Someone has at last put some of the larger issues in
perspective.
And eloquently!
Some of us may not like the way India chased out Portugal from
Goa in 1961 (like how a lower Army rank was demeaningly told
to accept surrender from a higher-ranked Portuguese!) But it's
time we realize the ground reality and move on. The futile
debate -- except for academic purposes -- about Timoja in 1510
and India in 1961 must stop.
And those who still entertain doubts about the *motherland*
need to take a second -- perhaps closer -- look at the
geographical
map of India, for that matter of South East Asia.
Excellent analysis, Fred.
-VF
On Thu, 30 Mar 2006 Frederick Noronha(FN) wrote :
Goanetters like Miguel Braganza, Soter D'Souza and myself have
opted to
stay on in Goa, and have no regrets for that. There are many
more; even
though Goa's Catholic society at the early 21st century is once
again
showing signs of getting seized by a we-are-getting-finished
paranoia
which took so many abroad in the 'sixties.
With a
made-in-Goa education, many have gone ahead to do well for
themselves
across the globe. And you thought that Ashank Desai didn't study
at the
GEC-Farmagudi or that Romulus Pereira had no connection with
Loyola's
Margao? While we cannot afford to get complacent, surely let's
not get
obsessed with the negativism and we're-under-seige mentality that
can
lead to a self-fulfilling kind of societal paralysis.)
In the 'sixties, the business community of Vasco da Gama came out
with
a petition against the Navy taking up too much land in the area.
My own
view is that in today's world the enemies of any country are its
own
dissatisfied population and a malfunctioning economy, not threats
from
beyond borders. In this context, my view too is that India, like
a lot
of other 'developing' and 'developed' countries, spends too much
money
on its military.
All I'm saying is, let's give up this obsession with 1961.
Goa's
problems are largely generated and aggravated by tensions
*within* Goan
society.
The issue is simply this: does a system benefit a
larger or
smaller section of the population? How does the
current
system benefit the people of the region?
The questions we need to ask is: Is this sustainable over time?
Are new
injustices being built within the system? How are old injustices
being
addressed? Is our environment paying a heavy price? What is our
vision
for the future? Does our society have checks and balances
against
politicians or industry running amok and bartering the future
for
short-term selfish gain? ...
Just a few thoughts... FN
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