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| Jose Maria Miranda |
With Britain’s impending exit from European
Union, thousands of our fellow Goans, living in UK with a Portuguese passport,
will, sadly, be deprived of most benefits made available to them, thus
defeating the very purpose of their stay there, if at all they are allowed to
remain. Though not many acknowledge it publicly, the fact remains that what
prompted Britons to vote for the exit is that immigration from other countries,
particularly East Europe and former Portuguese colonies, besides Goa, was
putting a tremendous burden not only on the infrastructure but also on the
finances of the country. If want of well paid jobs in India, motivated people
to migrate to UK, this country’s generous doles available per child plus
subsidized accommodation as well pension of Pounds 150 per week per person or
200 per couple to people of pensionary age made the proposition extremely
attractive. Further, the employer was bound to pay minimum wage only to his
employee. But, if the employee’s family lived with him, the Government would
top it up.
Needless to say, these benefits were misused
by many, as lack of manpower precluded proper check of whether pensioners and
employees’ families really lived in UK or had gone back to their country after
claiming these benefits on regular basis. Though this left Britons fuming, is
there any wonder that Goans left for UK in hordes? Philip Hollobone, Tory MP,
referring to Goans migrating to UK in thousands had called it “an outrageous
loophole that must be closed. This is yet another case of issuing of passports
by an EU country to people who have no intention of going to that country, but
head straight to Britain. If we left the EU, we could introduce border controls
that would prevent these people from coming in” he had said.
It must be noted that while the British have
contributed towards their own social security benefits, the immigrants were
eventually getting these benefits without any contribution of their own. This
was certainly unfair to the locals. A similar situation arises in Goa, where
facilities at the GMC and perhaps certain doles are available to people who do
not actually reside in Goa, all at the cost of Goan taxpayer. Surely many of
these are also on the voters’ list, courtesy unscrupulous politicians and
spineless and crawling bureaucrats.
Goa had migration to India, Pakistan, British
East Africa and other Portuguese colonies during the Portuguese regime, as
there were rather few job opportunities here. However, despite families being
large, the cost of living was somewhat manageable. No exodus was witnessed
unlike what is happening now with some villages like Agacaim, Siridao & Goa
Velha, nearly empty. In good many cases, people sold their houses, surely not
imagining that their stay in UK could be short lived. Most of our youth who
left their beloved Goa, did so not of their own will but compelled by dire need
of supporting their families, in absence of good job or business opportunities
in Goa or even elsewhere in India. But this Government is trying to hit them
hard, when it did and does nothing to get them jobs. What does it expect them
to do? Starve to death? Their departure though sad for us, true Goans, but not
for this insensitive Government, will at least help bring down its shameful
statistics of unemployment.
The Prime Minister, who rightly promotes
“Make in India” is surely aware that even qualified people are leaving the
country disgusted with the happenings here. If he is sincere in his quest to
lift India, he should take up the challenge to ask NRIs to return to India and
watch whether there is a single one who heeds to his call. Did he venture doing
that during his umpteen trips abroad? Does it not hurt his patriotism or his
pride, as an Indian, that millions of Indians are compelled to earn their bread
abroad with most having given up their Indian citizenship?
It pains us to say but the truth is that
while many Goans left out of need, a sizeable number did it out of greed. Many
had reasonable jobs and business here and yet left in search of “greener pastures”
One is a king in one’s own land and the love for our land should not be lost in
the lure of “a little extra”. True, people are also leaving out of sheer
disgust, frustration and utter helplessness in improving things in this State.
Surely “Liberation” did not mean only freedom
to bark and scribble, while the Government itself subverts and fails to enforce
laws, indulges in illegalities and rides roughshod over the wishes and
interests of the people. We have a CM who defends reinstatement of his brother-in-law
caught redhanded accepting bribe, while he transfers two upright Police
officials for their involvement in nabbing the culprit. And he shamelessly says
that the culprit being his wife’s brother is not directly related to him.
Perhaps he may stretch a little further and say that his wife too is not
directly related to him. And yet the BJP has the gumption to say that there are
no cases of corruption in their Governments. Is the PM aware of this or do we
need to bring this to his notice? Have our rulers lost all sense of shame and
dignity?
Goans need to be alert. Don’t be surprised if
the law regularizing illegal houses and encroachments is soon followed by
another allowing non-Goans to occupy vacant or rented houses of NRIs. The
imbecility of this Government has no bounds!
It needs to go at the earliest…
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