Constantino Hermanns Xavier has made a very interesting post on Goan communities across the globe. Intereacting with youngsters based abroad gives the sense that many feel impatient, if not bored, with the usual Goan (particularly Catholic) style interacting which is primarily party-based and food-centric. Terribly time-consuming, and perhaps monotonous too...
As a community which did fairly well for itself early on in history through emigration, perhaps we've turned too complacent over the years. While we have a lot of unnecessary arrogance towards other regions and other communities, the fact is that we have been falling back quite a bit over the years. Our English-skills have been surpassed by those in many states, and other emigrants from other states have done far better by building linkages with home and ensuring that professional skills trickle back to communities at home (eg Andhra, Punjab, etc). The unhelpful attitudes of successive Goa governments have not helped either. To take off on a tangent from CHX's postings, what Goa needs to seriously look at is building skills in the community, focussing less on partying and socialising (of course, food and music continue to be strongpoints for Goans, but do be have to look at these only in a consumerist sense instead of building on the legacy of the past and showcasing skills?) Do we have those career guidance centres our youth need? Do we have the professional or other positive networks (cyber or otherwise) that can take Goa and its diaspora ahead tomorrow? Is there a support structure like our earlier generations thought of by setting up 'kudds' (common clubhouses) in Mumbai? Can we dream of even having a small faction of the facilities that a (albeit larger) state like nearby Karnataka has -- 22 medical colleges, 32 dental colleges and 109 engineering colleges, all privately run? What role do we see for Goa, Goans and the diaspora -- where ever they may be based -- say 10, 25 and 50 years down the line? Can we get away by just cursing PWANLU (people who are not like us) or terming them 'non-Goans' etc? The time for incessant bickering among ourselves is over. Young Constantino has raised some important issues... let's give them a thought. FN PS: Have made my point. No intention of joining an unending debate on this. -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Frederick Noronha (FN) | http://www.fredericknoronha.net Freelance Journalist | http://www.bytesforall.org http://goalinks.pitas.com | http://joingoanet.shorturl.com http://linuxinindia.pitas.com | http://www.livejournal.com/users/goalinks ------------------------------------------------------------------------- T: 0091.832.2409490 or 2409783 M: 0 9822 122436 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ########################################################################## # Send submissions for Goanet to [EMAIL PROTECTED] # # PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), and avoid top-posts # # More details on Goanet at http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ # # Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to reflect respect to others # ##########################################################################
