Migration

17 March 2018

Hello everyone,

 My name is Bhavana Gaude from F.Y.B.COM C and I like to share my views on the topic “Migration”.

From stone age to modern age, from colonized to globalised world, immigration has been a phenomenon by itself.

Goans have been migrating before, during and after colonial times. According to the available information Goans traded in east Africa in the 10^th century which shows that they were truly, seafarers and intercontinental movers. Later on, during Portuguese colonial rule, Christian Goans became a part of the Portuguese seafaring tradition. The majority of Goan immigrants have originated from the old conquests mainly Bardez, Tiswadi, Salcete and Marmugao. The reason behind migration was unemployment, as Portuguese did not do anything to generate the employment in Goa for the common man and as a result, large section of the population was forced to migrate. According to sources in the year 1930’s seventy thousand Goans had migrated from Goa out of which 2/3^rd settled in British India and in 1960, 1/6^th of the total population of 6 lakhs was immigrant. Goa, a small territory has a vast international Diaspora and it is a matter of record that Goans were never used as bonded labour, unlike Indians in British India.

Most of the Goans emigrated to the neighbouring Indian states, as Goa being a Portuguese colony, any migration to India was considered international than the places like Pune, Dharwad, Calcutta, Karachi and Mumbai, where Goans began working in the British Navel fleet between 1797 and 1813.

From the last decades of the 19^th century to the early decades of the 20^th century Goans began emigrating to Portuguese and British colonies in East Africa. They were seeking their livelihood in distant lands as workers in search of opportunities in various fields. The rich cultural syncretism gave Goans a more inclusive identity which facilitated their adaptation and integration into new and different cultures of the host of countries. According to the statistics Christian Goans had a higher geographical and occupational mobility because of their cultural openness and liberal attitude, which helped easy adaptability to any environment.

In the mid 60’s in the wake of an oil boom in West Asia and Gulf, began a steady outflow of semiskilled and skilled labour force.

This was followed by outflow of enterpreneurs, store owners, professionally employed businessmen to European countries primarily to W.K. A little later, professionals and educated elite began seeking economical betterment in more advanced countries in the world.

Regards

Bhavana Gaude

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