On 23 November 2010 19:55, J. Colaco < jc> <[email protected]> wrote:
> Hear me, Tommyboy ......IF the Gulf-Goans had not SACRIFICED and > STRUGGLED in the harsh climes and conditions of the Gulf, Goans from > the villages would have been scrapping for basics like food.....while > politicians continue to swipe the poixe, And if you have the time, > please have a chat with the local business folk and ascertain how > their economy would have fared but for these valiant Gulf Goans. JC, Firstly, I don't believe you need to abuse people you disagree with. Or even call them "Tommyboy". Secondly, this "sacrificed and struggled in harsh climes and conditions" argument you're making sounds like a modern-day mythmaking exercise you are indulging in. Without saying so in as many words, you're suggesting that the decision to migrate was an option in sacrifice and struggle. While migration (and many other things -- marriage, motherhood, fatherhood, being a doctor, working in shifts, being a part of Goanet...) does undeniably involve "sacrifice and struggle", anyone would agree that people migrate for a complex set of reasons. Primary among these is sensing opportunity. We do not migrate for the sake of Goa, or the Goan economy. We do so because we need to earn a living, seek greener pastures, or find ways of better fulfilling our potential. There's the lure of the greenbacks. Maybe because we have to support a family -- but so do people who don't migrate. We do so because we (rightly or otherwise) believe we don't have scope back home. This is parallel to a decision to stay back in Goa. I would hardly claim staying back in Goa is a matter of sacrifice and struggle, though there can be some rough edges at times. There are many complex reasons and calculations which make us take the decisions we take. Yes indeed, money remittances back to Goa have played an increasingly important role in the local economy. More so as the rupee got devalued. (At the same time, it has led to inflationary pressures within Goa, created a magnet promoting in-migration, and fuelled consumeristic lifestyles.) But to suggest that those who migrate are taking on some additional cross, or indulging in philanthropic or social work is just far from the reality. Thus, I disagree. FN Frederick Noronha :: +91-9822122436 :: +91-832-2409490
