Asmitai Dis

More efforts are needed to take forward the dreams of those who won the Opinion Poll

Today is the anniversary of Goa’s historic Opinion Poll, a very significant day in the annals of Goa’s history. It was a referendum held in 1967 that gave the people an opportunity to decide their fate – whether to merge with Maharashtra or not. Despite the wholehearted backing of the Maharashtra government and the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) spearheading the campaign, Goans voted to keep their separate identity. It is thanks to the Centre that it agreed that the fate of Goa shouldn’t be decided by the assembly but by a referendum. The Opinion Poll approved by the Indira Gandhi-led government was indeed a significant event that enabled Goans to determine their own future, retain their identity and promote their cultural heritage.

Thanks to all those who worked shoulder to shoulder, cutting across caste, creed and religion, the victory was possible. The pro-merger camp had all the resources at their disposal and had expected huge leads in the MGP bastions.

The governments, however, have failed to give importance to this day. If the result of the Opinion Poll had gone in favour of the pro-merger side, Goa would have been a taluka of Maharashtra or at the most a district of the neighbouring state. The government has to go by the word given in the assembly to celebrate the day in a grand manner, annually. Children should also be taught how the proposal to merge Goa into Maharashtra was rejected by the people. The poll’s outcome paved the way for Konkani to be adopted as the official language of Goa in 1987.

Considering the transformation the state has undergone, Goans are already bemoaning the dilution of cultural identity. The locals are already feeling the heat of the drastic changes in the demographic profile even in villages. We lament that the Konkani-speaking populace is “declining”. In an irony of sorts, many of the non-Goans who have settled here speak in Konkani and even call themselves Goans. Commentators say that the usage of Konkani is dropping among the locals. Promotion of Konkani should have been stronger. More efforts should have been made by the government to promote Konkani among youngsters. The responsibility also lies with Konkani organisations. No doubt, they are doing their bit, but more activities and programmes could have been held using technology to push Konkani among kids.

We need to introspect whether the unique identity and cultural ethos Goans voted for in 1967 continue to survive, else think of what needs to be done to preserve them. There is no doubt that Goa has made strides in every sector. It has become a welfare state. It is a much-sought tourism destination in the country. In the past 10 years, Goa’s infrastructural facilities have seen a huge jump, mainly with the support of the central government. There has also been a huge out-migration. The job market is not satisfactory due to which many move to foreign shores. In the absence of local labour, the vacuum is filled by workers from outside the state. The character of villages has changed suddenly. Goa would have done better with ‘Special status’ but both the major national parties failed the people of this state.

Forests, hills, paddy fields, water bodies and khazans have been our heritage. But these too have undergone a metamorphosis. In the past four years or so, there have been massive land conversions and new concrete jungles shaping up at the cost of the green cover.

Goa’s identity, cultural heritage and ecology are its biggest strengths, and protecting them is crucial for preserving the essence of Goa. Sustainable development is a must for Goa.