Response to Floriano. Vote banks is nothing peculiar to Goa or India. Under different names, (sometimes called voting blocks or party base), it is the basis of democracy and elections. After the election the group "trades" the banked-votes for social and economic progress and preferences.
The reason why many Catholic Goans complain about "vote bank" is because WE (repeat WE) are apathetic / unable to work together to create a common platform, common priorities and a "vote bank". This inability to work together does not apply only to the Catholics in Goa. It also applies to Goans in the diaspora. The only common platform diaspora Goans rally around is a celebration "ani Scotch ani Sorpatel". This is thanks to our "diaspora village presidents" and other "social coordinators". Then these Goan "leaders" in the diaspora conveniently say, "We do not need a big Goan association." As the saying goes, "You have three Goans and five totally different perspectives" on any given issue. And the successful Goans just elect to stay away from all this Kerem-Kerem. Kind Regards, GL
