Native Goans, Goenkars if we call them, are peace loving and happy go lucky people. Goenkars have always followed their tradition and preserved their culture. For Ganesh Chaturthi, Shigmo, Christmas whole of Goa wears a festive look. We are known to be Sushegad(Satisfied). As times changed, Goa progressed to come on the world map as a prime tourist destination and exporter of iron ore/minerals to various parts of the world. Many people from different states flocked Goa in search of livelihood. People from as far as UP/ Kashmir/ Assam came to Goa. Nobody migrates for fun; everyone does it to support himself and his family. Goans have also migrated. We see lot of goans migrating to Mumbai and other parts of country for livelihood reasons. Wherever Goans have gone we have gelled with the society and become part of the culture. The social fabric of that city/state was not disturbed. Goans have not created slums or hawked on the pavements. By nature goans have the habit of maintaining cleanliness. You will not see them urinating and defecating in open where they migrate. How many Goans land up in UP/ Bihar get onto voter rolls fraudulently on the voter rolls, squat on public land and then claim that it is as their own, have bogus election card/ driving license.

Today, in Goa, many non-Goans have entered traditional occupations of Goenkars. A UP man fishing and selling it gives more information to local goans on fish than you can digest. People from states where there is no sea are into fishing and trading. The motorcycle pilot the, unique business in whole of country we see lot of migrants entering there. Bhel puri stalls lining our beaches, are exclusively run by migrants. With so many people settling in the state, our Goan way of life does seem to be changed. A person on the road is more likely to speak Hindi on Kannad than Konkani. Chewing Paan and spraying red spit on the walls was never so common. If you are close to a bus, you may well be in the range of a 'Picchik' spit from a construction worker sitting in the bus. The places where we went for a walk to enjoy a pleasant morning, now give a smell of shit to fill our lungs. Vast areas in certain cities have been consumed by slums where there is an uneasy tension. Goans living around these areas find it dangerous to venture out at certain times. See the rise in Goa's crime graph. We will soon have hijdas pestering people on the streets. The costal belt is getting sucked into drug trade. The end result of all this is that the unique identity Goans always cherished, has now been compromised.

We Goans are primarily responsible for this condition. Anyone visiting a beach wants to eat bhel puri. Everyone needs a haircut. People will continue to build houses and workers will always be needed. While Goans refuse such occupations, we are creating vacancies for migrants to come in. Goans have been selling cultivable land to the highest bidders. Goans find it easier to sell land than put in some effort into agriculture. The issue is serious enough that the government should step in and make these occupatons lucrative to Goans through specially designed schemes and encourage youth to take up traditional business.

It is common knowledge that migrants are being used as a vote bank by certain politicians. They are given ration cards, election card, driving license, water and electricity connections, while we Goans have to go through procedures. Monte Hill, today known as Moti Dongor, has made Madgaon the crime capital of Goa. Usgaon, Curti in Ponda and many more are turning into such areas. Thanks to the efforts of Manohar Parrikar government that Baina got cleared of the infamous slums. It is time we participate in elections and outnumber the migrants.

Of course not all migrants should be blamed for distorting Goa. The pharma indistry which brings in substantial revenue could not have thrived in the state only based on local manpower. Government cannot impose restrictions on any industry to employ only locals. But it can certainly create conditions such that locals are qualified enough to get absorbed in any industry.

Goa, though a tiny dot on the national map, is the face of India for foreign tourists who have so far considered it to be a paradise. The same paradise is slowly turning into a filthy swamp. It is true that India is one country and anyone from any state has the right to settle anywhere. But if a small state like Goa starts absorbing hordes of migrants, we will lose the right to retain our identity.