rick Fernandes (Margao, Goa)
