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2008 International Goan Convention
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Re: Goan/Anti-Goan Identity?
From Filomena Saraswati Giese
July 12, 2008
There have been several posts on Goanet about Goan vs. Indian identity. Some
posts seem to be saying that Goans have a distinctive identity that needs to be
preserved and protected. These posts have an anti-migrant message in general.
Others feel that there is now an Indian identity and Goans should not defend
their right to a Goan identity. For them, migration from other states into Goa
should be an uncontrolled “free-for-all.”
My take on this debate is:
1. There is an Indian identity because the states are all part of the new
nation of India and because the states and their majority population have some
commonality of language and cultural roots that we say is “Indian” not, say,
“Chinese.” But there is not yet an “Indian identity” that replaces each state’s
ethnic identity, based on its pre-existing language, history, culture, even
cuisine.
2. If anything, we have multiple identities in India. Today’s Indians are both
Maharashtran and Indian, Tamilian and Indian, Keralite and Indian, Goan and
Indian etc.
3. It is easy for states with large populations to preserve their
identity. Look at India’s state population statistics. States like Uttar
Pradesh with 167 million, Maharashtra with 97 million, Bihar with 83 million,
W. Bengal with 89 million, Tamil Nadu with 62 million, Karnataka with 53
million, Kerala with 32 million, have a decided advantage when it comes to
preserving their language, culture, and historical identity over a small state
like Goa that has less than 2 million.
4. But even large states are having a backlash against migrant workers.
Recently, there have been violent evictions of non-Maharashtran migrants from
Maharashtra in the “Maharashtra for Maharashtrans” movement. Obviously, not
just Goans, but other Indians are experiencing an identity crisis due to
migration from other states. So, let’s not make it just a Goa thing. Just look
around. There have been, and continue to be, identity clashes all over India,
be it in Kashmir, Assam, Nagaland,or Maharashtra, or be it over religious
identity. People in India have always felt that they have a right to preserve
their ancient heritage, religion, culture, and language. So anyone who says
that it is non-Indian for Goans to want to preserve their own particularity is
in denial of the Indian reality. It’s nothing unusual for Goans to feel the
same way as other Indians do about wanting to preserve their own ethnic
identity. Don’t let’s lay a guilt trip on
Goans for wanting their own identity.
Why this backlash of anti-migrant feeling all over India is unresolved:
1. There is no system in place to make politicians less corrupt and more
responsible for creating jobs and opportunities for the inhabitants of their
own state.
Migration between states has its roots in unemployment and misery in one’s
native state. Instead of developing jobs, housing, better transportation,
better standard of living, corrupt politicians in each and every state pocket
whatever money they can from the public trust. So, workers move to other
states and from their home slum to a new slum somewhere else in India.
The already overburdened tax payer in the new state now has to pay for support
services for the migrants. The tax payer in the new host state, say Maharashtra
or Goa, supports food ration cards, medical services, schooling, senior
benefits for migrant workers. Local politicians collect migrant votes in return
but do hardly anything to build infrastructure for the new population. Slums
in India are thus perpetuated, not removed, so that politicians can enrich
themselves and dump their poor on to some other state.
2. On the other hand, politicians and industrialists have schemes like the
SEZs to bring in migrant workers, regardless of their impact on a state’s
environment or ethnic makeup. The issue of identity loss is never discussed
when it comes to giving industrialists local land and tax breaks.
3. There is no attempt to discuss rationally the ongoing violence of
identity clashes throughout India due to migration. The modern state of India
adopted a western framework of statehood, laws and constitution, lock, stock
and barrel. (So did new states in Africa, where ethnic cleansing is an ongoing
phenomenon, and other former colonies).
These laws and constitutions were for homogeneous societies in England and
other parts of Europe where internal migration was not an issue. They were not
designed for nations that have many different identities that people are
willing to die for.
When millions of Bengalis from Bengal with 89 million, plus other illegals from
Bangladesh, migrate to Assam which has 26 million, take over jobs and business
opportunities, and the original Assamese become a marginalized group in their
own state, is it any surprise that this situation spawns a separatist movement?
Is there anything in the Indian constitution that provides an equitable
solution for the Assamese, once the problem surfaces?
Dare one propose to the pundits that the Indian constitution is in need of
re-examination, and perhaps, even modification, to address the seemingly
widespread Indian (not just Goan) crisis over such identity loss in the various
states of India?
Filomena Saraswati Giese
--- On Wed, 7/9/08, [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Subject: Goanet Digest, Vol 3, Issue 854
> To: goanet@lists.goanet.org
> Date: Wednesday, July 9, 2008, 1:44 AM
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> Today's Topics:
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> 1. Re: Andhra Chief Minister Sanctions Separate
> Department For
> Christian Minorities (Gabe Menezes)
> 2. Re: Riposte to "Democracy as an Illusion: The
> Goa Experience
> - Kind attn. Mr. Arun Sinha (Rajan P. Parrikar)
> 3. Goan Inquistion (Bernado Colaco)
> 4. Re: Pandora's last box (Alfred de Tavares)
> 5. Re: Why do some find it necessary to vomit in public?
> (Gabe Menezes)
> 6. It's right time Mr. CM (Dr. U. G. Barad)
> 7. Huge disparity in private forest area comes to fore
> (Pravin Sabnis)
> 8. Where are the "communal harmonistas"?
> (Rajan P. Parrikar)
> 9. Re: Goan Inquistion (Santosh Helekar)
> 10. Of fake IDs and anonymous cowards (Rajan P. Parrikar)
> 11. Daily Haiku #159 (Francis Rodrigues)
> 12. Re: Anti-Goan Identity Movement (Santosh Helekar)
> 13. Fw: letter to editor (soter)
> 14. Catholic Charity Trust Celebrates Silver Jubilee And
> St.
> Thomas Day (Goanet News)
>
