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* * * 2006 ANNUAL GOANETTERS MEET - GOA * * *
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WHERE: Foodland Cafe - Miramar Residency - Miramar, Goa
WHEN: December 21, 2006 @ 4:00pm
More info:
http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/2006-December/051747.html
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Documented by Goa Desc Resource Centre (GDRC)
Email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
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The Smallest Goan and the Global Market
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The Chief Minister, Mr Pratapsing Ranes pledge on Goas Liberation Day to work
towards ending the unevenness in growth within Goa should hopefully be
reflected in the governments current and future plans. The unevenness in
growth within the state is evident from the gaps that exist in all respects
between the major cities and the smaller towns and rural parts. Take for
instance, drinking water. Several parts of Goa do not have adequate drinking
water supplies. In several other parts, public taps exist that supply water at
certain hours, thus gathering long queues. A number of people still depend on
traditional wells, but then the water level in many parts is going down owing
to constructions and other ecological changes.
In power, too, the rural parts are discriminated. They are not adequately
served, either in terms of supply or service in case of breakdowns. So is
health care. The primary health centres that are supposed to serve these parts
in the absence of hospitals do not provide them adequate health care. Even
though distances in Goa are physically small, they turn larger when it comes to
the treatment of wounded or seriously ill people in the smaller towns and rural
parts, because they have to travel to the hospitals in the main cities. Then
the roads in smaller towns and rural parts are not as good as in the main
cities, which makes faster travel difficult.
The unevenness is evident not only in these public services, but also in
economic growth. As a matter of fact, economic growth depends on several of
those factors, like power and roads. The industrial estates that have been set
up in the rural parts have not fully served the objectives for which they were
set up. They have continued to exist like enclaves, without any organic
relationship with the communities in the neighbourhood. The best way to end the
unevenness in development would be to set up active, profitable relationship
between the local products and skills and the industrial estates. The state
government might, for example, try to set up an industrial estate entirely
dedicated to food and fruit processing whose enterprises will be supplied by
the produce from the neighbouring communities.
What is lacking today is economic and employment opportunities for the people
in rural parts. This is the reason why farmers, horticulturists, artisans and
fishermen and their younger generations are turning to the bigger cities. There
has to be a movement back from the bigger cities to the villages. The economic
and employment opportunities must re-migrate to the rural parts. If the
opportunities exist only in bigger cities a still larger number of people will
leave the rural parts to seek those opportunities in the bigger cities. And we
cant blame the shetkar or his chedo for converting his land to commercial use,
selling it and migrating to the city. The social activists who are opposed to
conversion of agricultural land do not have any right to ask the shetkars and
their chedos to deny themselves the right to sell their lands and migrate to
the city. If opportunities are there in the cities what will the shetkars and
their chedos do in the villages? The shetkars and thei
r chedos
may turn around and say, We will also register an NGO, seek funds, mouth and
scribble the right phrases and get more and be rich, just as you are doing in
the big cities. And the NGOs will have to keep mum, because they cannot ask
the shetkars and their younger generations to go and perish in your kheden.
Nor has our government the right to ask them to do that. Opportunities have to
be created in the rural parts for an even development. So, when the government
talks of ending the unevenness, they should not just plan for providing the
rural parts city-like amenitiesadequate power, water, transport, and so onbut
for using these services to develop agriculture, trade and industry in those
parts in an organic manner. Communities in rural parts must become producers of
goods and services that are linked to local enterprises that could use them,
add value and market them to other regions. This system cannot work without a
market orientation. The smallest man in the village must be linked to a global
market, so he gets the best return for his goods or services.
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Editorial in The Navhind Times 21/12/06 page 12
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GOA DESC RESOURCE CENTRE
Documentation + Education + Solidarity
11 Liberty Apts., Feira Alta, Mapusa, Goa 403 507
<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
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Working On Issues Of Development & Democracy
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