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Report all violations of Hill-cutting, Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ)
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Indeed, I am sorry for missing my friend Constantino Xavier and
Supergoa.com from the 101 cybergoans list. After the list's release,
and on going through feedback, till now this has been the only name
that I really regretted for not seeing on my own list, compiled within
a week after my return from Bangkok around Xmas 2006. It makes more
sense to have Tino there, both because of his young age and also the
key role he plays as a bridge between Portugal and India -- two
distant areas of our globe that have had a troubled relationship in
the past, the centre of which has been the so-called "Goa question".
If Constantino buys the idea that I have deliberately excluded his
name from this listing -- and further, that I have done so because of
some critical reference to me -- all that I can say is that he doesn't
know me well enough to believe I would be so petty.
As Gabriel de Figueiredo says, it was Bernardo Colaco who raised this
issue first, and made it a question of recognising "anglophone" versus
"lusophone" Goans. I see no such division, a figment of imagination at
best. If anything, the fact is that the so-called "anglophones" are
far more accessible and prominent in an "anglo"-centric cyberspace.
So, the challenge is on the "lusophones" to make themselves more
central to the debate, instead of most of them just shrinking into a
shell that harkens back to the pre-1961 days. (This comment is in no
way meant for the very interesting work done by Constantino, who has
contributed solidly to taking the debate forward.)
For Gabriel to say that this issue was "ignored by the compiler"
reflects on the taking-for-granted approach to what it means to try
and undertake volunteer work, amidst the challenges of life, while
staying in Goa. One day, if I get the time for it, I just need to
write my own story of what it means living as an independent
journalist here, thanks specially to all the 'help' given by 'well
meaning' expats from the world over, the nature of the local media,
and more!
It is also sad that Constantino would buy the belief that his work
"has been selectively discriminated on this forum". Goanet allows
anyone to post anything, and keep everyone informed through it. As
much as time permits, anyone who has dealt with me would agree that
I've tried to put out as many links as possible to the work kof
others. One reason why I could have missed out on Constantino and
SuperGoa is that my mailbox, for whatever reason, seems to be
receiving little or no mail from him in recent times. So, has this
suspicion only resulted in becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy ... ?
Anyway, the list has more than met my goal of generating discussion
about Goan achievers in cyberspace. It is not me who needs to be
self-appointed to undertake such a listing; since no one else is doing
it, I will. But apart from me initiating the effort, the actual
discussions is best left to everyone of you... to post to who has been
left out and whose work is not adequately recognised. Volunteer work
over 12 years has created enough free space to make your point in
cyberspace. If you would like to believe that Goanet would censor any
points of view (an argument that I know is patently untrue), there are
other lists to take it to. Has this been the case?
Constantino, and everyone else, has a standing invite (not from me,
from Goanet itself!) to post anything of Goa-relevance to this list.
But one can't *not post* and then complain of being selectively
discriminated against! If you want me to highlight any interesting
venture, the lest I can ask is that I be kept informed. Fair enough?
As for me, I have no doubts that Constantino's work rightly belongs at
the very top of the list. All I can say is that if it was not there,
the exclusion was neither deliberately, surely not malicious, and
definitely not excusable. --FN
PS: I am still compiling the responses to that list. Inshallah, I'll
complete it this weekend...
On 11/01/07, Constantino Xavier <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> It is a pity that I have to engage with this self-promotion, but for some
> time now - more precisely since I criticised Frederick Noronha in a certain
> debate - my work has been selectively discriminated on this forum. One
> example should suffise: in the recent overview of Goa-related cyberpress,
> there was no mention to the Supergoa.com portal I edit for over five years,
> with over a hundred thousand monthly accesses and being the only Goa-related
> web-portal in a language different from English.
>
> A more general example of the ostracisation non-anglophone Goans are subject
> to on this list, is to be observed in the eminent diasporic Goans list
> earlier this month.
>
> Perhaps all this is only an amazing coincidence. But most probably, they
> simply reflect conscious decisions or unconsicous biases.
>
> Constantino Xavier
> New Delhi
--
FN M: 0091 9822122436 P: +91-832-240-9490 (after 1300IST please)
http://fn.goa-india.org http://fredericknoronha.wordpress.com
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**** WWW.GOANET.ORG ** C O M M U N I T Y ** A N N O U N C E M E N T ****
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Save Goa Campaign / Goa Bachao Abhiyan
Report all violations of Hill-cutting, Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ)
and other Land Use violations to 24-hour Helpline +91 9822684372
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