From: "Nasci Caldeira" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
#1: < When I talk of apartheid in the Church; I am talking of the Kunbis and
Gawdas and those in the fishing trades and other labour intensive village
work, who are not gauncares>
#2: <I am not bothered to find out who receives the Zhon on my ancesters
bahalf>
#3: < But , the Church affairs are yet the same old system, and yet to
change for democratic and equality norms.The Gauncares still celebrate the
main feasts and still administer and control the affairs of the Church,
without any recognition or input from other residents.
The only notable change in 'pews' I noticed is that the pews are now put
right in front and the benches behind; perhaps trying to lure the church
elite to sit and reflect closer to the altar..>
#4: < The real difference I noted is that the Morador people and the working
class people , no longer look up to the so called elite in the villages.
They take pride in their own and have worked themselves up, to compete
successfully with the old elite to become the new elite, to a great extent.>
#5: < Viva progress! Viva the new Goa! >
Dear Nasci,
Thank you for your comments
Re: #1: I must confess that I have seen none of that in Velim. And this
whole concept of "Gaumcars" and "Moradors" which is high-velocity in
Cuncolim is totally meaningless in Velim. Ownership of land is private and
"leases" of land (for agri or mariculture) continue as per the much maligned
Portuguese system of "auction".
re: #2: There is NO "zhonn" of significance available these days. Some
"zhonncars" get a rose as their annual return. Even Carambolim which used to
provide the highest zhonns in Goa ( ~ 30,000 esc per zhonncar per year in
the pre-1961 days ) has been properly "swiped".
So...this Communidade which (because of the lake and 2nd crop) used to be
the granary of Goa, has been reduced to rubble courtesy Candeth, Bandit-ker,
Corruption and the Konkan railway.
No wonder - the zhonn vaults are empty, and Goa imports rice from Out of
state.
re: #3: Again, my experience in Velim has been quite different. I have not
seen any special pews for anybody ....though I do see a lot of OUTSTANDING
CATHOLICS (those who stand outside the church).
Not that being inside the church would make any difference to these
"outstanding catholics". The language the sermao is preached ... is kind of
a bad version of Nasal Marathi.
re: #4: Respect is no longer a given. It has to be earned. And while
fleeting respect may be bought, long term respect for a person has other
markers which include Education and the Un-Buyability.
Money is important but can no longer be the sole criterion for respect. Even
dope dealers and con artists have money ...
The questions have been, and always will be: CAN the person be BOUGHT? and
IS the person going to PERFORM solely for poixe?
As far as Velim is concerned, every single Kunbi family has somebody in the
Gulf. Almost all young children are being educated at St. Xavier's School
and on to either Loyola and Fatima in Margao.
So....don't knock the Catholic Church that quickly. Despite ALL the
deficiencies, the Catholic Church has been the single most effective
dismantler of the Horrid Caste System. That is the reason why the Rt Wing
Hindus hate the Catholic Church. For "converting" (i.e. educating) the poor.
I'll wager this bet ....anytime. More than half of the virulent Rt. Wing
Hindu idealogues have taken advantage of the Catholic education
system....whether it be the Jesuit system (eg St Patrick's In Karachi or St.
Paul's in Belgaum) or the Salesian system (Don Bosco's Panjim)
Have the ungrateful &*&&^% given back anything to the Catholic System ?
Yes.... Unmitigated Abuse.
The same thing with those in Goa who have benefitted most from the
Portuguese.
Education makes a difference. The educated know the difference between a
thiefing "social worker" and an honest "joe or jane".
re: #5. I second you on that.
good wishes
jc
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