http://www.dnaindia.com/sunReport.asp?NewsID=1070832
A feeling of Goan separateness from the rest of the country Sidharth Bhatia Saturday, December 23, 2006 A new collection of pieces on Goa reveals why it is an exceptional place, and also why it generates so much exceptionalism amongst its inhabitants Goa has been invaded many times, they will tell you. Depending on which 'they' you talk to, the invaders will be variously described as the Portuguese, the Indians, the hippies, the loud tourists from North India, the weekend crowd from Bombay, and now, the latest scourge, the rich from Bombay and Delhi who are gobbling up property. Each of them has left an imprint on the state, though it is the Portuguese colonial influence that finds an echo in the popular imagination. Indeed, it is the state's calling card, used in brochures and tourism campaigns, even though it is a moot point whether tourists go there to check out the beaches and what lies on them or the churches and the architecture. This book, a collection of essays, poems, stories and extracts — old and new — is not for those tourists. Anyone looking for Goa of the brochures may not find much of value in this collation. Nor is it for the new settlers, who want a place to unwind and mix with their friends whom they met the previous week in the metropolis. This is more of an 'in' project, a labour of love or a self-indulgent exercise, call it what you will, but decidedly knowing. The first essay is about the 'Indians' who marched into Goa and rudely threw the Portuguese out nearly five decades ago and are still resented by many who nostalgically remember the ancien regime. William Dalrymple, with his eye on a good story for British magazines, interviews one of them, a Grand Matriarch type who heaps curses on the Indians for having destroyed a way of life that 451 years of Portuguese rule had engendered. "We Goans have a different mentality, a different language, a different culture," she rails to the bemused British author. One can't help thinking that had Goans not been laid back, we would have another Kashmir type insurgency here. This piece is followed, a tad cleverly, by an essay by Prabhakar Angle, originally printed in a book by The Goa Hindu Association Kala Vibhag, which seeks to remove misunderstandings about Goa. Angle lists all the popular misconceptions about his state, which include the overemphasis on the Portuguese connection and the clichéd images that make it to the media — the drinking, the leisurely lifestyles and, most of all, the fun-loving nature of the natives. Angle vents against a wide range of villains, all of whom don't understand the true Goan spirit. These are two distinctly opposing points of view, with one thing in common: a feeling of Goan exceptionalism and separateness from the rest of the country. Angle resents any cultural connection with Maharashtra, too. Where it is not resentment, there is a sense of loss about a Goa long gone, no doubt because of the invaders, (though the book does not consider the latest scourge of property buyers worth even mentioning.) The contemporary writing constitutes of, inter alia, the joys of drinking good feni, notes from the beach, and sundry pieces on interesting Goan 'characters.' Sometimes it works: Vivek Menezes's compelling piece about meeting the irascible Francis Newton Souza in New York and finding a connection is one of them. Naresh Fernandes's irony-filled search for the buried body parts of St Francis Xavier, allows him to approach Goa but from the outside, and he avoids sinking into the quicksand of describing the vignettes of rural Goan life. But that is where most writers prefer to hang out, happy in their little worlds, bemoaning the intrusion of the city folk. Is this nativism? Chauvinism? Goa does exercise a hold on our minds, especially of the English-speaking, westernised classes, and it is precisely because of the clichés that make Goans cringe — the beaches, the swaying palms, the susegad and yes, the Portuguese influence. But would the good burghers of, say, Punjab or Gujarat, warrant such a book? And would Penguin publish it? Methinks not. The inescapable conclusion: There is much that is exceptional about Goa, but it is not of the variety that Goans — whether in this book or not — would want. As for those pesky, moneyed invaders, they don't get an opportunity to offer their take on Goa — the Goa of glossy brochures, holiday packages and rising property prices. The real Goa suffers them because they bring in the Dollars, Marks and increasingly, Rupees. But they are not, and can never become, Goans, because they come from the dark side. ----------------------------------------------------------------- This article is from the DNA, a newspaper published from Mumbai. GOANET-READER WELCOMES contributions from its readers, by way of essays, reviews, features and think-pieces. We share quality Goa-related writing among the 8000-strong readership of the Goanet/Goanet-news network of mailing lists. If you appreciated the thoughts expressed above, please send in your feedback to the writer. Our writers write -- or share what they have written -- pro bono, and deserve hearing back from those who appreciate their work. GoanetReader welcomes your feedback at [email protected] Goanet Reader is edited by Frederick Noronha fredericknoronha at gmail.com Please visit Goanet's website at http://www.goanet.org GOANET is not just a newspaper... don't just read it. Take part in its discussions. Post your comments, feedback to [email protected]
