Goans might have won the battles of opinion poll, official language (though now fighting with each other on script issue!), statehood, but till date could not build a maintainable society without demographic dilution.
Census of 2001 indicates that nearly 2 lakh migrants are permanently settled in Goa. This migration trend is growing in Goa day by day and today we might be having nothing less than 6 -7 lakh migrants settled illegally and permanently in Goa. Next Census is likely to be shocking for all Goans! This migration trend is seen to be jeopardizing the political, social, cultural and economic space of Goa and is leading to demographic dilution of the Goa with marginalization of Goans politically and socially. The root causes of all this is the three growing tentacles of draconian plans taking shape in Goa: One in Special Economic Zone (SEZ), second in Regional Plan (RP), and third in Outline Development Plan (ODP). With this in mind every Goan must wake up to cut the roots of these three deadly plans for which Goans must come under one umbrella without ifs and buts and vociferously oppose all these three plans which government is in hast of implementing. I would go little further, in opposing RP Goans united themselves extending backing to Dr. Oscar Rebello; like wise to oppose SEZ we must unite ourselves extending our full support to Mathany Saldhana; and to oppose the ODP, if we don't have any leader immerged out as yet, we must find one to fight this plan too. We must also understand that no one man can handle all Goan issue single handedly; and that there is no point in pointing figures to a person who takes a lead by charging as "political" and or "apolitical" which are actually two sides of the same coin! Goans principal focus should be to get SEZ scrapped and to get RP and ODP redrawn to benefit general Goans and not as is master planned by Aam Admi & Khass Admi!! Best regards, Dr. U. G. Barad
