The inhabitant of one place is migrant to another place this is perhaps applicable to all the people who migrate either to different states within the country or to different countries across the world. The process of migration starts with the increase in demand of workforce in that particular region and Goa has always been blessed with a huge scope of employment for the working-class people and hence migration is inevitable, and when migration happens the rate of crime is bound to go higher.
According to the report published in the local daily The Navhind Times, due to the massive inflow of migrants and their activities in villages of Salcete District, particularly Margao, Colva, Maina-Curtoim, and Cuncolim has lead to an increase in the number of criminal cases like theft, use of muscle power and the same is affecting the local residents.
According to the locals, moving out in the villages of Salcete in the nighttime has become difficult not only for the women but also for men due to the gangs of migrants seen moving around freely. One of the senior citizens claimed that police does not pay heed to the situation and the night patrolling is done only for the sake of formality.
According to the reports. Goa police have booked 34 cases of rioting, 11 cases of forming unlawful assembly, 94 cases of hurt, 18 cases of kidnapping, 17 cases of chain snatching, 36 cases of housebreaking thefts during the night and 54 other theft cases in the south Goa.
The locations like Gogol and Rumdamol Housing Board near St. Jose de Areal have witnessed muscle power activities resulting into street fights and anti-social activities causing the fear amongst the local residents and they avoided coming out in the nighttime.
Cases of theft, burglary, sex trade, drug abuse, kidnapping, broad daylight thefts, fights and sexual crimes involving migrant workers have been reported especially from Salcete villages.
Taking into consideration growing commercialization of the Salcete there is lack of police force in that area and it also leads to no nighttime vigil or moving police vans.
Investigations have revealed that organised criminal behaviour of these migrants, illicit trafficking and trade has added to the problems and it is revealed that migrants are most likely to be the victims of crime committed by migrants, however, the increase in the number of crimes is a big concern for the resident population in absence of proper night patrolling.
The villagers believe that police are not bothered about the safety of villagers. Police jeep is either parked close to a tender coconut vendor or by the side of a fruit seller and at such places where there is traffic congestion for hours neglecting areas which are lonely in Salcete where strict police watch is required.
Why There is a huge Influx of Migrants in the State?
Due to growing demand from construction companies and all other sectors where Goans do not want to work migrants have been appointed. The migrant workers from Karnataka, Bengal, Orissa, Assam, UP, Jharkhand and Manipur are hope seen employed in all the areas. Earlier they were only seen at Construction sites but now you can easily spot them at every restaurant, workshop and petrol pump.
A rampant increase in construction the number of migrant workers have shot up tremendously in the past decade and following the commercialization of the North Goa, now its time for south Goa. All these migrants come to Goa in search of job opportunities and Goa have plenty of them at the moment. The sources revealed that 70 per cent of migrants are from young age group and all of them are single and hence involved in various criminal activities.
People allege that the influx of economically weaker migrants hailing from other states who come as labourers at various development projects in South Goa have spread in Salcete which needs police vigil as there are possibilities of hardcore criminals taking shelter in hutments.
The survey conducted reveals that in most of these cases migrants were involved. The increasing migrants inhabiting the sub-urban areas of Salcete has largely contributed to the increase in offences in contradiction to the police claim of a decline in crime.
However, police claim that checking of strangers, tenant and servant verification by sending their details to the head office in Margao and getting verification done is helping them to a large extent in detecting cases and the crime has come down.
The Source: Navhind Times
