The Goan people in Bombay had the strongest bond with the Parsis, among all other Indian communities. There is no basis in contemporary history for that bond, except that both these communities served the British Raj loyally and steadfastly. It could have been that both took to the English language well but I would be remiss in saying that, as the educated Hindus cultivated English as much if not better than these two communities did. The Goans and the Paris despite all the eminent men they produced, did not after all raise a Nehru or a Gandhi like the Hindus did.
It should have been the Goans and the Maharashtrian Hindus that developed such a bond. After all the language was alike and the food had many commonalities that the Parsis and the Goans did not share. Therefore the chemistry had to be psychological, much like the relationship that two friends have, one older, that brings them closer than even to their brothers by blood. It was not a patronising relationship, for that would not have resulted in a bond of any meaning. But if the word patron can be used, it was they who fitted the role. Nothing wrong in this. They were in Bombay much longer than we were. They were natural businessmen, much richer and therefore hobnobbed with the British colonial gentry, having much easier access to the halls of power than we did. In the early years of the migration of Goans to Bombay, when the first wave of Goans was mainly uneducated and poor, it was to the Parsi household that the Goan gravitated. They gave him employment, shelter for his family and generally extended a helping hand. When he needed the backing to go overseas, or the help to go to sea it was Parsi money or Parsi influence that provided it. When he finished his secondary education it was the Parsi manager in the corporation who automatically chose the Goan. I know of Goans that started as domestic help in Parsi houses and went through several generations eventually ending up as heirs of the matron with the acquiescence of the sons and grandsons who settled in foreign lands. I know of Goans in Parsi-owned or managed establishments who rose to posts of General Managers and Directors and all the way up or down. The Taj Hotel, the Central Bank of India, Tata Sons and all their holding companies and many more come to mind. In the professions, eminent Parsi surgeons and Parsi barristers nurtured Goan doctors and Goan solicitors. In the senior reaches of Government and the Armed Forces it was Parsi ICS and IAS officers, judges and Field and Air Marshals and Sea Admirals who made it possible for Goans to reach their own zenith. If I give the impression that it was always one-way traffic, then I did not pen my thoughts well. With their loyalty, merit and gratitude, the Goans gave back with full heart to this ethereal equation. We have not forgotten you Rusi, Khurshed and Nariman. You will, for long be a precious part of our ethos. _______________________________________________ Goanet mailing list [email protected] http://lists.goanet.org/listinfo.cgi/goanet-goanet.org
