Government Apathy Fuels the Exodus of the Konkani-Manoos

The Konkani-manoos grapple with government neglect, shrinking opportunities, escalating migration, and an eroding cultural identity. It’s time for the state to tackle these urgent challenges.

Now that the celebrations are done for, the new state government may need to take a step out of their comfort zones (Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, and Nashik) and travel to the last district of western Maharashtra to gather some harsh reality and facts about the plight of the Marathi manoos in the region.

It appears that while our very own politicians seem keen on fighting for the rights of the Marathi-speaking population settled across the border in Belgaum, Karnataka, they are very unaware of the situation in their own backyard.

Although migration has been a well-established tradition in the Konkan region for centuries (since the 1800s, especially to the cities of Mumbai which had a flourishing textile industry due to its many mills) since the last few years the condition of the Konkani-manoos has witnessed changes on many fronts.

The entry of traders and businessmen from the states of Rajasthan, Bihar, Punjab, Orissa, and West Bengal across the Konkan belt, mainly from Ratnagiri to Sindhudurg has been forcing many locals to shift to the neighbouring sunny state of Goa not only for employment but permanent residency as well.

The most interesting part of this change can be witnessed in the closure of many Marathi medium schools that have shut down over the past few years. The ones that remain continue to run with hardly a handful of children in attendance.

Interestingly, in several villages along the Maharashtra – Goa border, families (who initially enrolled their children in government-aided Marathi medium schools) prefer sending their wards to Goa instead. Free transport and access to English education at subsidised costs appear to be the main pull for most families in these villages to send their children to study in these schools. 

One of the members of the gram panchayat from Madura, the last village on the Mahrashtra-Goa border, informs us that most families in Konkan want their children to learn English and not Marathi as they believe their children will fall behind later in life. And since Goa appears to be a mere ‘hop, skip, and jump’ away with the Goan government offering many subsidies, it seems fair for the families to send their wards there.

“The only drawback there is that our children are learning Goan history and culture and once they finish education they have to come back to Maharashtra. They are completely disconnected with the history and culture of Maharashtra,” he says, adding that the unemployment rate in Konkan, especially in Sindhudurg is so high that most youngsters, once they finish school eventually end up in Goa working in hotels or automobile garages for a pittance.

Residents of Madura, Padlos, Kaas, Ronapal, and Sherle – the Panchakrishi or five main villages, confess that for several years now they have been vehemently pushing for their villages and homes to be merged in Goan state as they continue to be neglected under the current state government.

Frequent electricity shortages, lack of local employment, local jobs being taken away by migrants from other states, and constant neglect from politicians have pushed the Konkani manoos to the edge. The rising costs of living in cities like Mumbai and Pune too have put off many locals from migrating there unlike their forefathers.

There are no permanent government jobs for locals anymore. Even recruitments for the state electricity board or railways are outsourced. In the touristy towns of Malvan, Sawantwadi, and Banda, one gets to see several industries (from selling building equipment and local groceries to even hotels and bakeries) being operated by migrants from Rajasthan and Kerala.

Gangadhar Keni, a 60-year-old mason from Nigude village, informs us that he is unable to make a steady living because his boss, a local Marathi contractor, prefers hiring Bihari migrants, as they are affordable and ready to work 12 hours a day. Even simple jobs like that of a plumber have also been taken away by migrants from Orissa who have settled themselves in the area for over a decade now.

With the opening of the Mopa airport, the prices of property in and around Sindhudurg (which incidentally borders Goa state) have skyrocketed to such an extent that the only buyers willing to pay these astronomical amounts are from Delhi and Kerala, indirectly forcing the Konkani manoos to sell as nothing appears to be working for him now.

So the next time our politicians may want to discuss the Belgaum issue, they may want to look closer back home first.

(The author is a senior journalist based in Mumbai. Views personal.)