Brexit, Sancoalexit & Other Exits
What does Brexit and Sancoalexit have in common? If anything? Sadly, a lot. The slum in Sancoale is a major slum in Goa of non-Goans who do jobs Goans are unwilling to do for various reasons. As is to be expected, the level of education among the squatters of Sancoale is not high as the job requirements are mostly blue collar. Th Sancoale squatters, however, are not criminals! They are bonafide blue collar workers who are wire men, masons, people who build our roads, make furniture for our houses, fix our roofs, and do a hundred and one other jobs. All these jobs contribute immensely to building the Goan economy by making it stronger. Can you imagine a pulsating Goan economy without these workers? Governments over the decades who have been in power in Goa - MGP, Congress, BJP - all three have failed to organize and manage the needs of development of the State. All three are guilty of the most devastating example of non-application of mind. Buildings and flats, by the thousands, continue to come up all over Goa. The builders are happy to do business with anyone but will they take responsibility for where the out-of-state workers live? In future, the government in power has to pass a few strict laws and regulations which makes it mandatory for builders who employ masons and other workers to guarantee proper legal residential premises and housing. Otherwise, slums will increase and the rationale and humanitarian approach of the incumbent government to regularize the shanties on government and communidade land will be reduced to a farce. As three different political parties and governments have created and compounded this problem to the level of a crises it is absolutely necessary for all three to work together to solve this ugly problem in Sancoale which is of course one of several scars on the face of beautiful Goa. While mistakes of the past on the part of titans of business and governments are in the process of being corrected, plan for the future! Do not allow history to repeat itself or Goa will be doomed to a dark and gloomy future of a dozen slums and more in a small state. Goans in Goa are worried about Goans working in the UK after Brexit. The Goan workers who have emigrated to the UK for a better future are no different from the majority of non-Goans who live and work in Goa and do various jobs which Goans don't. The British government no doubt can offer Goans in the UK a better deal than the non-Goans who are Indian citizens get; the working conditions and welfare benefits are far superior as the standard of living in the UK is much higher than India. While there are a few bad apples among workers in both countries, the majority only want to better the lives of their families through hard work. Goans in Goa cannot do much to influence the British government. The Goa government and the Goans in Goa however can improve the working conditions of non-Goans who live in slums in Goa and who make the lives of Goans more comfortable. It is our duty and not a favor we are doing them. In this regard, we need to applaud the BJP MLA Alina Saldana's humanitarian contribution to the betterment of the lives of the slum dwellers of Sancoale. Whoever said charity begins at home had a point to make which is relevant to our world today. Now is the time to show a bit of compassion for the non-Goan workers who live in slums and slog to make the lives of people who live in Goa better, much better. And, a good place to begin is Sancoale. No exit, please.
