Goa Then & Now

Writing about Goa in 1991-30 years after her Liberation from Portuguese rule and subsequent entry into India’s mainstream of planned economic development development — one could either look back in anger or nostalgia over a land that was dominated by her foreign masters. Anger, at a situation when governance of the was in the hands of foreigners whose motives clearly were exploitation of the land and its people, coupled with harsh and repressive measures against the 'natives'; or nostalgia for a life that apparently was less complicated, hardly affected by environmental pollution-and for those who have seen both pre-and post-Liberation days a standard of living that was less expensive than even the prevailing one in India, at the time of Liberation especially in regard to Goa's neighbouring states. In this context, a quotation from a "Techno-economic Survey of Goa, Daman and Diu" researched and published by India's premier national Council of Applied Economic Research, New Delhi has the following interesting comments to make on per capita income, standard of living etc. at the time of Goa's Liberation:

The per capita income (of Goa) works out at Rs. 433 which is higher by 32% than the corresponding figure in the rest of the country (the estimated per capita) income in 1960-61 for all - India was Rs. 327). Incomes per head are lower in Daman and Diu. Actually, the real income of the average Goan is much higher than that indicated by these figures. The prices of many consumer goods such as cloth, tobacco, wines, liquors, radio, automobiles etc. were about 50 to 70% lower than the all India level (e.g. the price of a 20 ) cigarette pack of Capstan was only Rs.0.37 in Goa, compared to the current price of Rs. 1.80 in India at the time). No doubt the prices foodgrains, vegetables and other necessities of life which were earlier imported from India were a little higher but the average Goan enjoyed a higher standard of living due to availability of cheap, imported, quality goods."

However, with Liberation in 1961, Portuguese colonial rule came to an end and Goa, along with Daman and Diu, joined the mainstream of Free India and her plans for economic and industrial devlopment in the hope that these plans would lead to a better life for the people of Free India. Unlike the thousands of villages in several parts of India, those in Goa are comparatively well-served with drinking water, metalled roads, electricity, bus transport, medical assistance educational, occupational and recreational facilities: perhaps these are a result of combination of sound scientific planning and an involvement of all communities and the Goan people from different walks of life.