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Just a quick note to reinforce the idea that not all Goans are Indians, as has been said. My mother, for instance, was born in Goa before 1961. She is a Goan, but she has never been Indian. India is a political entity created only in 1947, centuries after Goa was part of a distinct political entity. Thousands of Goans like my mother are attached to Goa but not to India. By definition, an Indian is a citizen of India. If by Indian one means the ethnicity, then we all have our roots in the subcontinent, but that is a vague concept, which means very little to me, since there is no Indian race and the Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Nepalese and Sri Lankans can claim the same ancestry. As for me, I do not deny my origins, let me be clear about this, I am proud of it. I am brown-skinned and my colour is highly appreciated here in Portugal (several women have praised it.) I was born in Mozambique of Goan parents, and all my grandparents were born in Goa. I define myself as a Portuguese citizen of Goan (not Indian) origin, and am quite happy with that. Never had any identity problems. Being Portuguese and living in Lisbon, I know that any cultured fellow citizen here knows only too well the difference between a Goan and an Indian. There are more than 1000 million Indians, there are less than 1 million genuine Goans. Even though I am thorougly integrated in the Portuguese mainstream (Goans and their descendants are not treated as, and do not consider themselves as a minority in this country)I enjoy feeling culturally and above all emotionally attached to the Goan flock.
Rui Manuel Miranda Colla�o (Lisboa)
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: [Goanet] All Goans are Indians Date: Tue, 4 Mar 2003 02:52:13 EST
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In a message dated 03/03/2003 12:16:39 PM EST, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
<< Surely, you don't think I don't know
that there are Goans who have become citizens of other countries, or who
have
never been citizens of India in the first place? All I meant to say was Goa
is an integral part of India in a dramatic sort of way. I am not much of a
jingoist. >>>>
Hello Chimbelcho:
So nice to hear from you and isn't semantics a funny thing? Your clarification is greatly appreciated.
While you may not be a jingoist, there are others who get caught up with subject misconceptions and suffer from myopic vision.
I for one, and there could be many other Goans, who never were or wouldn't
ever consider themselves Indians. Hairsplitting terminology, such as "Of Goan
Origin" is jingoism personified. Persons born prior to India's 1961 invasion
of Goa, were Portuguese Indian. Those from other parts of India were British
Indian prior to the Partition of 1947.
Goan, like Irish, does not signify citizenship but simply connotes roots to
many, i.e., from Goa. On March 17, St. Paddy's Day, everyone turns Green and
momentarily become Irish. Goans, in the pluralistic form, are very much like
the Irish or Poles, spread all over the world, but maintaining their
individualistic link to the Goa they knew and personify.
It is an unmitigated fact that the State of Goa is presently an integral part
of Republic of India. The subcontinent of India, also includes Nepal,
Bhutan, Sikkim, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Hopefully we all will all learn to live and let live.
Viva Goa:
Patrick de Sousa
PS: Fakirs are typically synonomous with beggars from India.
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