Cushioning impact of globalization- delivering socio economic justice to workers in Goa’s traditional occupations and businesses
This has reference to previous post http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/2010-March/190767.html As a chairman of the 30 member task force committee (hereafter refered as TFC) appointed by the government of Goa in March 2010, under the directorate of social welfare to frame an appropriate scheme and package for protection and support for traditional business/occupations of Goa, I would be submitting my report this month and as declared by the CM in the June 8 press conference, the benefits may start flowing from the current financial year. With the help of members I would be continuously monitoring the progress. The following were my terms of reference:- 1. To identify the traditional occupations of Goa 2. To identify short term and long term needs of traditional occupations for their protection and promotion of their enterprises and employment 3. To suggest specific measures/schemes for upliftment of workers in traditional occupations 4. To prepare and submit a time bound detail action plan for protection and promotion of traditional occupations of Goa I may have an official press conference and make a powerpoint presentation by end of this month. I have been assured full support by Goa bakers’ association, Goa toddy tappers association, Goa potters (kumbhar) association, Goa salt producers association, fulkars, molekars, fogeri, chanekars, khazekars and numerous other stakeholders. They have given excellent cooperation. Subject to the criteria which would be laid down, I expect the new scheme to benefit 70,000- 100000 people in Goa at grass roots level. It would be a historic step to support and empower them. Over next 12-18 months, to make the benefits of the scheme reach the genuine people, I personally plan to visit village panchayats which were known to be main centres of traditional occupations/enterprises with some of the committee members ( esp. Rajendra Kerkar, Dadu Mandrekar, Prakash Poreinkar, Soyru Velip and Dr. Uday Gaonkar, Subhash Mahale, Gaspar dias of Toddy tappers association et al.) once the scheme gets going. We would address meetings in local language and visit the houses of traditional workers. How it began? The government was made to act on basis of a detail note which I had sent to the CM on May 28, 2009. The government had provided Rs. 300 lakhs in the budget for the financial year 2009-10 but it could not prepare an appropriate scheme. So, after discussion with stakeholders like Goa bakers’ association, horticulturists (molekars), floriculturists (fulkars), researchers of Goa’s traditional arts and crafts-Rajendra kerkar, Prakash Poreinkar, Dr. Pandurang Phaldesssai and others, I requested the CM in January 2010 to constitute a task force committee. The TFC held two meetings and collected details from stakeholders. We also studied the existing schemes of state and central government departments to avoid duplication. Towards socio economic justice Governments have come, ruled and gone. Since 1988 I have consistently championed the cause of protecting, reviving, supporting the traditional occupations of Goa. There are some social security measures at state and central government level. But these are not sufficient. My village Calapur /Santa cruz had fishermen, toddy tappers, feni distillers, potters, poders, salt producers, garland makers. But with urbanization, change in land use, the occupational structure of village has changed. We used to prepare traditional hot Goan masala (an unique blend of spices) in our house. My father had written the recipe which included 53 items. I couldn’t find it. With his demise the knowledge has vanished. When I interviewed my mother about her knowledge of traditional Goan food she listed about 1000+ recipes. The goan randapi (traditional goan cook/cater) is becoming a rare institution. I told the champions of industrialization that to create one job in an industry an investment of Rs. 1-1.5 crores is required. In addition government gives power, water employment subsidies. Why not protect and promote existing employment-I asked these champions. There is no package for our poders or potters or toddy tappers. I have written on the plight of poders earlier-read http://www.colaco.net/1/nanduPoders.htm). And what’s the tax free profit from Salt production industry?. My student Ms. Sajna Fernandes did a study on salt pans of Merces in 1995. She came out with fantastic figures. A hectare of Salt pan (agor) gives a net profit of Rs. 1.5 lakhs after working for 120 days. An average income of Rs. 1250 per day. I told the governments which came to power since 1988-89 that here is an example of “traditional sustainable employment’. Protect and promote it. I met the ex industries minister Shaik Hassan, then Carmo Pegado and all those who followed them. They were sympathetic but couldn’t do anything. Only Shaik Hasan convened a meeting in old secretariat to discuss the problems of Salt producers. I asked my friend and well wisher ex-MP late Mr. Erasmo Sequeira to attend. He had socialist leanings. He asked me in the meeting-“Panaji would expand in future. Do you want to have salt pans within the city, nandkumar?.” He suggested model demo farms. Mr. Hasan commissioned scientists Rathod and Joshi of Central salt and marine chemicals research institute, Bhavanagar , Gujarat to conduct a survey of Goa’s salt pans and make recommendations. The report was not implemented as post 1990 the real estate lobby became the “king maker’ in Goa’s politics. It is shocking to see the rampant conversion of Salt pans in Arpora and elsewhere. There are traditional skill sets in almost every village of Goa. The knowledge of construction, repair and maintenance of Khazan embankments in Goa is more than 2000 years old. But how many Goans understand the techniques behind-thor, cupto, chonoy and the design and construction of a sluice gate (manos).?. in the whole state we would find not more than 2-500 persons with this knowledge. This is unfortunately the LAST generation…. At Durbhat-Agapur I discovered the traditional ship building craft (vhode, ponel, galbat, taru). Where is the documentation, manuals of design?. What’s the future of this enterprise? At Demani, Cuncolim they make beautiful painted wooden crafts. I found wonderful terracotta Divazas ( forked lamps) at Ponguinim. The craft of carving ‘sarapa badi” – (a snake shaped yellowish white wooden stick, kept in the house with the belief that it would not permit entry of snakes.) exists only in a single village in Canacona. Perhaps it is the only village in the world with that art. I can write exhaustively on this issue, but….. I am not surprised that civil society of Goa has forgotten such issues which societies elsewhere impacted by globalization are concerned with. We need practical solutions. It is duty of the government to support the vulnerable sections in society. Democracies provide you instruments and mechanisms to present good welfare ideas-you really don’t need a gun to ensure socio economic justice. -- Dr. Nandkumar Kamat, GOA