Hi Gilbert,
Many thanks for your post to me.
Regarding your point that culture is an important aspect of Society, it is entirely true and undisputable. However, many cultures have some pathological and unsavoury elements within them. For instance, cannibal culture, even
today, allows for the eating of other humans. Likewise, one evil element (among others) in Hindu culture is caste, as was sati before. Individuals like Mario, Jose, Fr Ivo and myself on Goanet, definitely want to see this
aspect of Hindu culture, which is embedded among some Catholic Goans, to be eliminated forthwith because it is, as said earlier, an evil as was sati before.
Where I cannot agree with you, at all, is the attempt by you, to persuade anyone, that caste as a cultural aspect among the Christian Goans is worth keeping just because it has been around for a long time. However, your
earlier point that an alternative needs to be put in its place, is right but I do not agree that we have to wait for this alternative. That alternative, available today, is to reject caste outright. The culture of which you talk
about, and feel strongly about, will surely be enriched with the elimination of the evil that caste is among Catholic. Whither the vacuum that you are so fearful of if I am to take your position seriously?
The ongoing discussion on caste on Goanet has been quite educational to me too. I do know about how religions interlink in some aspects of belief and
practice and perhaps caste belief among some Catholic Goans is virtually a parallel religious belief to Catholicism. However, as I have said repeatedly, the tenets of Hinduism and Catholicism are poles apart in most
respects. Therefore, I do not believe it is possible to reconcile or accommodate Catholic belief with Hindu caste belief but I don't want to repeat the reasons for this yet again.
I believe that the debate on Goanet has had a fair share of time devoted to it. The time now is to internationalise the issue so that the "dirty little secret" of caste racism among Catholic Goans, becomes a discussion point
for people all over the world. It could be a potent way of dealing with this evil. The Pope's demise will respectfully delay my submission of two substantial articles I already have ready to go into print in the media outside Goa. They will echo, in some respects, the material just obtained by me, in John Francis Izzo's published material on Caste and Church in Southern India.
I want to persuade you Gilbert, not to fight you, and others, about my utterly unshakeable position on the anathema/evil of caste among the Catholic Goans
and which so insidiously pervades much of Catholic Goan society.
Regards,
Cornel
PS I do not know any Goans in the UK who think they are English but have met some who, outwardly, are perhaps more English than British as would be appropriate.
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Sent: Saturday, April 02, 2005 3:34 PM
Subject: Goans and Caste
Hi Cornel, Thanks for your last post on this thread. I said, and you reteriorated, that I am 'ek supurlo Goenkar' earnestly trying to study and understand Goan culture and behavior. From your post, it looks like I have been making the grave human error of saying to the English Emperor:
Your Majesty! You are not wearing any clothes!
or in amchi bhas: Boro Nangu-Pangu dista, Saiba!:=))
The good part though, the wording about Goan cultural practices was more accurate and made more sense in your last post than what you have been writing previously. So there is hope.:=)) Should I have added (to the English Emperor) the Great Masai Chief? :=))
Your English is impeccable. But perhaps because you did not live in India,
you may not realize what I think is your error in writing. Aniek time
Saiba kakut kor - Hope you got that.
