MITAGARS of GOA (A Sociological Study of a Community in Transition) E)2? 6Q
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-7/ MITAGARS OF GOA (A Sociological Study of a Community in Transition) e)2? 6q \o By Rey a Sequega Jo CrJa'A‘\IJA \ \k\t QA\\ lutAko, (muatigidi 9K r7A Thesis Submitted for the Award of the Degree of Doctor o Philosophy in Sociology Al rkcAo co- I- 4-60 Department of Sociology Goa University GOA December 2009 DECLARATION I, Ms. Reyna Sequeira, hereby declare that this thesis entitled "Mitagars of Goa (A Sociological Study of a Community in Transition)" is the outcome of my own study undertaken under the guidance of Dr. R. B. Patil, Reader and Head, Department of Sociology, M.E.S. College of Arts and Commerce, Zuarinagar, Goa and Dr. Ganesha Somayaji, Head Department of Sociology, Goa University. It has not previously formed the basis for the award of any degree, diploma or certificate of this or any other university. I have duly acknowledged all the sources used by me in the preparation of this thesis. Place: Goa University Reyna Sequeira Date: ii • CERTIFICATE This is to certify that the thesis entitled "Mitagars of Goa (A Sociological Study of a Community in Transition)" is the record of the original work done by Reyna Sequeira under our guidance. The results of the research presented in this thesis have not previously formed the basis for the award of any degree, diploma or certificate of this or any other university. Place: Goa University Dr. R. B. Patil Ph. D Guide and Reader Date: 28'42=2009— M.E.S. College of Arts and Commerce, (1) - Zuarinagar, Goa – 403 726 Dr. Ganesha Somayaji Co-Guide, Reader and Head Department of Sociology, Goa University, Goa – 403 206. iii PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The salt industry in Goa is one of the oldest traditional industries. This industry is in a precarious situation now and needs serious attention from academicians, policy makers and politicians. There is a drastic decline in the number of villages producing salt. Out of the 20 traditional salt producing villages of Goa, only 11 villages produce salt in Goa today. This in turn affected or led to the displacement of the salt makers engaged in traditional occupation. There are five different jatis extracting local salt working in this sector in Goa. They are the Mithgaudas, the Gauddis, the Bhandaris, the Agris and the Ager. My association with the Agris of Batim of Tisvadi taluka in Goa began when I worked on my M. A. dissertation in the academic year 1992-1993 wherein I had studied this community. Later, in the year 2006, while deciding to register for Ph.D., I felt the need to continue to work on the same topic. Before registering for Ph.D., I revisited villages producing salt after almost a decade and a half. I noticed that the salt-making community in Goa is experiencing transition and in consultation with my guides, I decided to study this transition. I received help from a number of people and institutions in the course of this study. First and foremost, I take this opportunity to express my profound sense of obligation to my guide Dr. R. B. Patil, Ph. D. guide in the Department of Sociology, Goa University for giving me the opportunity to work under him. I am grateful to him for his patience, help and encouragement. Likewise, I express my sincere gratitude to my co-guide Dr. Ganesha Somayaji, Reader and Head, Department of Sociology, Goa University, for his generous help, advice, support and encouragement throughout this study. To Principal Bhaskar Nayak, of the college where I teach, go my special thanks for allowing me to take leave for three years and thus providing me the opportunity to undertake this research. He has always been supportive and understanding. I am truly grateful to Dr. Renji George Amballoor, Vice Principal of Government college of Arts, Commerce and Science, Quepem, Goa for the administrative assistance rendered during the course of my research. My grateful thanks also go to Dr. Harishchandra Nagvenkar, my teacher, for all his support and inspiration throughout my study. He spared his valuable time in discussing and commenting on the various aspects of my study. I also express my sincere thanks to Prof. Michel Wiverocha, President of the International Sociological Association from France, and Prof. Tom Dwyer, President of the Brazilian Sociological Association, both of whom took a keen interest in my study and for their kind encouragement during the study. They visited the salt producing villages that I worked in and they, in turn, gave me valuable suggestions regarding my study. Prof. N. Jayaram, former Head, Department of Sociology, Goa University, and presently the Dean, Faculty of Social Science at the TISS, Mumbai, was someone with whom I often discussed issues, pertaining to my study. I am grateful to him for his advices. I wish to thank very specially for the help received from Shri Alito Siqueira, my teacher in the Department of Sociology, Goa University. Discussions held with him proved beneficial for embarking on an empirical research of this kind. I also acknowledge, with gratitude, the valuable information supplied by my key respondents, the help I received from the bhatji's (temple priests), Parish Priests and government officials, and above all the active assistance received from the salt makers of Agarvaddo, Batim and Arpora villages. I place on record my gratitude to Frederick Noronha, a noted journalist for his advice and suggestions on all the chapters, and for always. being understanding, ' supportive and obliging. I would like to thank the staff of the Government College, Quepem for all their support during my study period. In particular, Deepa Prajith, Bharati Parab, Purva Hegde Desai, Vidhya Dalvi, Josephine Dias, Asha Mangutkar, Sushila Mendes and Remy Dias helped me in various ways in completing my thesis and I would like to thank them as well. Mr. Damodar K. Ghanekar and Mr. Prakash Parienkar rendered help in translating the Konkani terms. I would also like to thank the Goa Government for giving its approval for me to avail the Teacher Fellowship of the University Grants Commission. Similarly, I wish to record my gratitude to the U.GC for awarding Teacher Research Fellowship, which gave the much needed financial assistance to carry out this research. I am grateful to Ms. Sheila D'Souza lecturer at the Centre for Women's Studies, Goa University for rendering a helping hand during various stages of my thesis. I would like to thank my husband Mr. Melwin Lourenco for all his encouragement and for being so supportive of my goals, and even accompanying me during my field trips, as well as my sons Sushant and Yash. My elder son Sushant in vi particular left aside play and games to accompany me during field trips and stay with me in salt producing villages during his vacations. In a special way I would like to thank my uncle Fr. Joaquim D'Mello for all his support, prayers and encouragement to do well in my Ph. D. I am grateful to my parents, Mr. Manuel Sequeira and late Mrs. Ela Sequeira for her prayers to accomplish this task. Dr. Marina Fernandes and Denzil Fernandes, my cousins, deserve a special word of thanks. Last but not the least to my sister Bertha, my brother-in:law Joaquim Rodrigues, my brother Denrick Sequeira and my sister-in-law Celia for providing me with all the modern equipment required for my study. My special thanks to all of them. Although I cannot mention all the names — of those who made this study a reality — for want of space, I wish to thank everyone else, who helped me in every little way, and whom I may have not have mentioned here. I am extremely grateful to all of them. Reyna Sequeira vii CONTENTS Preface and Acknowledgement iv List of Maps ix List of Tables x List of Diagrams x I Introduction 1 II Studying Mitagars of Goa: Research Methods and Tools 26 HI Salt Making in Goa 44 IV Mithgaudas of Pernem. 99 V Agris of Batim 154 VI Bhandaris and Gauddis of Arpora 210 VII The Mitagars of Goa: Some issues in change and continuity 257 VIII Summary and Conclusion 281 Selected Bibliography 288 Appendix - Glossary 305 Ali LIST OF MAPS Map. No. Name of Map Page No. 1.1 MAHARASHTRA: Mith Gaudas in the Southern Konkan 17 2.1 GOA: Salt production villages (Past) 31 2.2 GOA: Salt Production villages (Present) 32 2.3 GOA: Talukas producing salt 34 2.4 GOA: Three study villages 36 3.1 GOA: Rivers 47 3.2 GOA: Old and New Conquests 53 3.3 PALIEM: Salt Pans 79 3.4 ARAMBOL: Salt Pans 80 3.5 CORGAO: Salt Pans 81 3.6 AGARVADDO: Salt Pans 82 3.7 ARPORA: Salt Pans 83 3.8 CALANGUTE: Salt Pans 84 3.9 NERUL: Salt Pans 85 3.10 PILERNE: Salt Pans 86 3.11 MARRA: Salt Pans 87 3.12 CALAPUR: Salt Pans 88 3.13 MERCES: Salt Pans 89 3.14 CURCA: Salt Pans 90 3.15 BATIM: Salt Pans 91 3.16 GOA VELHA: Salt Pans 92 3.17 TALAULIM: Salt Pans 93 3.18 ASS OLNA: Salt Pans 94 3.19 AMBELTM: Salt Pans 95 3.20 CHINCHINIM: Salt Pans 96 3.21 DEUSUA : Salt Pans 97 3.22 CAVELOS SIM : Salt Pans 98 4.1 AGARVADDO : Location Map 100 4.2 AGARVADDO : Wards Location Plan 102 5.1 BATIM: Location Map 154 5.2 BATIM: Wards Location Plan 158 6.1 ARPORA : Location Map 210 6.2 ARPORA: Wards Location Plan 214 ix LIST OF TABLES Table.