Dear Frederick The message of my article was not about a "class war" or "diversity".
It is time for all of us to acknowledge the dropping of our Goykar standards here in the UK to such an extent that for the first time in 40 years our entire community has been put under the spotlight of statutory authorities. In this particular case, the health and safety officials who were visibly present at the occasion to make sure everyone adhered to minimum standards in regards to food, hygiene and health and safety issues. This may have occured because there was a demand on the National Health Service last year dealing with food poisioning. Legislators in the UK legislate for the public good and laws in the statutory books have to be complied with. Goanet readers, including yourself, may be aware of a case in Goa where school children were fed contaminated food resulting with casualties. Has there been any update on this. There was also a high level of security at Cranford to make sure our people were kept safe from each other! I am not aware of any prejudice with our language "Konkani" between the Kenya Goans and new arrivals. Konkani is our language and all of us out of Goa have the opportunity to embrace it through World Goa Day, tiatrs and music. The only difference I find is those of us from Africa who as youngsters were denied speaking our language can only speak it at 45 rpm whilst new arrivals from Goa speak at between 76 - 90 rpm. Whilst growing up in Kenya I was told that Goa was Bardez and Salcette. In the 1980s when I edited the Goan Association UK newsletter along with a team of dedicated volunteers (which had a print run of well over 1,000) my research showed that this was not the case and Goa had over 240 districts (Word has it that a complete set of these handcrafted newsletters are in the archives of Toronto University). Today, for tourist and government purposes and including definitions from new arrivals this is now referred to as North Goa and South Goa. In the Wembley area each year there is a football match between North Goa and South Goa normally in August. My issue with the cattle market is that it is a type of social engineering where I hear a child, a Goan customer of tomorrow, has had their crisp packet confiscated at the gate. What will this child and their parents feel? Is this a another creative method of harvesting income forcing responsible parents into a queue to purchase crisps and other items for children that may not even be available. After the above event, as I said before, there was a blizzard of enquiries where the money was going. Seriously every remaining member of the GOA UK should attend the Statutory Accountants General Meeting (AGM) and question such important issues. What I am seeing is a further dismantling or non adherence of the constitution of a once well oiled administrative system taking all of us 40 years back when we were not organised and if someone wanted to buy a sofa set, colour television or holiday they just "brought up" a dance. Today there are several miscellaneous functions taking place with no accountability but providing a venue to meet. You are right, times are changing but none of us should be proud of the numerous articles appearing in on-line papers of the way our people are behaving with their constant clashes with the police and other authorities bringing shame to our once good Goan name. Melvyn Fernandes Thornton Heath, Surrey, United Kingdom 28 August 2014
