* GOA: YOU CAN'T TURN THE CLOCK BACK.... * By Edgar Valles diasval...@gmail.com
“* Time does not go back, but the past can become the future, if we know how to take advantage of the past * ”, here is the lapidary synthesis of Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, when referring to Portugal-India relations and, in particular, to Goa. The President of the Portuguese Republic spoke these words at a conference in Goa, where he highlighted the feeling that all Portuguese people have when they arrive at what was the crown jewel: “*In Goa, I feel at home. I have already visited so many nations… small, medium and large countries, but I have to confess that this is a very special visit for me. It reminds me of the past. In Goa, I feel completely at home * ”. However, he stressed that he has no nostalgic feelings: * “Goa is integrated in India, but it is different… a unique place… unique where we find the future, but we don't stick to the past. That’s why I feel like my coming to Goa is not nostalgic * ”. Alexandre Moniz Barbosa, the editor of the Herald, said in the Sunday editorial that “Goa can be considered the basis for further strengthening of relations between India and Portugal. If Lisbon may be the gateway to India in relation to the European Union, Goa it can likewise be Portugal's gateway to India ”. Still today, in Goa there are a significant number of people who speak Portuguese. The Instituto Camões and the Indo Portuguese Friendship Society promote the teaching of the Portuguese language and Fundação Oriente has a relevant cultural role as well. The University of Goa has a Department of Portuguese, which offers postgraduate degrees in this language. The benefits for Goa of increased trade, cultural and cultural relations and even politics with Portugal is immense. What attracts Indian tourists to Goa, the smallest state in India, is its specificity, the feeling that they are in Europe without having gone through immigration control. This is largely due to the Portuguese influence, the long history the region shares with Portugal that almost sixty years of integration in India has not managed to erase. Such influence in no way affects Goa's being part of India. However, unfounded fears persist, mental blocks that damage relationships of Portugal with Goa. There are still those in Goa who are not convinced that Portugal is a democracy, which is no longer a colonial power and which he has no neo-colonial ambitions. Certainly for this reason, the recent visit of Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa to Goa was for just over 24 hours, and very discreet. Prime Minister Antonio Costa's was a climax in January 2017, to the point there are those who, ironically, said he could win the local elections if he competed. Obviously, there were others who did not like such popularity. Marcelo's visit, therefore, was at another level. In any case, relations are on the right track and it seems that shadows of the past will not override hope for the future ... Edgar Valles Former President of the Casa de Goa, Lisbon.
