[Goanet] Becoming Goan: Michelle Mendonca Bambawale in conversation with Selma Carvalho
Folks in London please do come for what promises to be a riveting event. Michelle Mendonca Bambawale, author of the book 'Becoming Goan' published by Penguin India, and I have both spent our lives in the Goan diaspora and have called several continents home. Between the two of us, we've inhabited Bangkok, Dubai, London and America, and have Goa as the bond that holds it all together. We will be discussing issues of Goan identity, how it is informed and conceptualised, the concept of outsiders vs insiders, and the challenges facing Goa today. Event to be held at Nehru Centre London, WIK IHF. Doors open at 6pm. Event starts at 6:45pm. All best wishes,Selma Carvalho
[Goanet] President of India: #SaveRTI
Hello there, I just signed the petition "President of India: #SaveRTI" and wanted to see if you could help by adding your name. Our goal is to reach 7,500 signatures and we need more support. You can read more and sign the petition here: http://chng.it/cdKTVPLjnT Thanks! Oliveiro
[Goanet] Fitz de Souza: Kenyatta's right hand man
Yes the book is available in the Kindle version at amazon.inWhat a great Goan! My family was priviledged to know him. I think it was in 1960 that we were on the SS Karanja from Mombasa to Bombay. He won a teddy bear at the ship's tombola, which landed with my sister.In the mid 1990s I spotted him walking near the (old) Secretariat. I helloed him and he said hello back. Do you know who I am?: I asked him. Pat came his correct answer. This, from a man who has known any amount of people! -- Message: 5 Date: Sun, 12 May 2019 07:45:44 +0100 From: Gabe Menezes To: "Goa's premiere mailing list, estb. 1994!" Subject: [Goanet] Fitz de Souza: Kenyatta's right hand man reveals all in memoir Message-ID: Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" https://www.heraldgoa.in/Review/Fitz-de-Souza-Kenyatta ?s-right-hand-man-reveals-all-in-memoir/146075.html -- DEV BOREM KORUM Gabe Menezes. End of Goanet Digest, Vol 14, Issue 185 ***
[Goanet] Garbage! Garbage! Garbage!
I heard someone saying a couple of days ago that a few days earlier the garbage along the Mapusa-Siolim road had been cleared. But on visiting the place yesterday, to my surprise there was garbage very much visible there yet again. Now the question that arises is, who is responsible for all this? We don't need masterminds to answer this question. It is WE who are responsible for the accumulation of the garbage. Left-overs from our homes, gaddas, hotels etc. are just dumped along the roads, thus turning into food for cows and stray dogs thereby creating a nuisance along the road. There are garbage bins placed at various places but we are too lazy to get down from our bikes and cars and to place our left-overs in these bins. Rather, we find pleasure in playing the throw ball game. I mean to say that what we do is to just toss away bags of garbage. Later, we are not bothered whether these bags of garbage end up in the right place or not. The Municipalities and the local Panchayats are doing a wonderful job of collecting garbage. But we are not seen co-operating with the local bodies. Garbage has been a common issue and there are thousands of locals who are suffering because of this unchecked menace. Let us appreciate the work of the local bodies and let us work hand in hand for the solution of the problem of Garbage. Let us prevent the Mapusa-Siolim road from becoming another Sonsddo and keep Goa clean and green. Frankey Carvalho
[Goanet] Goa's Liberation By Dr Fitz De Souza
4. Mr. J. M. Nazareth, Q.C. was selected President, and I was one of the Vice-Presidents. The Association did good world, but the Portuguese colonialists soon got to work with their fellow colonialists in Kenya and banned the organisation. The work of the organisation however, continued. We were in fact pleasantly surprised to see the great amount of support we had throughout East Africa, particularly from educated Goans. It was impossible for us to stop functioning even if wewanted to. Contacts made with organisations and individuals in Bombay and Goa flourished. Of necessity, work had to be secret as the Portuguese Consulate and its stooges constantly sent dossiers on all of us to the Special Branch. As usual, they labelled the lot of us "Communists" as that seemed the easiest way to get us suppressed. A few years later, in 1960, only a few months after he was released, Pio formed the East Africa Goa League. This time the Portuguese Government did not succeed in persuading the Kenya Government to ban it. Nationalists were already much stronger in Kenya. He led a delegation to see Mzee Kenyatta at Maralal. The government had persistently refused him permission to see Mzee Kenyatta, but allowed an East African Goan League delegation to visit himwithout asking for the names of the members of the delegation, and was quite shocked when Pio arrived at Maralal as the leader ! In May 1961, a delegation from the Goa Asleram led by Prof. Lucio Rodrigues and Dr. Laura D'Souza arrived in Kenya. Largely under the pretext of singing Goan songs and reciting Goan literature, they instilled some form of self-respect and dignity into East African Goans, many of whom had hitherto been loyal and servile servants of the British Crown. They were amazingly successful. Hon. Tom Mboya, General Secretary of KANU and Hon. Mwainga Chokwe, Coast Chairman, accepted an invitation to attend a Conference on Goa in Delhi at the Aslram. Tom Mbova was, I was later told by Goa Nationalists, extremely eloquent at the Conference. His forthright speech telling India and its Government that it hardly had a right to attempt to liberate Africa when it was afraid to liquidate Portuguese Colonies within its own country made a deep impression on Pandit Nehru and influenced his decision to liberate Goa. Pandit Nehru then organised an International Seminar on Portuguese Colonies. Perhaps his mind was already made up to liberate Goa - he was testing reaction among friends. Among those who attended were Mr. Kaunda fromZambia, Mr. Nsilo Swai and Pio Pinto. All the delegates urged military intervention to liberate Goa. Pio was particularly active and passionate in canvassing support for the liberation of Goa as a start to crack the bastion of Portuguese imperialism everywhere. He had told me he thought a few violent and passionate speeches would convince Pandit Nehru to risk the criticism this action would arouse in the West. A few months later, Mrs. Lakshmi Menon arrived in Kenya, and it was obvious that the liberation of Goa was very much in the offing. Pio and Mr. Chokwe even offered to organise an international volunteer brigade to assist, but this was not necessary. Goa was liberated by the Indian army. The cowardly Portuguese just fled. Hardly a shot was fired. The only Indian casualties were two officers who went to accept the surrender of Aguada Fort after the Portuguese had raised a white flag, and were killed at almost point blank range. Pio, his brother Rosario, Peter Carvalho and I were invited to take part in the victory celebrations. Pio met many old veterans of the campaign - whom he had not seen since he left India in 1947. Most of them begged him to return to India. They wanted him to be their leader and it was obvious that he had many friends and a good deal of support wherever he went. But he declined. He said he was born in Kenya, and Kenya was his home. While he still had a soft spot for Goa and India, Kenya would be the home where he would work and die. Pio then went to New Delhi and discussed Goa with Pandit Nehru and officials of the Indian Government. He took advantage of the opportunity to ask Pandit Nehru for assistance to start a nationalist paper in Kenya. Panditji gave him funds with which Pio began the PAN AFRICAN PRESS LTD. which Publishes "Sauti ya Mwafrika", "Pan Africa" and the "Nyanza Times". Most people in Kenya believe that the funds for the press came from China. In fact the original funds came from India. Naturally India had to keep quiet about it then. Now that we are a free country we can tell the truth to the world. Back in Kenya, he worked on the launching of movements for the liberation of Angola and Mozambique. With Chokwe, he formed the Mozambique African National Union in Mombasa in 1962. Many of the delegates to the inaugural meeting had travelled hundreds of miles to be present. But the B
[Goanet] Melville De Mellow - A Voice of India
Melville De Mellowwas a premier broadcaster of India. I myself first heard him on AIR in the nineteensixties. I don’t whether he was an Anglo Indian or a Goan or East Indian orMangalorean. He sounded quite like an Englishman to me! An articleconcerning his widow recently caught my eye. Since it involves Goan MP MrShantaram Naik I share it with you, aswell as the Wikipedia piece on him. >From Webindia https://news.webindia123.com/news/articles/India/20120923/2069219.html Prasar Bharti hasrestored monthly grant to Emma De Mellow, widow of world famous commentator ofAll India Radio of his time Melville De Mellow, who had created a record of itskind by giving a non-stop account for seven hours of Mahatma Gandhi's lastjourney. In a goodwill gesture towards the fondmemories of the late commentator, Prasar Bharti has not only restored themonthly grant to Ms Emma De Mellow, but has also enhanced the same from Rs 1500to Rs 5000, Minister of Information and Broadcasting Ambika Soni informed thisrecently to Goan MP Shantaram Naik, who had raised the issue in Parliament. The Prasar Bharti has also sanctioned aspecial grant of financial assistance of Rs 50,000 as a special award and as aone time measure to Ms De Mellow, Ms Soni said in her letter. Ms De Mellow had rendered seven hours ofcommentary from a van of All India Radio on Mahatma Gandhi's last journey fromBirla House to Rajghat in 1948. Welcoming the decision, Mr Naik stated thatMelville De Mellow carried an iconic stature as a commentator and newscaster inthe All India Radio. "De Mellow's radio commentary of India-PakistanHockey Match was also an event to be remembered," he recalled. The commentary of Republic Day Parade,rendered by him for several years, is remembered, even today, decades after hepassed away at the age of 76 in 1989, Mr Naik said. The pension that was granted to her inMarch, 2008 was discontinued on the grounds that there was no provision to thateffect, and Mr Oscar Fernandes, General Secretary of AICC had also written tothe Minister in this regard. UNI MK BDP 1342 -- (UNI) -- 23DI11.xml >From Wikipedia Melville deMellow (also de Mello) (1913 - 1989) was an Indian radiobroadcaster with the AllIndia Radio. He is rememberedfor his high quality reports and commentary on various events in independent India, the most notable of which is a seven-hour broadcast of Mahatma Gandhi's funeral in Delhi.[1] He was conferred the PadmaShri by the Government of India in 1963 in recognition of his services to broadcasting.[2] De Mellow was educated atthe St George's College, Mussorie and served as a Lieutenant in the 5/2 Punjab Regiment before joining the All India Radio.[3] He was married to Coralie Emma De Mellow[4] and his nephew Ian Tudor de Mellow is a recipient ofthe Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his services to aged welfare.[5] Melville de Mellow worked with the All India Radio from April1950 to April 1971 and belonged to the ‘staff artistes’ category. Following hissuperannuation he was retained as Producer (Emeritus) for another five yearswith AIR.[6] Demellow is remembered as an iconicbroadcaster noted for his deep baritoned commentaryof various events in independent India.[1][7] In 1948 he accompanied the cortegebearing Mahatma Gandhi's body from Birla House tothe cremation venueat Raj Ghat givinga seven-hour-long commentary of the event from an All India Radio van. Melvillede Mellow's moving commentary that day, articulating the nation's grief andhomage as the cortege moved towards Raj Ghat, is remembered as one of the bestinstances of radio broadcasting in India.[8] His commentary that day inspired veteranHindi commentator JasdevSingh, then a seventeen-year-old, to take up commentary as aprofession. Singh has since been conferred with a Padma Shri and a Padma Bhushan forhis services to radio broadcasting.[9][10] In 1952 Melville de Mellow washandpicked by the BritishGovernment for broadcasting a running commentary on Queen Elizabeth’s coronation procession.[7] He was also the commentator at India'sRepublic Day parade for several years and his commentaryof India-Pakistan hockey matchesare remembered to this day.[11] His reportage on the Bangladesh War andits subsequent liberation by Indian forces were keenly awaitedby listeners of the radio.[12] Melville de Mellow is theauthor of several books on sports including The Story of the Olympics, which describes the run up to the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo,[13] Remembered Glory, The Olympics and their Heroes, Reaching for Excellence, The Glory and Decay of Indian Sports and Indigenous Games & Martial Arts of India.[2] Melville de Mellow wasfeted for his work throughout his career. These include the CommonwealthScholarship (BBC), 1948, Czechoslovak Radio Documentary Prize, 1960, PadmaShree (1963), PrizeItalia for Radio Documentary (1964) - which he won for 'Laliand the Lions of Gir', a featured program
[Goanet] A Forgotten Hero
http://berightindia.com/anthony-demello/ Home History Anthony Demello: TheForgotten Hero - History AnthonyDemello: The Forgotten Hero By Mr. Right India 0 India is credited to have hosted thefirst-ever Asian Games way back in 1951 and Jawaharlal Nehru, the first PrimeMinister is supposed to be the prime mover behind these games but the realityis a bit different. As it always happened, Nehru was the accidental PM of thecountry when the country showed to the world that the nascent Indian state isalso capable of hosting the world-class events. The real architect of these games wasAnthony Demello who saved the country from the ignominy at the internationalforum. As it happened the games had to be postponed twice because the host wassupposedly not ready with the required preparations. During the London Olympics of 1948, thespokesperson of the Chinese and the Japanese sports contingent expressed thedesire to restarting of the defunct Eastern Sports Championship so that theAsian countries could also showcase their sporting talents. To this Mr.GurudattSodhi, the leader of the sports contingent of India to the Olympics gamesobjected saying that such competitions would promote selective countries andnot entire Asia. This demand culminated in the founding of Asian AthleticsFederation in the year 1949 and India was awarded the hosting year for thefollowing year. Delhi was chosen as the host city. The crisis soon emerged as there weren’tadequate infrastructure and residential facilities required for hosting such anevent. The Games were originally planned for February 1950 which had to bepostponed until November 1950. The residential complex for the athletes was notready yet nor was the National Stadium ready till now. So the games wereultimately deferred till March 1951. India’s reputation was at stake anddesperate times call in for desperate moves. The legendary Anthony Demello whohad founded the BCCI and was the chief architect of the National Stadium in1933 was called in to save the national honours. The man lived up to hisreputation. He started mobilising funds by asking the Cricket Club of India andNational Sports Club of India to give him some money on loan. The latter gavehim a handsome amount of Rs. 1 lakh on loan and the former also helped himgenerously. After that, he formed an 18 member executive committee with nopolitician in it. Nehru was fumed to see that his name was kept out of thesports committee but he had no other choice. The King of Patiala, RajaYadvendra Singh who was a sports enthusiast was made the chairperson of thisexecutive committee. Suddenly things started to fall inplace. The audience capacity of the national stadium got upgraded to 4 fromthe existing 25000. As for providing the residential facilities, Demello askedthe Army Chief KM Kariappa to give him 2 camps in his premises which wereconverted to full fledged sports village. So finally India was ready to host thegames in March 1951, a total of 11 countries participated in it. Japan toppedthe medals tally with 60 medals while India stood 2nd with 51 medals. SachinNag, the swimmer won the first gold medal for the Indians. India finished with15 gold medals, 16 silver medals and 20 bronze medals to its name. Theaccidental PM stole the limelight of the first ever Asian Games and as italways happened, the names of the real heroes who scripted the success storygot erased completely with time. As the 2018 Asian Games come near, thesporting fraternity should remember the man, the name Anthony Demello, India’sown Le Corbusier.
[Goanet] Anthony Demello: The Forgotten Hero | BeRightIndia
This is the title of an interesting article on the first Asian Games to be held in India. http://berightindia.com/anthony-demello/
[Goanet] Organic Brown Rice
Received this message on Whatsapp: The Goa Green Brigade supports the chemical-free ORGANIC BROWN RICE grown by the community efforts of St. Estevan farmers led by Nestor Rangel and recently harvested now available at only Rs.1,000/- per bag of 25 Kgs. Please don't ask for smaller quantities at this rock- bottom price. You may share the rice in your neighbourhood or with friends if you find the quantity too big for you. Please share this message in your social groups and support the Goan farmers movement to save our fields from destruction. For home delivery please contact Nestor @ 7875731054
[Goanet] Photo from risenationarmy
Thank you one and all for supporting and being a part of the RiseNationArmy! Together we are bigger, Together we are stronger and Together we will build the future!Have a super celebration and a super year ahead!Let's Rise into a brand new year,Let's Rise As One!May the force always be with you!#BeTheChange #ForcaGoa #StandUp #RiseAsOne #RiseNationArmy Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android
[Goanet] Little Drummer Boy - 1968 5 minute video clip
The Rankin-Bass version of “The Little Drummer Boy” came out 50 years ago this Christmas season, on December 19th 1968. The climactic last five minutes are shown above complete with the song of the same name. Rankin-Bass is best known for “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (1964). The song itself only goes back to 1941 and did not become popular till the 1950s. So back then it was a newish Christmas song. https://youtu.be/dZvjPCcHI4g
[Goanet] Coal Terminal in Aldona
I received this post on Whatsapp and I am sharing it on this forum as received: I am sending this message I got from Capt Viriato which I request to read and please attend. Also pass on the message to all other friends: URGENT APPEAL My dear people of Aldona, by now you must be aware that a coal jetty has been planned in your picturesque village. Our investigation has revealed that they have also planned a 25 metre wide road to transport this coal to industries in Maharashtra. This widening of road will damage the Church and houses along that route. Goencho Avaaz has come forward to fight and stop this nonsense and ill thought of development meant to profit industrialists like Adani, Jindal, etc. We have organised a public meet on 19 December 2018 at Mapuca Taxi Stand at 03:30 pm. We will show the entire conspiracy during the meet. We will be taking a RESOLUTION against the coal jetty and the proposed 25 metres road in Aldona during the Mapuca meet on 19th Dec 18. Please come in large nos. and be counted. Put your signature on the resolution and say: "NO COAL JETTY AND 25 METRES ROAD IN ALDONA". Do remember, one day, our children will question us, "why didn't you say no to that coal jetty" , so let's save Aldona. Mog Asundi. Capt. Viriato Fernandes Co-convenor Goencho Avaaz And grandson of Aldona.
[Goanet] St Francis Xavier
During the 1994 Exposition of the Sacred Relics of St Francis Xavier an excellent brochure was brought out by a company called Corporate Communications of Margao, and edited by Diana Pinto. During that Exposition, two terracotta busts of St Francis Xavier, one of about 8 inches and the other of about 5 inches were also produced. These were very good quality products. At that time there was a shop on 18th June Road, Panjim (Near St Paul's Bookshop) selling all these three items.Alas, this shop closed down many years ago.My inquiries, even with handicraft bodies, to purchase some more of these busts have been futile. Who made these in 1994 and why can't they be made now? Best wishes & God bless to all on this great Feast Day!
[Goanet] Anthony Tony) or Neville de Mello?
I'd be inclined to believe Eric Pinto's Anthony at this link, concerning the famous Goan cricket personality of Mumbai. Pitch perfect: Goan cricketer Tony de Mello was the soul andspirit behind the construction of Brabourne Stadium https://www.mid-day.com/articles/stories-of-mumbai-s-goans/15360197 Then we have Neville at these ones: The Brabourne Stadium was built on a piece of land reclaimedfrom the sea which Lord Brabourne, Governor of Bombay, presented to the CricketClub of India after being tempted with an offer of immortality in the bargain.It was officially opened on December 7 1937 following with a match between theCCI and Lord Tennyson's team. The idea that the ground would be the Lord's ofIndia (the Cricket Club of India was regarded as the county's MCC) was thebrainchild of a Goan, Neville de Mello. It was as exclusive as its Englishcounterpart and every bit as luxurious - Frank Worrell once remarked that itwas the only place in the world where he could watch cricket in his dressing-gownand remove it when it was his turn to bat. It was also a multi-sport complexwhich hosted international tennis. http://www.espncricinfo.com/india/content/ground/58317.html Brabourne Stadium is a cricket ground in the city of Mumbai. Thestadium is located near Churchgate Railway Station near south of Mumbai. Thestadium is owned by the Cricket Club of India. Brabourne Stadium was built on apiece of land, reclaimed from the sea. The stadium was officially opened onDecember 7, 1937 following a match between The CCI and Lord Tennyson's team.Neville de Mello gave the idea that the ground would be the property of Lordsof India. The stadium was quite luxurious in the British period. It was also amulti sports complex, which hosted International Tennis. https://www.indianetzone.com/18/brabourne_stadium_mumbai.htm One of the oldest stadiums of India, it was established in1937, this stadium seems to have lost its splendour now except for anoccasional first class match that is played here. This ground is not as big ascompared to other grounds in Mumbai with a capacity of 2. The stadium wasbuilt on a piece of land which Lord Brabourne, the then Governor of Bombay,presented to the Cricket Club of India after being tempted with an offer ofimmortality in the bargain. It was officially opened on December 7 1937 andhosted its first test from December 9-13, 1948 between India and the WestIndies. Designed by Neville de Mello, he wanted this ground to be the Lords ofIndia. https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/grounds/1980-brabourne-stadium-mumbai-groundprofile
[Goanet] Peter Sarsdedt RIP
I'm sure that there are others on this list who enjoyed the songs of the Delhi born British singer Peter Sarsdedt. He was well known in the sixties through to the eighties, more so for his hit "Where do you go to my lovely" in 1969. Another one of his classic hits was "Beirut" in 1978 . He passed away in 2017. Those of your readers who once live in Africa will enjoy his 1986 song "Hemingway" which can be heard here:Peter Sarstedt - Hemingway 1986 | | | | | | | | | | | Peter Sarstedt - Hemingway 1986 Peter Sarstedt - Hemingway 1986 Hemingway and I went hunting for sharks just off the cost of Lorenzo Marx. The o... | | | | | Virus-free. www.avg.com |
[Goanet] Fr Hubert Mascarenhas
In the preface of the book "Conversational Hindi" by Narayan Prasad Jain (Jaico Publishing House, Mumbai), the first edition being in 1959, with subsequent reprints, the author states among other things: "My acknowledgments are due to the authors of the books I have consulted, and the friends who have helped me to bring out this book, In particular my heartfelt thanks are due to my great friend Rev. H.O. Mascarenhas, M.A., P.H.D., D.D., for his valuable assistance in preparing the last lesson in this book. The late Fr Mascarenhas was an associate of Fr Heras the well known historian of Mumbai after whom the Heras Institute at Xavier's College has been named, and in whose honour the Indian Post Office issued a commemorative stamp many years ago. Over 20 years ago I met a gentleman here in Goa, a Mr Jerry D'Souza, who said that as a student he freely volunteered his services to Fr Mascarenhas who had the belief that Christianity came to Goa in Apostolic times itself. I no longer recall the facts that were stated to back up this theory. In a popular Catholic bookshop like Pauline (St.Paul's) you will not find a single publication of either Fr Heras or Fr Mascarenhas. Nor will one find anything by the late Cardinal Valerian Gracias, a great speaker and writer on Church matters.
[Goanet] GI Dabul October 7th.
Got this on my Whatsapp: Cholai re Cholai,,,♀♂♀ @GOANFESTIVAL@FOOD & DANCE菱 03 Stalls selling a Variety of Goan Specialities索讀丹肋 Date : Sunday, 07th October 2018.. Time : 6.30 pm to10 pm Venue : The Goan Institute, Dabul, Mumbai 43. Entry : FREE*An initiative to Revive our local Goan Culture. Pls forward to all your friends and relatives especially those staying between Colaba/Cuffe Parade & Bandra.. Please do come with your friends, family and relatives to enjoy the mouth watering delicacies and dancing.Thank You...
[Goanet] St Inez Cemetery
It is too late for the meeting but for those who may have an interest in this matter and are as yet unaware; better late than never Please pass on this very urgent message: Parishioners of St.Inez and Panjim and specially those who have purchased graves/niches in the St.Inez cemetery, please note that the CCP has plans to renovate the cemetery and work is to commence shortly. The work entails: (1) building of retaining wall behind the church (2) removal of all existing niches and refixing in new RCC walls to be built (3) existing historical and heritage cemetery wall built in 1879 to be demolished and replaced by new RCC wall in order to incorporate additional 570 niches (4) pathways to be renovated (5) lighting to be carried out for pathways and niches (6) gazebos to be built at intersection of pathways. (7) underground graves to be built up (8) Existing tombstones that have been sold to be dismantled, realigned and rebuilt (9) parking space in front of the church to be remodelled and compound wall to be demolished and rebuilt as per new plan. It is very important to attend a stakeholders meeting to be held on 19th August Sunday at 10.30 a.m at the St.Inez Parish hall wherein the said plans will be explained by the Architect of the project. Objections/suggestions will be entertained. Patricia Pinto (phone:9822802629).
[Goanet] Kenya Goans in Liberation Struggle
ortuguese colonialists soon got to work with their fellow colonialists in Kenya and banned the organisation. The work of the organisation however, continued. We were in fact pleasantly surprised to see the great amount of support we had throughout East Africa, particularly from educated Goans. It was impossible for us to stop functioning even if we wanted to. Contacts made with organisations and individuals in Bombay and Goa flourished. Of necessity, work had to be secret as the Portuguese Consulate and its stooges constantly sent dossiers on all of us to the Special Branch. As usual, they labelled the lot of us "Communists" as that seemed the easiest way to get us suppressed. A few years later, in 1960, only a few months after he was released, Pio formed the East Africa Goa League. This time the Portuguese Government did not succeed in persuading the Kenya Government to ban it. Nationalists were already much stronger in Kenya. He led a delegation to see Mzee Kenyatta at Maralal. The government had persistently refused him permission to see Mzee Kenyatta, but allowed an East African Goan League delegation to visit him without asking for the names of the members of the delegation, and was quite shocked when Pio arrived at Maralal as the leader ! In May 1961, a delegation from the Goa Asleram led by Prof. Lucio Rodrigues and Dr. Laura D'Souza arrived in Kenya. Largely under the pretext of singing Goan songs and reciting Goan literature, they instilled some form of self-respect and dignity into East African Goans, many of whom had hitherto been loyal and servile servants of the British Crown. They were amazingly successful. Hon. Tom Mboya, General Secretary of KANU and Hon. Mwainga Chokwe, Coast Chairman, accepted an invitation to attend a Conference on Goa in Delhi at the Aslram. Tom Mbova was, I was later told by Goa Nationalists, extremely eloquent at the Conference. His forthright speech telling India and its Government that it hardly had a right to attempt to liberate Africa when it was afraid to liquidate Portuguese Colonies within its own country made a deep impression on Pandit Nehru and influenced his decision to liberate Goa. Pandit Nehru then organised an International Seminar on Portuguese Colonies. Perhaps his mind was already made up to liberate Goa - he was testing reaction among friends. Among those who attended were Mr. Kaunda from Zambia, Mr. Nsilo Swai and Pio Pinto. All the delegates urged military intervention to liberate Goa. Pio was particularly active and passionate in canvassing support for the liberation of Goa as a start to crack the bastion of Portuguese imperialism everywhere. He had told me he thought a few violent and passionate speeches would convince Pandit Nehru to risk the criticism this action would arouse in the West. A few months later, Mrs. Lakshmi Menon arrived in Kenya, and it was obvious that the liberation of Goa was very much in the offing. Pio and Mr. Chokwe even offered to organise an international volunteer brigade to assist, but this was not necessary. Goa was liberated by the Indian army. The cowardly Portuguese just fled. Hardly a shot was fired. The only Indian casualties were two officers who went to accept the surrender of Aguada Fort after the Portuguese had raised a white flag, and were killed at almost point blank range. Pio, his brother Rosario, Peter Carvalho and I were invited to take part in the victory celebrations. Pio met many old veterans of the campaign - whom he had not seen since he left India in 1947. Most of them begged him to return to India. They wanted him to be their leader and it was obvious that he had many friends and a good deal of support wherever he went. But he declined. He said he was born in Kenya, and Kenya was his home. While he still had a soft spot for Goa and India, Kenya would be the home where he would work and die. Pio then went to New Delhi and discussed Goa with Pandit Nehru and officials of the Indian Government. He took advantage of the opportunity to ask Pandit Nehru for assistance to start a nationalist paper in Kenya. Panditji gave him funds with which Pio began the PAN AFRICAN PRESS LTD. which Publishes "Sauti ya Mwafrika", "Pan Africa" and the "Nyanza Times". Most people in Kenya believe that the funds for the press came from China. In fact the original funds came from India. Naturally India had to keep quiet about it then. Now that we are a free country we can tell the truth to the world. Back in Kenya, he worked on the launching of movements for the liberation of Angola and Mozambique. With Chokwe, he formed the Mozambique African National Union in Mombasa in 1962. Many of the delegates to the inaugural meeting had travelled hundreds of miles to be present. But the British Government banned the organisation and it faded away, but Pio had formed valuable contacts with Mozambique nationalists
[Goanet] Ris: Do you know Corvari village?
In fact, Frederick I think that's another village...which?? It's a bibliographic reference from 1640 who knows? Thank you very much for your collaboratoon. Regina Inviato dal mio dispositivo Huawei Messaggio originale Oggetto: Re: [Goanet] Do you know Corvari village? Da: Frederick Noronha A: "Goa's premiere mailing list, estb. 1994!" CC: Regina Célia Pereira da Silva Not sure what the context is... but neither Colvale (note spelling) or Curtorim would be three days away from the island of Goa. Both would be a few hours away, even if one walked Frederick 9822122436 On 26 January 2018 at 13:20, Regina Célia de Carvalho Pereira da Silva <rpereiradasi...@hotmail.it<mailto:rpereiradasi...@hotmail.it>> wrote: Hi I find a reference to a Corvari village ...3 days walkingfar from Goa. Someone knows this name? It is Colvali or Curtorim? Thank you for your help. Regina -- _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ _/ _/ FN* फ्रेड्रिक नोरोन्या * فريدريك نورونيا +91-9822122436 _/ RADIO GOANA: https://archive.org/details/@fredericknoronha _/ _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ [https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/mailtrack-crx/icon-signature.png]<https://mailtrack.io/> Sent with Mailtrack<https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/mailtrack-for-gmail-inbox/ndnaehgpjlnokgebbaldlmgkapkpjkkb?utm_source=gmail_medium=signature_campaign=signaturevirality>
[Goanet] Do you know Corvari village?
Hi I find a reference to a Corvari village ...3 days walkingfar from Goa. Someone knows this name? It is Colvali or Curtorim? Thank you for your help. Regina
Re: [Goanet] [Goanet-News] Goanet's 21st Anniversary
Great job. Congrats to you Herman, Frederick and Bosco! Aleixo Carvalho New Jersey, USA Sent from my iPad On Aug 26, 2015, at 10:09 AM, Herman Carneiro her...@goanet.org wrote: Dear Goanetters, Goanet hits another milestone today. It's Goanet's 21st anniversary. This is a short note to say thank you to all of you for your continued support. Thank you to all the volunteers throughout the years including out newest volunteer Gabe Menezes. Special thanks goes to Frederick Noronha and Bosco D'Mello. We're pleased to partner with Goanet-Femnet and thank all the Femnet team for their hard work and excellent newsletter. If you would like to contribute in anyway please drop us a line. If you'd like to start a free mailing list for anything Goa-related please drop us a line. Herman Carneiro www.goanet.org Where
[Goanet] CONTROVERSY: The unique East African Goan tribe ... The making of an East African Goan dodderer!
I'm happy to see Cyprian's mail shot into cyberspace with Goanet reader titled in bold, CONTROVERSY. Nothing sells like controversy even in Goan cyberspace. Those who write controversial stuff must be writhing in pain knowing their articles seldom get so much mileage. It is true that I referred to the East African Goan as aging and doddery (as in trembling with age). I had no idea at the time that referring to a community as aging would cause such a brou ha ha. I certainly didn't mean to hurt anyone. After all, I wasn't writing something particularly contentious, libel, accusatory, inflamatory or derogatory about this community. I had no idea, it was indeed a crime to age. Anyone who knows my writing for the past seven years knows that I don't do sensationalism. That I am, at the core a quiet writer preferring to mull over things. That I have managed to write for the past seven years, more prominently for the past five, without causing hurt or calls for libel and defamation suits, I hold to my credit. It is however impossible to be a writer and not err occasionally. To cause hurt without meaning too. No writer, worth his salt, has not erred occassionally, or not used words that are in hindsight inappropriate. And if I have caused hurt, unintended as it was, I apologise. However, what is particularly hurtful to me, is that instead of remembering a record of four years of service to the East African Goan community of London, which has resulted in countless GoanVoice UK columns praising them, one book drawing their ethnographies, securing funds to record their oral histories, partnering with institutions to archive them, travelling on foot, car, train and bus carrying lumbersom equipment until I was physically sick, to record them, working day and night to transcribe them, producing a documentary and currently working on a publication to preserve these stories, I am pilloried without redemption. Writing should elicit a rebuttal. That is the main purpose of writing. It shouldn't however elicit a crusade -mostly led by people who have an axe to grind. That a short and fragile memory is also a Goan thing, is sad. As my mother always reminds me - today is a sad day, don't worry my darling, something better will happen tomorrow. Best, selma carvalho
[Goanet] A fond farewell dear Goanet
It was seven years ago, in a bid to escape my diaper-filled days that I subscribed to Goanet. Never could I have imagined how my life would change. Those were glorious days ofcourse of great debate. Some of Goa's foremost intellectuals abounded on Goanet then and the quality of debate was par excellence. Sleep deprieved as I was with a new-born baby in my arms, I never failed to read each and every morsel of wisdom. Neither did I dream that in that maelstrom of churning ideas and intelligentsia, there were people taking notice of me, and that opportunities would open up for me, as indeed they did. I am eternally grateful to Goanet, Frederick and Eddie Fernandes for opening up larger portals. In the period of those seven years, my life has changed. The space between a private life and a public one has become blurred. In the last one year, I have been subject to the most vitriolic abuse on Goanet; both to my character and my reputation. My great fault was securing a grant to record the Oral Histories of East African Goans. From then on, the abuse was relentless both on public forums and in endless private cc lists which were created to disseminate my many flaws. Many times, I have come close to unsubscribing but Goanet has been like family for so long it is hard to sever ties with something that is part of you. However, it is time for me to reclaim some private space, to concentrate on the challenges that lie ahead of me with sincerity and without frittering my energies on people who do not seek to engage in dialogue but rather to destroy senselessly. I pray that the actions of a few have not permanently soured me. George Orwell would often cry out stop me from writing today, I am full of spite. I hope I don't turn inwards, full of spite. I wish goanet long years of future success and I hope all the friends I have made on Goanet continue to write to me privately. Unfortunately, my recent decision to cut myself off from public forums and contacts, has meant that a few names have been permanently blocked from my email. Best wishes, selma carvalho
[Goanet] Dishonourable Acts
Gabe, Has it ever occured to you that the reason no one responds to your questions is because nobody really gives a hoot. People on Goanet think they are somehow important. The fact of the matter is, we are all pointless dots on the planet sucking up air and filling up space. Some are sucking up more air than their fair share talking non-stop nonsense on Goanet. As to your other question about being barred from Goan Association events, in the link below: http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/2012-July/223280.html you yourself informed the audiences of Goanet that you have been intimated by a letter that you are barred from attending Goan Association UK functions and declared persona non grata. Or did you forget? No need to explain, we are all aging, doddery and addled. I can give full details of the above decision but then again I'm far too decent to do that. I leave that sort of dishonourable act to the people you keep company with. Best, selma
[Goanet] The rise of righteous reaction
As usual, I read Rajiv Desai's article with relish. He is one of the finest political commentators of our times. Best wishes, Selma
[Goanet] Roland Francis: Goan Women in Canada - Stray Thoughts of a Canadian Goan
Dear Roland, You had me in splits with your column this week. Good to see you in top form. take care, selma
[Goanet] Melvyn, Rose do come along...
Hi Roland, Thanks for your kind words. Just to put things into perspective, we didn't have a budget for a documentary at all but because we collected so much video footage and a kind lady from Nairobi, donated video footage to the project (a tremendous donation) as well as the donation of so many vintage photographs from Goans, and also musical donations from Goan youth, I have been able to cobble something together. It is definitely not Festival entry worthy but I think it will be a good documentation of our project...at least I hope so. Take care, selma
[Goanet] Melvyn, Rose do come along...
The Histories of British-Goans project invites you to a viewing of The Documentary at 3pm on 22 Jul, Cranford Community College Hall. Melvyn, Rose and everyone else do come along and bring your friends. I'm quite sure you will enjoy it. It's taken up one year to collect the material and put all the elements together. It's a wonderful celebration of East African Goan history. There are some uncomfortable moments in its, but that too is part of our history. To watch a 3min preview go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8IYdFhnx3wfeature=youtu.be Historian Cliff Pereira will be on hand afterwards to take any questions you may have. I'll be the nervous one, sweating and hoping the projector works. For the moment we do not envisage uploading the documentary on Youtube. Best, Selma
[Goanet] The Adopted ones
Two points I wanted to make: a) In my personal experience which may indeed be limited. I have seen adopted children in Goan families in the 21st century. They are treated with tremendous amount of love. No one will ever guess that these children are adopted. There are two in my own extended family. They are adopted which means by todays prevailing laws they have full right to inheritance, as indeed my adopted family members have inherited -much to the chagrin of blood relatives. They have also married either by way of proposal or having fallen in love and have (naturally) pretty large families of their own, perhaps to make up for lack of blood relatives whilst growing up. b) Some of the poskens of yesteryears were mulattos or of mixed African-Goan heritage (this is not to be mixed up with mestizos although there must have been those too). These mulattos might have been sired by the African troops occassionally stationed in Goa. They were taken in by Goan families and looked after. They are now completely assimilated into mainstream society to the extent that you wouldn't even recognise their African heritage, unless you knew the history. Take care, selma
[Goanet] The Adopted Ones (Response to Roland Francis by Rose Fernandes)
Following Rose Fernandes's charge that while writing on social networking sites, there should be no misinformation about our community, I went back to check what exactly Roland Francis had written on the subject which would warrant such a grave charge. This is what Roland Francis wrote: Childless parents in Toronto spend fifty thousand dollars or more to bring adopted children, mainly just-born babies from China and Russia. I see no misinformation here. There is no mention that these are Goan couples or whether they are Chinese couples. They are just Canadians. Now Rose, apparently, while on a brief holiday in Toronto was also conducting adoption statistics for some strange reason. And her statistical methods were so complex that it even allowed for not just a cross-generational comparison but also a transnational analysis which extended to the UK. I think there is an absurdity of logic here. If there is one thing I absolutely hate on social networking sites, it is unnecessary heckling which lends nothing to the debate but only has the effect of wearing someone down. Roland we wish you a long stint with GoanVoice UK minus the hecklers. Best, selma
[Goanet] Poskos and poskems of Goa (Roland Francis)
Source: GoanVoice UK http://www.goanvoice.org.uk/ By: Roland Francis -Sunday columnist The Adopted Ones - Stray Thoughts of a Toronto Goan Keeping poskos and poskems has always been an enigma in Goan society On the one hand the intention was usually good. Whether the child of a destitute relative, an illegitimate offspring of a villager, or a handicapped child of poor parents, the adopted child always found a home in a welcoming Goan house. Usually, more girls than boys were adopted. In Goan society, a boy was more favorably looked upon than a girl and unlike the girl had no problem being quickly taken in. There was also quite an arrangement among siblings and cousins. If one family had boys and no girl and the other had two or more girls, an exchange was hastily made at birth. It would have been very interesting to know what transpired during the negotiations that preceded such giving up of children. Were there any promises made, was the whole event furtively done, clouded with shame and quickly completed, or was there joy amid distribution of specially made sweets and clinking of feni filled glasses to the toasts of both giver and given? On the other hand, while the intention was faultless, the process was mostly flawed. Poskems were almost never treated as they should have been. In today’s world it would be difficult to imagine such a thing. Childless parents in Toronto spend fifty thousand dollars or more to bring adopted children, mainly just-born babies from China and Russia. Full legal adoption is completed once in Canada. The child gets the family name and a full share in whatever inheritance there may one day be. Comparison however would be unfair. Then was then and now is now. While she should have been treated like the family’s child, the poskem was actually treated like a servant. Relegated to the rear of the house, an area which included the well, the kitchen, the storeroom and the poultry and pig shelters, the poor girl knew nothing more than slave labor conditions. Grateful for what she had however, she happily lived in the household taking orders from both parents and children and giving back unwavering loyalty to the family in return. Very few thoughts were spared for this poor human being and she was taken completely for granted. Sometimes access to an education was haltingly given and in such instances, the poskem usually excelled. Parents were perplexed that the poskem came home with outstanding results in addition to doing all the housework allotted, while the other children in the family had to be constantly supervised to have them achieve even a fraction of the results she so effortlessly brought in. If jealousy played a factor at that stage, further education was discontinued. The poskem was rarely included in any property division and at her marriage time she was considered fortunate if she got the village idiot or the local drunk. But someone up there was looking out for the poskem. She ended up with a happy family, a decent house in the village and children, who having inherited her love for education, furthered themselves to levels that other children of the sponsoring household found difficult to reach. Most of all she did it while not having to go to Africa, the Gulf or anywhere overseas. Born of the Goan soil, she flourished in it, as if though rejected by people, she was blessed by the land. By Roland Francis, Toronto (roland.fran...@gmail.com)
[Goanet] MoI - After one week of praises comes the statesmanly googly? (Tony D'Sa)
Dear Tony, I was most impressed by your letter re instruction and learning. In your opinion and experience in these matters, which school would you recommend in Goa? I am looking for a school which emphasises learning with a liberal bent. Take care, selma
Re: [Goanet] Lord Stow's Bakery Macao - YouTube
Just trying to rile up Bernardo. Sometimes he gets on my nerves with his gloom and doom senarios for Goa. Goans need hope not despair. We don't need to be told that we're useless at everything and that life is just so much hell since the Portuguese left. Warm regards Senor Gabriel, Selma From: Gabriel de Figueiredo gdefigueir...@yahoo.com.au To: Carvalho elisabeth_...@yahoo.com; Goa's premiere mailing list, estb. 1994! goanet@lists.goanet.org Sent: Tuesday, June 12, 2012 1:37 AM Subject: Re: [Goanet] Lord Stow's Bakery Macao - YouTube Don't know what's got into you, Selma, but they still make Pasteis de Nata in Portugal. Just google for it, if you have the time. And no, I don't think they spoke about it in Fontainhas either. From: Carvalho elisabeth_...@yahoo.com To: goanet@lists.goanet.org goanet@lists.goanet.org Sent: Monday, 11 June 2012 3:59 PM Subject: [Goanet] Lord Stow's Bakery Macao - YouTube Who cares about pasteis de nata. I'm sure they don't even make them in Portugal any more. We can't forever be stuck in 1952 when they spoke Portuguese de cuisine in the narrow alleyways of Fontainhas in the mistaken belief that they lived on the southern tip of Portugal. best, selma
[Goanet] All India Hindu convention calls for common civil code
Dear Dr Santosh Helekar, I used to worry too about such things. I used to fret and fume all day long. But a curious thing has happened to me over the past two months. I've been hanging out at Goa speaks, and the young voices there are incredible. There are some superb young, Hindu liberals batting these curve balls right out of the pitch, taking them head on. This Ram Sene has no support in Goa, he is uniformly despised by all. While we were all growing old on Goanet, a new Goa was emerging. Great Hindu commentators and equally great Catholic commentators amongst our men and women who are barely out of their twenties or thirties. I feel completely revitalised in my hope for Goa. But as one commentator on that forum said, we owe it to the older generation who instilled these values in us. So well done all way round. This is not to say there are not deep divisions in our society but we are willing to pay the price of eternal vigilance. What's important for now is this great vibrant dialogue that is taking place between Hindus and Catholics. Goa is not RIP, it is infact ressurected through our young. Take care, selma
[Goanet] Lord Stow's Bakery Macao - YouTube
BC, maybe they don't make pasteis de nata in Goa but why don't you start specialising in them in Macau? You can even export them to Goa then, what with air transporation being so frequent these days. Who cares about pasteis de nata. I'm sure they don't even make them in Portugal any more. We can't forever be stuck in 1952 when they spoke Portuguese de cuisine in the narrow alleyways of Fontainhas in the mistaken belief that they lived on the southern tip of Portugal. best, selma
[Goanet] The first slap to Catholics comes from Parrikar
Well, I had hoped against hope that it would be different this time. That somehow Parrikar would be reformed. That he would lead us greater glory. Such is the tenuous nature of hope that it clings desperately to any ray of sunlight that beams through the bleak landscape of despair. And despair has come to Goa, far sooner than we thought it would. http://oheraldo.in/News/Local%20News/Goa-to-host-meet-of-organisations-to-establish-Hindu-nation/60306.html Over 50 right wing organizations will be meeting in Goa in the second week of June, with the aim of working out a national plan for establishing a Hindu nation. Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) will be holding the five-day All India Convention of Hindu organization, beginning June 10 at Sanatan Saunstha’s ashram, Ramnathi, which will be attended by 175 leaders of various organizations. Shivprasad Joshi, a leader of Hindu Mahasabha, claimed that the convention could be held smoothly due to rule of BJP-led government in the state. “If it was government of some other party, they would have worked overtime to disrupt it,” he commented. If Parrikar is truly reformed, speak now or forever hold your peace. Stop this conference from taking place in Goa or at least tell us you don't support it. Like I said many times, leopards don't change their spots. Best, selma
[Goanet] Prophet of Doom
Dear Gabriel, This is a very interesting essay but I do disagree with the author's premise that moral has to be grounded in a set of immutable values, which is an impossibility. How morality itself mutates in society is very difficult to define but that it does, and invariably for the better is a given. Take care, selma
[Goanet] The Christian Secular Forum -deeply disturbing
I had no idea who the CSF was until the recent controversry. True, I would receive their newsletter but my computer is quite smart and routinely files this under junk mail. Today, I visited their website which is very disturbing indeed. It is a slap in the face of all progressive Christians. Its idea of what Christianity is takes Christians back a few good decades - like all blue-blooded, self-appointed, conservative fringe groups. Among the people it targets are homosexuals, which truly causes me more offence than a Cross miracle being debunked, for while I care not for water dripping from a Cross, I care deeply for several of my close friends who happen to be homosexuals. Let me at the onset say, that the CSF does not speak for Christianity. It speaks for itself. It is now time for well meaning Christians to challenge the CSF as the spokesperson for Christianity. I would rather let the Church be a spokesperson. I call upon the Church to look into the workings of the CSF. Coming to the case of Edamaruku. To me, it is no different from that of MF Hussain. Both are issues of freedom of thought and expression. We cannot constantly live in fear of hurting sensibilities. The issue of religion has to recede into the private domain and not infringe on the public. And lastly, where are the progressive Christian voices in all this? We should have been the ones to debunk miracles. Are we really depending on sewage water to restore faith? If so, then we are a long way from Salvation itself. For the first time in a very long time, I feel ashamed of being Christian. Best, selma
[Goanet] Fw: An Open Letter to the CSF
- Forwarded Message - From: Carvalho elisabeth_...@yahoo.com To: csfp...@gmail.com csfp...@gmail.com; cec...@vsnl.net cec...@vsnl.net Sent: Monday, May 21, 2012 4:38 PM Subject: An Open Letter to the CSF Dear Christian Secular Forum, cec...@vsnl.net csfp...@gmail.com I am calling this an open letter because I shall be posting it on various forums, some predominantly Goan Catholic, so that we may dialogue. You do not owe me a response, although one would be appreciated, which I can also share on these forums. I currently live in London and as such was not familiar with the CSF or its activities. It is only the recent controversial case of Sanal Edamaruku which drew my attention to your organization. This led me to investigate your website and what I found there was most shocking. I shall enumerate below some of the instances of offense on your website. 1. Anti-Islamic propaganda I was appalled to find a certain video on your website which encourages deep xenophobia and targets the Muslim community. Such propaganda dehumanizes people based on their religion, creates a sense of siege and worst of all demonizes them. I append below the link to this deeply offensive video which features on your website. http://www.myspace.com/video/vid/63011019 2. Homophobic propaganda Linking homosexuality to pedophilia is disturbing. No civilized society thinks like this. This is the domain of fringe groups who fall outside the realm of all this is modern, progressive and forward thinking. You demonizing a section of society, and may I add a section of Christian society, in this lewd manner is most undignified. I append below this link featured on your website. http://www.thecsf.org/pdfs/homo-abuse.pdf 3. Anti-abortion propaganda Like all right-wing groups, hence it doesn't surprise me that you should launch an initiative to curtail the rights of women. There might be a multitude of reasons why women feel compelled to take these decisions. Your need to make them feel like mass murderers is unjustified and offensive. If you insist that you are a secular forum then you must let your personal religious feelings remain in the private sphere and not let it encroach onto the public domain in matters such as reproductive rights. I am unable to append the Powerpoint presentation on your website. 4. Anti-free speech I understand that your organisation was at the forefront in suppressing individual freedom of thought in India. I quote from your website. The CSF besides other espousing a number of Christian activist causes, was also majorly responsible for Da Vinci Code being released late in India, getting it banned in some places and allowing it to be released with a prominent Disclaimer. Angels Demons seems to be even more diabolic… read on decide. If you don't mind, I would rather make up my own mind as to what I chose to watch and what I chose to reject. I am a fully grown adult and do not need censorship of this sort to assist me in my decision making process. Your suppression of free thought and free speech makes the name of your organisation an oxymoron. 5. The general aesthetics of your website Christianity is a religion of great visual and sensory beauty. We are the recipients of some of the most beautiful Christian art and music in the world. Hence, I find it odd that your website is dominated by gruesome imagery of Crucifixion and that too some bizarre human reenactment of this Crucifixion, creating an overall image of a religion in turmoil, pain, disarray and general mayhem. This is not the Christianity, I learnt on my mother's knee. To me, Christianity has always meant the serenity of a quiet Church and the solace of its private conservations with Christ. I am quite surprised that so many of the links you provide on your website come from Evangelical organizations based in the US. Might I inform you, that these Evangelical organizations are the most regressive organisations in the US. They are radically racist, deeply xenophobic and hideously conservative. They back governments that declare war at the drop of hat and believe in such nonsense as a literal interpretation of the Bible including the Creation story, debunking scientific evidence to the contrary. All the above is your prerogative, though, in a free world. You are free to chose to believe in the nonsense that you espouse. What boggles the mind is that you should file a case against Edamaruku denying him the right to be offensive when you yourself are truly and deeply offensive to progressive Christians. I have little doubt that you have a noble agenda. That you want to protect Christianity. But I have great reservations about your methods. They disturb me. And they should rightfully disturb all well meaning Christians. As a Christian, I implore you to drop your case against Edamaruku. I implore you to take away the offensive videos and links you feature on your website
[Goanet] Stray Thoughts and Distant Memories
Dear Roland, A wonderful post. Speaking to a person involved with Nehru at the time of invasion, I understand Nehru really didn't want to invade Goa. He did all he could to push the topic away until it became impossible to do so. Apparently he died of a broken heart because of a Goa as well. He was a true statesman and one which India has yet to replicate. It is sad indeed that today, India has forgotten who its true heroes were thanks in large part to right-wing revisionism. Best, selma
[Goanet] Support Sanad Edamaruku
http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2012/05/15/religion-journal-christ-statue-in-mumbai-prompts-blasphemy-spat/ Dear members, The above story is of concern. According to the newstory: Sanal Edamaruku is accused by Catholic groups in Mumbai of breaking the Indian Penal Code, which outlaws “deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings.” Mr. Edamaruku, a rationalist who has spent 30 years debunking miracles and exposing fraudulent faith healers, denies the offence and claims the law is being misused in order to silence him. His lawyers are asking the High Court in Mumbai to intervene to stop the charges going further, but Mr. Edamaruku also plans to make a separate challenge to the blasphemy law in the Supreme Court in Delhi. Please speak out against this injustice because we cannot have an India which suppresses free thought and scientific enquiry and needlessly wallows in the indulgence of hurt sensibilities. Please support free thought. Best, selma
[Goanet] Outlaw the medieval blasphemy law
Frederick wrote: What is the problem is not the law itself, but the misuse of the law. Free Speech doesn't mean irresponsible speech, or even deliberately provocative speech! But when we call it a blasphemy law, then that casts a different light on it. FN Response: I'm afraid I disagree with you. Free speech means exactly that. What is provocative to some maybe a statement of fact to others. By your standards, Copernicus should have hidden his telescope underneath his bed and fought with all the demons of science plaguing his mind. I don't want to live in a world like that. I want to live in a world of robust scientific, historic, literary and artistic inquiry. And I am very, very surprised that you can't see that. Best, selma
[Goanet] Support Sanad Edamaruku
What is being reported in some quarters is not factual. Bishop Agnelo Gracias has called for an apology; if you think he is out of order, kindly intimate this to your good friend and benefactor the President of the G.O.A. (U.K.) Ltd who is the brother of the Godly man. -- Response: Gabe, I admit the President of the G.O.A (UK) is a friend of mine but I don't recall him being my benefactor in any way. If you have information to the contrary, please do share it with us. I'm sorry you find so many people and organisations tainted in the UK and you tend to taint other people's reputations because of them. I had lunch with Bishop Agnelo Gracias two summers ago. He struck me then as an exceptionally kind and progressive thinking man. Your snarling comments are unworthy but don't surprise me. I'm afraid I can't really help you with your imagined slights. If I was you, I'd pray for a little private miracle of my own. Best, selma
[Goanet] Support Sanad Edamaruku
Marshall, what if his name wasn't Edamaruku? What if it was Victor, Paul, Sebataio or Lorsu? Would this have been an issue then? Does this mean no one has the right to question Christianity? What we are effectively saying is that we have the liberty to believe in the most outrageous things in life just because they fall in that large, black, nebulous hole called religion. Add religious sentiment to any cause, you can justify the most inhumane treatment of people or the most irrational thoughts and chances are, you will get away with it. I, myself have written for years on this very forum about the ridiculousness of a belief in these so-called miracles. I have ranted against Potta, where all rational thought is suspended while people are made to believe that miracles are curing them from the most pitiable to the most hideous of ailments. That this sort of evangelical Christianity feels no qualms in accepting donations is definitely a worry. We cannot be cowards in defending secularism. It calls for a lot of stomach. It is an ugly business. Best, selma
[Goanet] Goanet Reader: The Great Scam (Venita Coelho)
Dear Venita, It is my experience that those who do something in our community are much maligned by by-standers. Please take no heed of such people. I decided a long time ago, that I have to be like a horse. Put on a good pair of blinders and carry on. It is easy for people to malign others. It is even easier when you happen to have a Catholic name, and bab cannot be easily appended to your name. There are many, many people in Goa who hold you in the highest regard and are grateful to the GBA for the time and effort they have expended in the service of Goa. A good barometer of who is contributing to Goa and who is not, for me has always been my mother and her opinions on the matter. You are right up there in her books. Take care, selma
[Goanet] Video killed the radio star or Elegy written in a country courtyard
In the eighties when I was growing up, there was a song, Video killed the Radio star. New technology replaces old ones. Facebook has replaced mailing lists and nothing is going to resuscitate it. So this post is also an elegy to Goanet. You served us well, for so many years and we loved you dearly. But old friends, Roland, Doc, Marshall, Santosh and everybody else, join the Facebook page Goanet and let us continue our harangues and quarrels for another decade or so. http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#!/groups/goanet/ best, selma
[Goanet] Hitting the RESET button (by Rose Fernandes)
Rose Fernandes wrote: Uploaded on U-tube on 22 October 2009 is Remo Fernandes on HCN/Part II. The upload is 7.17 minutes long and starting from minute 1.46 Remo talks about a farmer committing suicide out of starvation. In a video recording of his song India, I Cry which Remo Fernandes has uploaded on U-Tube on 6 October 2009, on minute 1.14 (of 5.28 minutes) a newspaper article is shown titled Farmers Suicide where the photograph shows the farming method used. Response: I am trying to find a Prince Jacob song on GDP and per capita income to counter the facts as presented by Remo on agricultural problems. Maybe this will help intensely in being able to tell the difference between a nal and a bondo. Best, selma
[Goanet] Hitting the RESET button
I find the post appended below and written by Mervyn Lobo deeply disturbing. I understand Mervyn works in the financial sector and as such one would have hoped is conversant with current economic trends and problems. Firstly, a little knowledge of Goan ownership of land would have helped. As Frederick has rightly pointed out, because of tenancy laws, tracts of lands are indeed in the ownership of those who cultivate them. (I put ownership in inverted commas because they are leased to them. They cultivate them and retain the produce with only a small percentage given to the owner). That this is the poorest section of society with little knowledge of how to improve yield and have little to no access to global retail/wholesale markets and hence agriculture is reduced to an unsustainable industry is another discussion altogether. Who said agriculture was an undesirable occupation? Is that why almost 76% of UK's land is still agricultural land? Is that why Europe fiercely protects its farmers, heavily subsidizing them and ensuring that they get a fair price for their produce? Is that why the EU has the world's second largest output in agriculture even though agriculture is just over 1% of their GDP. A while ago, manufacturing was thought to be a blue-collar industry. Today the western world is bending over backwards to reclaim the manufacturing sector. Apart from the crisis in the financial sector (any surprise given their obvious ignorance of anything other the ability to make money), part of the crisis in the west has to do with the decimation of their manufacturing sector. Mervyn went out to the fields and found it depressing. I'm sure the fields found Mervyn depressing. To cultivate land, to coax it into yielding fruit takes a deep love of the land. Mervyn has plenty of opinions with total disregard for the facts. That he distribute these opinions as facts on various forums is another discussion. Best, selma --- Gabriel, Unfortunately in Goa, the person working in the fields does not own the same. S/he is usually nothing more than a labourer and at the very best, a sharecropper. A single bad harvest can bring financial ruin or increasing in India, suicide. I have worked as a farm labourer. It was the most depressing job ever. Every day you do exactly what you did on the same day the previous year. One gets paid for not using ones brain. Worse still, the work is back breaking. Literally. When I got home, I had to sleep on the cement floor to sooth my back. There is not farm labourer or for that matter a toddy tapper, who will refuse a better paying job if given the chance. Lastly, I think you have completely missed the point I am trying to make. Goans are capable of much more than growing rice or tapping toddy. Any progressive govt will create for its voters the opportunity to enter into different fields. A govt that wants to 'protect' or 'subsidize' inefficient occupations, is actually a regressive govt.
[Goanet] 102 year old Thomas Joaquim (Oral Histories Project)
The histories of British Goans project presents Thomas Joaquim Lobo. He was born in Goa, in 1909 and will shortly be 103 years old. In this six minute video clip he talks about life in Goa, moving to Bombay in the 1920s, living in remote districts of Kenya. His daughter also present during the interview gives us an intimate look at life in Marsabit Kenya. Thomas met his wife-to-be for the first time on their wedding day. Beautiful photographs from the family album featured. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1PGSbd2oDsfeature=youtu.be To watch more video clip from our archives visit: http://www.britishgoanproject.com/ Best, selma carvalho
[Goanet] Goan books by certain Goan authors excluded in Goan libraries: Why the selective deliberate exclusions?
Dear Silviano, Let me first state that most librarians in Goa are a miserable, dour lot. There are I am told notable exceptions in Panjim whom I hope to meet someday but this side of the Zuari, the women who call themselves libraries -and yes they are mostly women - should be at home making tiffins for their husband because I am quite sure they have never held a book between their two hands. Last year I visited the Margao Municipal library to see if I could trace some old maps of Goa. When the librarian heard that I was looking for Goa related books containing maps she handed me a Lonely planet guide book. Right next to the library is Margao's best bar and restaurant and I now know why. Having said there, Silviano, let me assure you once in for all, no one is holding your subject matter against you. Almost every Goan writer worth his salt from GIP to Professor Armando Menezes and Victor Rangel-Ribeiro and Margaret Mascarenhas has written about caste and nobody is holding it against them. It is what makes our society what it is -liberal, progressive. I am quite sure, Goa's central library is heaving with books on caste. So really it is up to you to stock your book. Now coming to Melvyn Fernandes of UK. Here is a list of things he has accused other people of: - Silvano Barbarosa did not respond to his emails about the book Sixth Night when he was trying to market it. - Eddie Fernandes did not publish his review on the book Sixth Night - Selma Carvalho carried a stock of the book to the Global Goans Covention and then hid them from sight. There seems to be an all-round conspiracy against Melvyn. Best, selma
[Goanet] Goa, RIP
Dear George, One thing I am now firmly convinced of. Goa is not going to RIP. For the past few days, I have become hooked to the Facebook page Goa speaks. The writers here are young Goans of all colours and creed. I am extremely impressed with how sophisticated their viewpoints are. They are well acquainted with the problems Goans are facing. There also seems to be minimal religious tension. Something which had worn me down on Goanet and made me a bitter person. I am really thrilled to discover another Goa. And it is full of hope and ideas for Goa's future. Does this mean Goa isn't going to face problems. Not at all. But if it has managed to produce a generation which is so informed, I can only see hope and immense potential for Goa's future. Take care, selma
[Goanet] Pottam borem nam munn...
As my grand-mother would say, avois mujea saibab!!! There are strict rules I follow when in Goa. 1. Never have a meal just before leaving the house. 2. Never have a meal outside a 20 minute car-drive radius. 3. Always carry enough money to buy coffee in a five-star hotel so I may also use their loos. 4. Carry phone numbers and detailed addresses of all friends in the town areas should I have a pottam borem nam type emergency. What is it with Indians and hygiene? Even those Arabs who used to do it in the sand and cover it up have now built toilets that resemble Taj Mahals, while we are still obviously squatting our way to civilization. best, selma
[Goanet] Featuring Kenyan politician Fitz Santana de Souza and wife Romola (Oral Histories project)
The Histories of British-Goans project presents a clip of a very rare interview with Fitz Santana de Souza and his wife Romola. In this clip, Fitz talks about his Father being posted to Kabul circa 1914. Their time in Zanzibar, about meeting Pio Gama-Pinto and Jomo Kenyatta. Romola talks about knowing Fitz in childhood and meeting him again in Kenya. Please note this is a clip of a three hour interview and not the interview in its entirety. To see it on our website: http://www.britishgoanproject.com/ or you can watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7OKGaE9DGMfeature=youtu.be Fitz Remedios Santana de Souza (born 1929, Mumbai), often known as Dr. F. R. S. de Souza and Fitz De Souza, is a Kenyan lawyer and ex-politician of Indian origin, who was an important figure in the campaign for independence for Kenya, a member of the Kenyan parliament in the 1960s and Deputy Speaker for several years. He helped provide a legal defence for those accused of Mau Mau activities including the Kapenguria Six, and he was one of the people involved in the Lancaster House conferences held to draw up a constitutional framework for Kenyan independence. To read more about Fitz you may access the wikipedia entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitz_Remedios_Santana_de_Souza Best, Selma Carvalho
[Goanet] Caste and Assolna
Mervyn Lobo wrote: Since Dom Martin has identified you as the person who may know where to get the string for that exclusive whiny Goan instrument, I will leave you in peace so that you can contemplate on that comment. RESPONSE: Mervyn, at the very least fight your own battles and don't try to falsely insinuate others into them. Senor Dom Martin has always been exceptionally kind to me and was amongst the first to encourage me to write. But hey, I don't want to disturb you from your blissful slumber of delusion. Best, Selma
[Goanet] Caste and Assolna
Mervyn Lobo wrote: Your views on the caste system are well known. The above quotes of yours also give the reader some indication on how much thought and research you take into consideration before making your fantasy statements. I really look forward to reading the results of your er, unbiased views on caste and Assolna. RESPONSE: Tut, tut, looks like Mervyn's feathers have been ruffled. Bullies can usually dish it out but seldom take it when someone stands up to to them. Who said I was researching caste or even Assolna? Please direct me to that post. It's just like you, to make assumptions and then foist those assumptions as facts. If you must know I was looking for a person. And if a person belonged to a certain caste in the early 20th century, there is a good chance he'll be listed in certain confrariars. I was more likely to find him in certain areas/professions and the people in that village would likely know him as a certain someone related to some family of the same caste. This is how geneology searches take place. I have better things to do than be bored to death by the mundanity, triviality and inanity of your thought processes. I have kept quiet for a long time, hoping that in time whatever is bothering you will have resolved or gone into remission but some people have an incessant need to nurse their egos with their imagined hurts. And the more one keeps quiet in the hope of maintaining peace on public forums the more virulent people these people become. Selma
[Goanet] Caste and Assolna
Mervyn Lobo wrote: The strength of any research lies in the unbiased observations of the researcher. A researcher with a bias (conscious or sub-conscious) will usually produce results that reflect.his/her beliefs. I see this in business reports that I have to read on a daily basis. RESPONSE: What's the matter Mervyn? Like a child you can't bear to see anyone write a kind word about me and my motives? You and your friend are bully boys who like to bully people on internet forums... all the more better if they happen to be women. Real life is another matter, where occasionally real men have given some a real life pasting. I decided a long time ago, I could sit at home and cry in my coffee because of internet bullying or I could continue to enjoy the company of those people I do. I will not be bullied on this forum. All the very best in reading your biased business reports on a daily basis. Perhaps the bias is with you if you see it in this world so frequently. selma PS: Thanks to the people of Assolna who wrote to me privately. Who took no offence and who quietly set about finding the person I wanted.
[Goanet] Welcome back Senor Dom Martin
Welcome back Senor Dom Martin. We have all missed you terribly. You were gone too long. Warm regards, selma
[Goanet] Caste and Assolna
Dear Vivian, I am happy to report that I have learnt a lot about Assolna in the last few days. Thanks also to the efforts of members of the goaresearch team, we were also able to trace the man I was looking for. He ran a school in Assolna between 1892-1914. Warm regards, selma
[Goanet] Video snapshot of the Goan History workshop at the Royal Geographical SOciety
The Hidden Goan History workshop led by Cliff Pereira was held at the Royal Geographical SOciety. It was a wonderful day of learning, reflecting on our history and the influence of the British. Those who attended the workshop left with a sense of wanting to learn more. For some snippets of the day, here is a two minute video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zwth3p6-pskfeature=youtu.be Best, Selma Carvalho
[Goanet] Caste and Assolna
Mervyn Lobo wrote: Lastly, if you need to know what prompted Goans to migrate to E. Africa and other places, why don`t you directly ask the people you are interviewing. I would love to hear this question i.e. What is your caste and why did it make you migrate from Goa. Response: In other words you want me to study caste and its implications. Somehow you want me to study casta without mentioning casta. Also just by mentioning it, you automatically want to assure everyone that I am an apologist for it. And yet you want me to pose it as a question and your question also presupposes an answer in that it made people emigrate. So if it made Catholics emigrate, we can safely assume that it exists among Catholics. You are right. All this doesn't make sense to me. Then again nothing you write ever makes sense to me but please do keep writing because there so few humourous posts on goanet these days. Best, selma
[Goanet] Caste and Assolna
Doc J Colaco wrote : This nonsense aka the Caste System is an Apartheid discriminatory relic from the pre-conversion days. Why all the angst Doc? Sadly, if only it were true that it is a relic of pre-conversion days. It's a reality even in today's Goa but my interest in it is not to perpetuate it but as a means to identifying and/or tracing people, migrations, occupations and the inherent turmoil that it caused within our society. We cannot write about Goan society and ignore the elephant in the room. Importantly caste is a marker of migratory patterns in Goa and a marker of clans. So it is an important geneology tool. warm regards, selma
[Goanet] Caste and Assolna
Dear members, I was wondering if anyone would be able to comment on this. In Salcete large areas do not have bamons. Would Assolna of Salcete have had bamons. What would be the possibility of a man who set up a school in Assolna being bamon? Any comments and speculation would be appreciated. Best, selma
Re: [Goanet] Caste and Assolna
Hi Frederick, I'm all confused now :-) Certainly there is a debate to be had as to why Salcete came be dominated by Da Costas, Dias, Furtado -all patrician chardos. And certainly there was much interaction between Bamons and Chardos at the high end, just as there was interaction between sudhirs and chardos at the lower end. All these corridors of interaction inevitably did much to level the playing field and create a more egalitarian society. That's my hypothesis anyway. Take care, selma From: Frederick FN Noronha फ्रेड्रिक नोरोन्या *فريدريك نورونيا fredericknoro...@gmail.com To: Goa's premiere mailing list, estb. 1994! goanet@lists.goanet.org Sent: Thursday, April 12, 2012 7:45 PM Subject: Re: [Goanet] Caste and Assolna On 12 April 2012 14:15, Carvalho elisabeth_...@yahoo.com wrote: Dear members, I was wondering if anyone would be able to comment on this. In Salcete large areas do not have bamons. Would Assolna of Salcete have had bamons. What would be the possibility of a man who set up a school in Assolna being bamon? Any comments and speculation would be appreciated. Best, selma Selma, to stoke up a debate... * When you say large areas do not have bamons, I guess you're referring to the fact that they're not gaonkars (and dominant landholders). This is particularly true of areas of coastal Salcete (except Benaulim), and some other areas too. But would this imply that they were totally absent from the locality, or didn't even live there? I souvr ir. * In Catholic Goa in the last century, bamons and chardos were the two contestants for power and influence. Yet, there was some degree of interaction among them too. * I would think that a school run by a person from one dominant caste in a village dominante by another caste would be a possibility. For that matter, I could point to a chardo-run school in a bamon-dominated village too. Probably parents would judge by the quality of education offered. FN
[Goanet] Oral History project and workshops
Dear Victor and Pandu, Thank you for your emails. Will respond in detail at some time. I have not been keeping well for sometime now but plodding along. Take care, selma --- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---
[Goanet] Ancestry workshop at Bexley Archives for UK Goans
Histories of British-Goans Project presents a half-day workshop. Are you of Goan origin? Ever wondered about your grandparents or great-grandparents lives? Now learn from the experts how to trace your ancestry using resources which are available right here in the UK. Clifford Pereira leads a one-day workshop at the Bexley Archives, teaching you how. Admission is free. Please book in advance—only 15 spaces available. Contact: Carvalho_sel@yahoo.comFor more details click here: http://www.goanvoice.org.uk/gvuk_files/Bexley_flyer.pdf Please do let me know quickly as bookings for these workshops tend to fill up fast. Selma Carvalho --- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---
[Goanet] Interview with Mervyn Maciel
Hi Roland, Thank you for your encouraging words. We have collected hours and hours of oral history covering every sort of topic from discrimination at work to segregated living to caste in East Africa. Unfortunately I will not be making any of that public right now. It will come into the public domain when it is lodged with the British Library. The reason being, as you may have noticed, our Goans are incapable of handling the least amount of introspection of their historical past. It is an unwritten rule almost that we must all believe our lives have been fantastical, ethical and almost mythical and any threat to that notion of ourselves comes under assault. So for now, only the most benign aspects of the interview will be made public. Take care, selma --- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---
[Goanet] Featuring Mervyn Maciel (Oral Histories Project)
Histories of British-Goans project features Mervyn Maciel, author of Bwana Karani, in a 10 minute video clip. This is a historic journey beautifully documented with family photographs taking us back in time to 1926 and through to colonial Kenya in the 1950s. Mervyn talks about losing his family in the sinking of the SS Tilawa, about life in the remote outposts of Turkana, the Northern Frontier District, of Africa tribes and sweltering heat. Also provides an insight into the life of a District Clerk in East Africa. (Partial nudity in some photographs). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0IpudNHN94feature=youtu.be To view other videos you may have missed visit: http://www.britishgoanproject.com/ Create audiences for our community project by sharing this link. Best wishes, selma carvalho --- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---
[Goanet] Northern District Frontier Kenya
Mervyn Maciel wrote: The Turkana tribe, who I got to love during my time with them, are a war-like tribe to this day, and even when I was there, there were frequent raids between the Turkana and the Donyiro tribesmen from the Sudanese border, as also the Merille from the Ethiopian side. All said and done though, I still love the Turkana! -- Response: Mervyn, it was an absolute pleasure interviewing you and Elsie on Saturday. As I said to you, it was one of THE most fascinating interviews I have recorded about Africa. For the first time, I saw Africa not from the point of view of a Goan living in Nairobi or Kampala but of someone who really lived in is interiors, in the heart of Africa. Mervyn's entire interview (over an hour in lenght) should be a documentary by itself but I will try to do it justice by making at least a 10-15 minute clip. Stay tuned folks, this is one you don't want to miss. Best, selma carvalho --- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---
[Goanet] Progress report on the Oral History Project
Dear all, We are grateful to the large pool of British-Goans registered with us to be interviewed. So far we have interviewed 20 people, although we are just 8 months into the project. They reflect a cross-section of society; tailors, clerks, teachers, train-drivers, cooks, doctors, etc. We have a wonderful team of volunteers ranging from the young in the community to the not-so-young. Our first workshop at the Royal Geographical Society is set for 13 April, 2012 and was sold out within 2 days of advertising it. Our second workshop at Bexley Archives is scheduled for 22nd April. (Please contact me for details of second workshop if you are interested. It is about Goan geneoloy). Our website went live some time ago and has registered over 15,000 hits. It hosts clips of interviews conducted. The duration of each interview is between 60 to 120 minutes. Only small 4-5 minute editted clips are hosted on the website and Youtube so as not to consume too much bandwith. We have reached agreements with both the British Library and the Bexley Archives for the entire clips (the total output of the project) to be hosted in perpetuity by them in a special collection called Life stories of British-Goans. This will be in the public domain, copy-right free including photographs, for future researchers, writers, historians and family historians. It might be pertinent to note that these are life stories. They are a recording of personal memories. As such they are subject to the fragility of memory but what they do contain is the validity of a lived experience, captured on audio and video from a generation which is now withering away. All these stories would be lost forever if not for the funding from the UK government. I have conducted interviews where the person has silently shed tears recalling their past life. Our team is currently working on a short documentary which will capture the overall narrative of settlement, displacement, transition and resettlement experienced by this generation. We are thankful to Goans - some of whom are on this list like Mervyn Maciel, Rene Barreto and Eddie Fernandes who have moved this project along and do so everyday in the service of the community. Please assist us in whatever way you can. This is a heritage preservation project of our community. Best, selma --- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---
[Goanet] General Secretary of GOA UK talks about her childhood (Oral histories project)
The oral histories project presents Bernie Gracias in a four minute video-clip. Bernie is a fourth generation East African Goan. Her great-grand uncle Dr Rosendo Ribeiro of Dr Rosendo Ribeiro Goan School landed in Kenya in 1898. She is the General Secretary of GOA UK and wife of long-time Goan Association UK President, Flavio Gracias. Here, she talks about an idyllic childhood in Kenya and all of it coming to an end. The music in the video is by Mark Fernandes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJVFBLeg31gfeature=youtu.be Thank you for watching and visiting our website. I get quite a lot of hits from this forum. Best, selma carvalho --- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---
Re: [Goanet] Amchem noxib -Jerome
Bosco, given public transport Leonaras seems a lot closer than Belmont :-) Just kidding I love London's transport system. Many dreary days I do nothing but ride the tube :-) Got a great stage contact for M Boyer from goanet. Which is why... East or west Goanet is still the best I know I'm besharam But Goanet is king of forum Ok, just a bit of weekend humour. Take care guys, selma From: Carvalho elisabeth_...@yahoo.com To: goanet@lists.goanet.org goanet@lists.goanet.org Sent: Thursday, March 15, 2012 3:55 PM Subject: Amchem noxib -Jerome Hey Bosco or anyone else, do you know if Jerome Mendes is from a show biz family? I literally live 10 mins from Leonaras in Goa. I'll go and visit him if he is. Also once he has posted the film on Youtube, it is fine to provide a link to it. take care, selma --- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---
[Goanet] Goanet Reader: Looking back, taking stock ... (Eduardo Faleiro)
Dear NRI Commissioner, We will miss you. You spoke our language, the last of the refined Goan politicians who knew their Chardonnay from their Savignon Blanc. Who could switch seamlessly between Konkani, Portuguese and English. You served your state well and gave an air of sophistication to the NRI cell. We wish you the very best in your future plans. Warm regards, Selma Carvalho --- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---
[Goanet] Women, drinking and tiatr
Dear all, Thank you for the wonderful information you have provided so far. I am wondering if any of you would have an opinion or knowledge of what sort of relationships tiatrist would have had with their female co-stars. Were there off-stage liasons, were there back-stage encounters? Surely, this was theatre and it can't be that everyone was behaving themselves. We have already established that there was a culture of drinking. All right Eugene, if I have to beg, I will. Please do shed some light. Best, selma --- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---
[Goanet] Pure bliss amchem noxib
Watching this film has been sheer bliss. Not that I want to be seen as not recognising my own uncle but the film is quite blurry (and shot before I was even born) and I wanted to confirm for sure that M. Boyer is playing the role of Robert here. The young Boyer brings back so many memories. He looks so much like my father, they could have passed off for brothers instead of cousins. Of course my father is the most handsome of all the Cardoso-Aguiar cousins with their deep green eyes and high cheek bones. I am hoping to do a mini-bio on Boyer's life (hence all the questions about tiatr - if anyone has contacts with tiatr personalities, info...please bear in mind). I have already unearthed startling revelations about our family and ancestry. The girl who plays Molly is so beautiful. I knew her son in Dubai and he is almost a spitting image of his mother. Aha. Nostalgia. Best, selma --- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---
[Goanet] Amchem noxib -Jerome
Hey Bosco or anyone else, do you know if Jerome Mendes is from a show biz family? I literally live 10 mins from Leonaras in Goa. I'll go and visit him if he is. Also once he has posted the film on Youtube, it is fine to provide a link to it. take care, selma --- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---
[Goanet] Film Nostalgia - Amchem Noxib
Thank you Roland for this link and your wonderful article on tiatrists. Can anyone identity Anthony Mendes in the film. I am assuming he is the main comedic star with the small charlie chaplain moustache. This film is pure comedic genius. The delivery and timing is so spot on. Best, selma --- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---
[Goanet] Mapusa and the new dispensation
Dear Tony, My heart goes out to you because every bit of what you write is true and you have no hesitation in calling a spade a spade. You're an honest to goodness Goan, the sort of chap that works all his life and expects nothing more from the world than a quiet, clean, civil country to live in. The truth of the matter is 50 years after Liberation, the townships have been made unfit for human habitation. What makes this an absolute crime against humanity is that each of our MLAs are worth their weight in crores. An honest Goan working a lifetime cannot save a crore and believe me that applies even to NRIs, yet these men have managed to leech off the Goan blood while the townships rot. This is something the Parrikar government can certainly make a start in correcting and I hope they do, starting with Digu's own constituency Margao. If you think Mapusa is a ghanti town, then a visit to Margao will make you feel considerably better in living on that side of the Zuari. Best, selma --- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---
[Goanet] Bhagavathi, Birla, Ragbhavan and St. Mary's theatres in Bombay
Dear esteemed members and bombaimkars, Can anyone tell me a little bit about the theatres mentioned above in Bombay and particularly in relation to our tiatrists playing at these theatres in the 1950s; the sort of audiences that would have patronised them and also the surrounding areas of these theatres. I do intend to visit these places but any information you can supply will be much appreciated for me to research. Many thanks, selma --- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---
Re: [Goanet] Bhagavathi, Birla, Ragbhavan and St. Mary's theatres in Bombay
Come on Rolly, do I really have to beg? :-) Give us another one of your pieces which all of us will read and re-read and cherish for months afterwards carefully saving them in our files. And with you, I have the added advantage of not having to rewrite the information, I just put borrowed from Roland Francis memoirs with permission. You can start by telling me the location of St. Mary's hall and something about its audiences and surrounds. Also someone wrote in to say tiatrs were held frequently at St Xavier's college hall. Any more info on this would be appreciated. Many thanks, selma From: Carvalho elisabeth_...@yahoo.com To: goanet@lists.goanet.org goanet@lists.goanet.org Sent: Monday, March 12, 2012 9:39 AM Subject: Bhagavathi, Birla, Ragbhavan and St. Mary's theatres in Bombay Dear esteemed members and bombaimkars, Can anyone tell me a little bit about the theatres mentioned above in Bombay and particularly in relation to our tiatrists playing at these theatres in the 1950s; the sort of audiences that would have patronised them and also the surrounding areas of these theatres. I do intend to visit these places but any information you can supply will be much appreciated for me to research. Many thanks, selma --- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---
[Goanet] Violin playing by a young team member (Oral Histories Project)
Enjoy a spot of violin playing on this Sunday morning by a member of the Oral Histories of British-Goans project. Mark Fernandes is a member of an orchestra here in London and a fourth-generation East African British-Goan. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNMM_rNZLG8feature=youtu.be Best, selma carvalho --- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---
[Goanet] What Manohar Parrikar can do and won't do
With all the raised expectations by Goans, here is a realistic list of what Manohar Parrikar won't be able to do and what he might be able to achieve if he has the political spine to do it. This is my list (so please don't ask me to back it up with logic, statistics and other unnecessary things.) Mining Manohar Parikar (hereafter referred to as MP) will not make any significant impact in curtailing the mining industry. This industry and its ancillary services are too powerful for the polity to clash with it. At the most he will pacify a few Goans by closing down illegal and possibly defunct mines. Real Estate MP will not be able to halt real estate development. Again this industry and its lobbyist are too powerful. Also in a capitalist democracy one man's environmental degradation is another man's development. There is a fine line to tread. If he has courage he will manage to declare the large tracts of land under environmental protection where development is non-negotiable. Again I have never seen this happen in a democracy unless there is a very strong Green party presence, which doesn't concern itself with being in government but takes on the role of social activist. Special Status Non-starter. Has not happened. Will never happen. Why? because New Delhi knows that it is the first step towards semi-autonomy. Please look at the history of India since 1947 and see if they have be amenable to giving anyone autonomy. Migrants MP cannot and will not make any inroads into controlling migration. See Real estate for explanation. The influx of migrants is largely on account of real-estate development. For ways to control it, refer to Hongkong (which is facing exactly the same problem as us). There are various restrictions applied for inflow of traffic into Hongkong from mainland China. To pursue similar policies in India would require not an Act of Government but an Act of God. There are other things one can do to reduce dependence on migrant labour such as enforcing a minimum wage for casual labour as well as insistence on prefabricated housin to be provided during the project and to be dismantled when the project is over, as well as medical insurance. None of this will be brought into effect in Goa because India doesn't really believe in equality. They would much prefer to take advantage of subsidized labour which has a detrimental effect on everyone else except the top percent of the population who live off the sweat of other people's brows. MP will be able to bring about some cosmetic changes in five years but the overall changes in Goa and India need to be systemic, which includes massive investment in education and a regeneration of birth control programmes. Best, selma --- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---
[Goanet] Filthy-fying of Goan politics by Congress
FN's breakdown of the ballot was indeed an eye-opener. In almost every case the Catholic Goan was responsible for Congress' bloodbath today. (Don't waste your time introspection Diggu dearest..it is very simple). 1) In Catholic dominated Congress strongholds, the Catholic voter split the vote with an Independent b) In undecided areas, BJP fielded Catholic candidates who broke the stranglehold. Which means effectively Goan politics in now driven entirely by independents rather than a cohesive party ideology. 50 years after liberation when a clear two-party system should have emerged with careful, responsible ideology on both sides, Congress has managed to make Goan politics filthy to the extent that it is now driven entirely by individual ideology with no cohesion in sight. One thing is good news. You cannot irritate the Catholic voter and hope to remain in power. And perhaps in the end, this is the real truimph for secularism in Goa, that the minority can weild power in this dynamic if slightly subversive way. Best, selma --- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---
[Goanet] Anatomy of the Alemaos
Eugene Monteiro wrote The defeat of the Alemaos is partly because of the BJP wave and partly because of the angst against Joaquim and Churchill’s arrogant defence of the “family raj” politics and their arm-twisting tactics that led to Congress giving ticket to Valanka. RESPONSE: There is no great backlash against the Alemaos. In Cuncolim, John Monteiro (Independent) fractured the vote, otherwise he had a clear win. In Sanguem, Prasad Goankar fractured the NCP-Congress base or he had a clear win there.In Benaulim, Vikas party voters are all former Congress voters and so are Hubert Gomes' voters. If it wasn't for Hubert, Valanka would have had a win. Goa Vikas party has done the greatest damage to the Congress. Vikas is the brainchild of Micky -Micky's voters are all recovering Congress voters. Micky has no greater agenda or ideology than the Alemaos. Goa is an extremely small state. A matter of 2000 votes can make the difference between a win and a lose. The only thing you can discern for certain in this election is that the Catholic population of Goa is in disarray without any clear political leadership. They are hopping mad and they were out for blood - not particularly Alemao blood but Congress blood. In the end, that is how peaceful revolutions come about. But like every revolution, there must be great leaders waiting in the wings to take over, otherwise the Alemaos can regroup within 2 years and re-emerge like a nightmarish severed head. Does Goa have great leaders in the wings waiting to take over? Because I'm a Goan, I hope so. Best, Selma --- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---
[Goanet] Dr Ribeiro's grandnephew tells his story (oral history project)
The Histories of British-Goans Project presents a six minute video clip featuring Dr John Eli Almeida. He is the grand-nephew of that zebra-riding doctor and early Goan pioneer in Kenya, Dr Rosendo Ribeiro. Among the many things Dr Ribeiro became famous for in Kenya, was a cure for malaria, warning the British of bubonic plague and being a major benefactor of the Dr Ribeiro Goan School, Nairobi. He was awarded an OBE by the British and also commemorated by the Portuguese. Here we get an intimate glimpse of life in early century Kenya, the Almeida family and Dr Ribeiro. Clip contains many family photographs. Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0GD4BdGjGofeature=youtu.be Please visit our website to view other videos you may have missed: http://www.britishgoanproject.com/ Support our project by passing on the link to people who might be interested in East African Goan history. Best, Selma Carvalho --- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---
[Goanet] Goan expats want total change of blood (mayabhusan)
Fair enough Doc, I accept what you are saying. What is in the public domain is open to being quoted. It is no different from me finding something in an archive and quoting. The problem with Eugene is he is perpetually trying to show other people and other writers in a poor light, under the guise of offering objective assessment. Which is what makes him so tedious and a right royal whinger. Best, selma --- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---
[Goanet] Goan expats want total change of blood (mayabhusan)
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/goa-expats-want-total-change-of-political-blood/235165-37-170.html Note to Eugene: This is the right way to do it. Ask people for quotes or ask people permission to quote. Not take quotes from what they have said on public forums and write them in your article. Best, selma --- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---
[Goanet] Racism, Britain, Goan expat workers
Frederick wrote A couple of questions: (i) If we had a similar situation in Goa, involving migrant workers (non-Goan, in our case), what would be our stand? (ii) Could we expect any section in Goa to speak out for the underdogs? FN Frederick, it may surprise you to know that when the Vasco fire occured it was not the Orissa goverment or the Karnataka government or even the Goa government that sent aid. It was Goan churches, schools and convents that opened their doors and halls to house all the fleeing migrant workers. These institutions run by ordinary Goans. Goans are not heartless people. Just at the British are not heartless. Taking up the cause of Goan workers in the UK does not prevent every British party having controlled migration as part of their manifestos. Migration is and will continue to be the largest single problem of our times because as Thomas Friedman has pointed out the sudden explosion in populations is unsustainable unless we have a break in some sort of technology which will relieve the pressure in terms of land and food production. Best, selma --- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---
[Goanet] TAG: Meet the Artiste - Philo de Pilerne
Hi FN, Here is a rough translation of the song. Of course I may have lost much in translation. Would love to see other translations. Take care, selma Chorus You can look at my body, but not touch You can look at my lips, but not kiss You can look at my body, but not touch You can look at my lips but not kiss Come home, come home, come home, come home You can look at my home but don't break the door (this is a double entendre with the door) Chorus again Drink, drink, drink, why do you drink alcohol? Beau...beau..beau...one beautiful wife is enough Drink, drink, drink, why do you drink alcohol? Beau...beau..beau..one beutiful wife is enough Support me, come into my arms With me its, boom ba ka boom) Chorus again Think, think, think, why mess about (not too sure about this line) No girl will look at you when you grow old Think, think, think, why mess about No girl will look at you when you grow old Live for today, forget about tomorrow Live your life with love and peace ANG MOJEM POI - Singer: LR Ishwari - Film: Jivit Amchem Oxem Ang mojem choi punn hatlai-naka! Vontt moje poi punn kiss korinaka! Ang mojem choi punn hatlai-naka! Vontt moje poi punn kiss korinaka! Yeo ghara, Yeo ghara,Yeo ghara, Yeo ghara, Ghor mhojem choi punn dar foddinaka. Ang mojem choi punn hat lai-naka! Vontt moje poi punn kiss korinaka! Yeo ghara, Yeo ghara,Yeo ghara, Yeo ghara, Ghor mhojem choi punn dar foddinaka. Pi pi pi pi kiteak pitai re soro, so so so so sobit bail ekuch puro, Pi pi pi pi kiteak pitai re soro, so so so so sobit bail ekuch puro, Tuzo sangat di, mhojea vengent yeo, Mozant gayata 'boom ba ka boom' Ang mojem choi punn hatlai-naka! Vontt moje poi punn kiss korinaka! Yeo ghara, Yeo ghara,Yeo ghara, Yeo ghara, Ghor mhojem choi punn dar foddinaka. Chint chint chint chint kiteak meztai re duddu, Mataro zatoch tuka povncho nam cheddo, Chint chint chint chint kiteak meztai re duddu, Mataro zatoch tuka povncho nam cheddo, Aizchem aiz mod, faleanchem faleam sodd Mogache sukhachem jivit tum kor. Ang mojem choi punn hat lai-naka! Vontt moje poi punn kiss korinaka! Yeo ghara, Yeo ghara,Yeo ghara, Yeo ghara, Ghor mhojem choi punn dar foddinaka. --- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---
[Goanet] Congress Vision for elimination of Goans by 2017
Congress has promised us a Gooa Dourado in five years and I believe they will deliver. Best, selma --- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---
[Goanet] How many investigations have there been in Goa?
There should be an investigation into the road-worthiness of the unfortunate bus. But how many investigations and charges have there actually been in Goa? There should have been an investigation into the fire that occurred in Vasco in August. A terrible tragedy that again claimed the lives of young children who were innocently playing outdoors. The whole of Vasco sits on an unholy grid of gas, petrol and naphtha pipe lines, not to mention fertilizer. Has there been an investigation? The emergency response in that instance too was pathetic. Has it improved? Is there any move at all to shift some of these dangerous pipe lines outside of residential areas? Will Zuari be ever held responsible and made to pay adequate compensation? There was an investigation into Babush's alleged bribe taking to the tune of 26 crores. Have any charges been brought against him? Any opposition would call for a hearing, has this Opposition even called for a ministerial probe? At the very least it would call for Babush to resign. No such response in Goa. Instead he and his wife have been given a ticket to contest the elections. The media too have forgotten about it. They've moved on to their next story. In other related news apparently BJP promises Rs1000 for every housewife to deal with household expenses. What is this? Are Goans like children that have to be promised sweeties? Has any journalist posed the question as to where that money will come from? Surely an increase in public expenditure means that money has to be raised elsewhere or cut elsewhere. Oh wait a minute. I forgot BJP has every intention of cutting funding for English medium schools thus proving once in for all that Goans are more interested in eating than learning. So Goans don't worry too much. Life will go on. We will sing our mandos, play our guitars, dance our jive and cheerfully discuss the price of fish until the next time. Here is a tune for my fellow Goans to whistle to this morning, aum saiba poldotde veta, maka saiba vatt dakoi or for those a little less vernacular, she'll be coming down the mountain when she comes, she'll be coming down the mountain when she comes...and for Boney M fans, brown girl in the ring, tra la la la As my mother used to say, saglea magir ragg yeta. Best, selma --- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---
[Goanet] BJP's Vision for elimination of Goans by 2017?
For once Soter and I have ended up asking the same questions. Questions which sane journalists and reporters in Goa should be asking in their editorials. Where will BJP get the funds to finance what they have promised in their manifesto. It is only Parrikonomics which can promise something from the exchequer without actually telling us how that money will be raised. It is unsustainable and if Goans are going to fall for this they are out of their minds. Having said that Congress has promised us Babush, Babush's wife, Churchill Co, etc. So dear Goans, every which way but lose. Let us now all sing to the chorus of udir mujea mamma and aum sangta tuka, ani mazorechea all together now...udir mama ielo ani meza..ani mazoreachea Best, selma --- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---
[Goanet] Life in Nairobi, caste and club (Oral History project)
The oral histories of British-Goans project presents a five minute clip featuring Joaquim Fernandes who talks about life in Nairobi, clubs and caste. This is an insightful clip in which Joaquim relates a slice of Africander life not often spoken about. Beyond the bungalows and the clubs there was struggle. Joaquim's father from Borda Margao, went to Kenya in the 1940s, possibly just before the war, as a tailor. To watch on our website: http://www.britishgoanproject.com/ If you can't access the website then you can watch on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRWlGpFvbvsfeature=youtu.be Selma Carvalho Project Manager - Oral Histories of British-Goans project --- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---
[Goanet] The Gospel provides powerful hope for India's temple prostitutes | The CSF
Jose Colaco wrote: The key players in this prevalent hate are the politicians and their lackeys. They will say anything, write anything and do anything, . to have their 'corrupt' or 'communally corrupt' political friends in power. You guys see any other purpose for this on-going deviousness, hate and foolishness other than ripping up the place? I disagree with Doc slightly here. Politicians exploit the situation but by themselves they are unable to create it. The existence of this situation is not unique to India. Majoritism is a natural social phenomena created in every society. The difference is in more determined democracies, there is a will to cull and censor commentators who incite and inflame to the extreme and there is a desire to protect the interests of the minority. In an enlightened society this is what defines civilisation. Sadly, this will is very faint and undetermined in India. What does bode well for India, is that the Indian whether Hindu, Muslim or Christian (and everyone else) by his very nature is a docile, passive creature, not given to violence. Best, selma --- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---
[Goanet] My deepest sympathies
I have not been able to function or even eat my food the whole day. This is a very sad day for us Goans and as a parent I mourn with every other parent today. If there is a God above, deliver us all from this cloud of grief that has surely made its way to you. Why could you not have spared those children? It is right that carnival is cancelled. The state should be in mourning. It would be immoral to frolick in the streets when our hearts are so heavy with grief just as it is immoral for Digu to declare a compensation of 2 lakhs as if that somehow makes up for everything, as if human life can be so easily monetised. Incidentally, a similar response followed the fire in Vasco. Any statesman worth his salt would have promised a thorough investigation into the matter and an assurance that those responsible, if any, would be brought to book. In mourning, selma --- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---
[Goanet] Mathany and BJP -the greening of Goa
Pandu lampioa wrote: The 'greening' of Goa has reached a point of no return and what you said in your post is right there for all to see. Nothing against any community but a mass influx is unhealthy. Dear Pandu, If it comes as a surprise that fairly liberal people like you and me, turn violently conservative and anti-migrant, it is because we have to live in that hell-hole, wholesale brothel otherwise known as Vascu. By the time you reach St Andrews Church the last vestige of its former glory standing against the onslaught of mindless insanity, those of us who grew up in Salcete, fall on us knees and pray to St. Andrews that such a horrific plague of destruction never visits Salcete. Alas, Margao is already beset with a similar plague. My mother-in-law who arrived in Vascu about forty-five years ago remembers Vascu in its days of glory. The gaunkars had built their charming homes on Mangor hill so that they may leave the windows open and let in the fresh air blowing upwards. Today they've learnt to padlock those same windows even during the daytime to keep safe what is left of their gold crucifixes and their flailing dignity. Vascu, mind you was the first township in Goa to have proper sewage and the design of the town itself, what one can still decipher amidst the cones popping up everywhere for endless traffic diversions and the gaddos sprouting in every conceivable place, is so well planned it would put a small European city to same. The sewers however have long past their capacity to keep filth underground and the green that oozes out on good days is now so commonplace Vascukars have grown heavy lids and hairy nostrils which they can now automatically close like some better adapted mammals to deal with it. And all the while Mangor breathes heavy under the weight of expanding slums which now spread from one side of the airport road right down into the port city itself. On the other side of airport road are penthouses which sell for over 1 crore built without rhyme or reason and more specifically without proper planning, roads, drainage, sewage or garbage disposal. If anyone wants a look into Goa's future, I advise them like Pandu says, to take a bus to Vascu and stare it squarely into its face. Incidentally, I don't see any hope for the slumification of Goa being reversed. That door was sealed the day Goa became part of India. We can only hope now that someone will make a film of Goa's slums 50 years from now and we'll have Goans writing paeans in the New Yorker telling us how wonderful and productive life actually is in a slum like Goa-Darawi. If there is one thing Indians are extraordinarily good at it is slummifying every city, town or living area they set foot in. For proof, visit cities in London which are Indian strongholds. Best, selma --- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---
[Goanet] The Gospel provides powerful hope for India’s temple prostitutes | The CSF
Sandesh Anvekar wrote: They cant tolerate a word of criticism...I 'd rather expected that someone would give some sane advise to mr floriano over his unbridled criticism of hindu gods which was totally unasked for here...(that only reflects poorly on him I could have answered him in his own language, but that's not something befitting a proud Hindu). instead they are busy trying to associate me with fundamentalist groups and commenting on my english langauge. As for me.. I have never said that Christian people make me feel insecure... nor is the question of disbelief in Christian religion - I've been on this forum for about six years and this is the first time I've come across Sandesh Anvekar's posts. For the first time to be an attack on the Church does not bode well. Sandesh, who professes to have a little more knowledge than a kindergarten child, should know in Christianity the Church is synonymous with its religion. It sees no distinction. Hence an attack on the Church is very similar to unbridled criticism of Hindu Gods. But criticizing each other's Gods and religions means nothing to me. Rama, Jesus, Mohammed, Superman and Santa Claus are all same-same to me. What I find subversive is the continuous and incessant propaganda machine which is unleashed in India. First of all, the Church in India is least bothered about converting people. Perhaps Sandesh can give us statistics on how many Hindus have been converted in all of Bombay's leading colleges run by Christians. Surely, a place of learning would be prime opportunity for influencing the mind. Alas, more Hindus avail of Christian-run education then all of the Christian world put together. Secondly, if at all proselytizing does occur in India, it is likely to be by a splinter evangelical-styled missionary group. But the point is, which Marshall makes adequately, proselytizing isn't the same as forcing people to convert. The term forced conversions implies that an organisation has political state sanction whereby it can exert power. Christians of India have none. So if people are converting that speaks to their desperation and desire to attain some sort of salvation, whether spiritual or economic. But in a democracy, that is an individual's choice and no one has the right to take away that choice. Lastly, as to the point that I am over-reacting, I don't think so. To believe that India is somehow a mature, functioning democracy in my opinion is a highly optimistic point of view. We are anything but a secular, liberal society. We are at best two shades lighter than conservative theocracies with ever shrinking space in the domain of individual and collective freedoms. Furthermore, it is naive to believe that only militant, extremist groups pose a threat to India. The threat to Indian democracy in terms of its tolerance for plurality will come from the vast burgeoning Hindu middle-class who for some reason continue to feed on their own sense of victim-hood and genuinely believe that they are under threat of some sort. My favourite line is, I'm not an RSS or anything but I believe MF Hussein should be killed. (luckily he died before it came to that, broken and in exile.) Best, selma --- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---
[Goanet] Christians of India - we are not about conversions
I reproduce an extract by that notable writer George Menezes, about Christians in India. Let us celebrate what each community has brought to the table in India rather than wallow in Freud's narcissism of minor differences. - Look first at the patriotism of our people. Christians in the Armed Forces have produced over forty winners of gallantry awards. Outstanding among these are Lance Naik Albert Ekka who gave his life defending an Indian position in some treacherous mountain far from home. Wing Commander Alan D’Costa who flew a tiny Gnat and shot down a number of Pakistani Sabre jets; General Francis T. Dias who captured the nodal town of Bogra in East Pakistan. Look at the impact we have had on culture and scholarship. Padma Vibushan Fr Camille Bulcke wrote an outstanding English-Hindi dictionary; Fr Carlos Valles was bestowed the highest award for Gujurati literature, the Ranjitram Gold medal. The work of Fr. Stephen Fuchs and Fr Costantine Lievens is no less phenomenal. Any writing on Christians in India cannot ignore the community’s genuine desire to be integrated into the country. For the record, Joseph Kala Baptista rejected the government’s offer of job reservations. Similarly, Constituent Assembly members, Fr. Jerone D’Souza and HC Mookherji rejected separate electoral constituencies for Christians, while ensuring that minority rights and interests were built into the Constitution. The community’s achievement in the field of sports is no less astounding. If our national anthem was heard being played again and again at the Olympic games and at International sports events, it was often due to the achievements of Christians. Both, in 1928 and 1948, the Olympic hockey team had nine Christians in its ranks. In the first international women’s hockey team of eleven players, all were Christians. During our freedom struggle and fifty years after, Christians have played significant roles in the country’s political life and its governance. Largely exemplary, clean and honest. Among stalwarts in public life, John Mathai and Rajkumari Amrit Kaur were the first Christians in Jawaharlal Nehru’s cabinet. Even today the names of Kerala chief minister AK Antony, Chief Election Commissioner JM Lyngdoh and the Alva family represent integrity in public life. But it is in the sphere of unconditional service to the poorest of the poor that we have really given witness to the teachings of Jesus. Anchored as we are, in a faith that upholds the primacy of human dignity and unconditional love, the community has this uncompromising need to help people who are ostracised, who experience injustice and to care for those who live in dire conditions. The Christian community has all these years responded to this situation in a quiet, sustained and effective manner that is truly astounding and truly miraculous. In a country of one billion people, the Christian community is barely 22 million. According to the 1998 satistical data published in the Catholic Directory of India, we run 3,785 KG and nursery schools, 7,319 primary schools, 3,765 secondary schools and 240 colleges including prestious medical, engineering and management schools. In addition, we run 1,514 technical training schools. These institutions are the finest in the country, publicly and privately acknowledged for exemplary teaching and for being sanctuaries of human values, discipline and respect for the human person. With 1,085 orphanages; 28 creches; 704 hospitals; 1,792 dispensaries and health centre; 11 leprosaria; 102 rehabilitation centres and 455 homes for the aged, destitute and handicapped, the community has been blessed by an unparalleled Jesus-inspired opportunity to feel the pain of the people we respond to. Some of the most competent and yet caring doctors in the country are Christians. Mother Teresa in her own inimitable way lifted this service to the plane of sainthood. Not bad, for a community that has neither economic strength nor political clout. --- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---
[Goanet] The Gospel provides powerful hope for India’s temple prostitutes | The CSF
Sandesh Anvekar wrote: in the end the motive of the Church is always to convert (as always)... Response: First of all, I find Sandesh Anvekar's remark absolutely loathsome. No doubt, some Goans are waiting with bated breath for the return of the BJP-ram raj so that we can look forward to 5 years of hurt sensibilities. Ignorance about the Church aside, I always find some comments faintly amusing. In the Christian dominated West, these very people have no problem at all sending their children to school where they all learn about Christ (yes, even non-religious state schools), preform in Christmas pageants and cheerfully dress up as Easter bunnies. It is only in India amidst a population of 1.2 billion, where 2.3% are Christians, that they feel so threatened by the Church and so-called conversions. It is attitudes such as these that will effectively assure India's place perpetually in the Dark Ages. Strangely, no amount of middle-class prosperity in India seems to be eradicating these attitudes which puts paid to the theory that affluence and education are the best criteria for progress. Best, selma --- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---
[Goanet] Recollections of Mau Mau (Oral History project)
Recollections of Mau Mau The oral histories of British-Goans project presents a five-minute clip recollecting the lived experiences of Goans during the time of the Mau Mau uprisings predominantly in Nairobi, Kenya. This video is not a statement on the legitimacy or otherwise of the uprisings but an recalling of events as experienced by them. A young Hindu man would run through the fields to try and help that man who was attacked... says one witness. To watch on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_uKf4EtrmEfeature=youtu.be To watch on our website: http://www.britishgoanproject.com/ Selma Carvalho Project Manager --- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---
