Hi Sunith
Thanks for your clarification. Indeed, for a moment I had forgotten about
those who benefit caste wise (largely financially) from being underdogs in
the positive
discrimination/reservation scheme of things in India.
However, you may have overlooked one key question I asked you and therefore
repeat it: "Am I to assume that you stand for those who do not wish to keep
the caste divide alive?"
On some other points, I am not sure I would agree with your interpretation
of Selma's 'motives' to "keep the caste divide alive." Rather, I welcome her
stance as highlighting Catholic Goan hypocrisy on caste as strongly and
consistently as I do. This is because many with a caste mentality or
mind-set would prefer to fudge the issue or pretend that caste belief
disappeared a while ago when in fact it is quite alive and thriving in Goa
notwithstanding much undermining of it economically.
My own unassailable position, reiterated many times is that, the racist evil
of caste among Catholic Goans has to be exposed first within the community
and then worldwide. I therefore hope that Fr Loiola is reading this in
relation to my letter to him of 29/1/07 and the awaited reply on Goanet. It
is only when this evil in people's hearts and minds is confronted, that it
can necessarily be addressed openly.
With some similarity in the USA, this happened when racism in the UK was
confronted and addressed (even if imperfectly), over at least three decades,
to reach the point where people now acknowledge it openly whenever it shows
its ugly head and repudiate it unreservedly as in the recent classic case of
Jade Goody and Shilpa Shetty on UK television, also seen across the world.
I have a mission, sooner rather than later, to see similar enlightenment
occurring among Catholic Goans in terms of their insidious, deeply
entrenched, but totally untenable racist caste beliefs.
As to your focus on Carmo's position on the caste divide, there are clues in
his posts about his expressed attraction for something he referred to as
"caste hybridity." This may be consequent to marriage links that are also
clearly projected, by him, not necessarily charitably, on others within his
wide family 'clan'!
Warm regards and thanks for keeping up with this debate.
Cornel
----- Original Message -----
From: "Sunith Velho" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[email protected]>
Cc: "cornel" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Saturday, March 17, 2007 11:22 PM
Subject: Whats so great about Fundacao Parties/reply to Cornel
Cornel,
The upper castes all over India want to keep the divide alive for obvious
reasons.
India's illogical form of affirmative action(read reservations) has
ensured that the erstwhile lower castes have a reason to perpetuate this
ugly practice.
After all if you convert to religions that do not provide official
sanction for caste such as Buddhism or Christianity, you lose the right to
benefits via the reservation route. Regardless of the fact that your
economic situation remains the same.
Strangely there is another group of people (mostly on this forum) who seek
to keep the divide alive for no apparent reason. They are the kind who
introduce words like Bamon, Chardo, Kharvi, Gulfie and Shippie into every
debate. I think Selma and Carmo have a lifetime membership to this
peculiar society.
