Hi, UK: Whatever happened to the Niz Goenkar London 2016 Rewinding back the last ten years, our Niz Goenkars (Proper Goan) who left Goa for the world will have passed through Grant Road and Chor Bazar in Bombay stopping at their chapels at Dhobitalao. This will have prepared them not to be shocked passing through Majenjo in Nairobi, Roussio in Lisbon or Manchester Road in Swindon England to name a few places. The Standing Committee Of Goan Organisations (fondly known as SCOGO) was formed to try and unite our various Goan Organisations in London area over 50 at one time with their different constitutions, presidents and committees chaired by the Goan Association UK with its mature expertise, this worked well for a while as out people participated with our cultural programme garnished with our music food and drink handled with pride. Alas all good things come to an end as commerce took over culture, greed in breadline Britain, set SCOGO was hijacked and renamed Goan Festival. Today it is aptly called “Ravinagar” after the President of GOA UK. And the way it is run it appears to me with no proper accountability.. The Goa UK recently celebrated its 50th Annivisary with a Kapri side show that was paid considerably more than the Goan Band. At Ravinagar one can expect more Kapris as Samba dancers have been invited to perform. I am not sure about the quality of food and drink as this reasonably priced family day event is no longer what it was, a Niz Goenkar family day. So it came as no surprise to me to see the announcement from Fenny Fever, one of our Goan Youth Groups Based in London England, who posted on their facebook page last night the following announcement:
Quote **ANNOUNCEMENT** [PLEASE DO NOT COMMENT ON THIS POST, ALL COMMENTS WILL BE DELETED, SHOULD YOU WISH TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS OR WANT TO RECEIVE THE LETTER WE WILL ISSUE OUR MEMBER BASE, PLEASE INBOX US YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS}: Fenny Fever will NOT BE ATTENDING the GOAN Festival this year, as we have been declined by the GOAN Association to participate with our usual stall. Ironic given it is their Jubilee Anniversary this year that a community group like ourselves are being treated in this manner! Given these circumstances and the nature in which we have been treated by the GOAN Association we have decided not to host an After Party (even though we were the founders of this). For those of you who will be attending the festival , enjoy it, and please stay safe. We are truly disappointed about this situation, but would like to reassure all of your friends and followers we will continue to deliver community events, and promise to bring activities that you will all enjoy. We still believe in the Goan community even though we don’t feel we are a part of the GOAN Association’s evolved community. We trust and know there’s a great community spirit out there, and we promise to deliver something meaningful to our culture yet enjoyable to you all in the future. We hope to see you at our 9th Anniversary Ball, as this marks a very new chapter in our existence where we will carve out something very special for the Goan culture and community here in the UK. Unquote Our only hope to rescue our culture, cuisine, music and family values is to work with organisers to support and develop World Goa Day around the World with an open link to all of GOA. To family and friends, you will not meet me at "Ravinagar" as I will not be there. Melvyn Fernandes Thornton Heath Surrey, United Kingdom 29 July 2016 Top of Form Bottom of Form
