I see thar non-Goans who are in the privileged positions as editors comment on Goenkarponn. Having lived in Goa for say, 13 by years, they consider themselves qualified to write on the subject. One claimed to have imbibed the. Carnival spirit and maybe other cultural things. In Konkani, these people are called "addeche Goenkar." I was born and brought up in Bombay but never it occurred it me I was indeed a "Marathi manus." Appropriating another's culture is good but, in Goa, many say so to be accepted as "Goans". Residential qualifications apart, these outsiders are skimming the largesse of Gia and its society. I doubt they have any concern for the Goan culture in their hearts. For me. They are make-believe Goans. I have seen many Indians who can't be said to be Canadians. To me they appear Induans to the core. No wonder, Leitch. One of the 14 running to be the Conservative leader, wants immigrants who have "Canadian core values. " One is it sure what these values are.
Eugene Sent from my iPad > On Mar 5, 2017, at 12:05 AM, Mervyn Lobo <[email protected]> wrote: > > On Sat, Mar 4, 2017 at 1:57 PM, Cecil Pinto sent: > >> My last essay >> <http://chasingxine.blogspot.in/2017/01/modern-colonial-encounters.html> >> hit a nerve with a Scottish reader, who argued that after living in Goa for >> five years, he should be considered a Goan. This is despite the fact that >> he doesn’t socialize with Goans; he claimed that this is irrelevant. I >> responded that being viewed as a Goan is not a question of time spent in >> Goa but of engagement with the place. Engagement is a critical topic, as >> Goa is treated like a reward >> ========== > > > Everyone is entitled to her own opinion and I actually like those who have > different views from mine. The problem is that people are not entitled to > their own facts. And the fact in contention here is that the Portuguese did > not 'withdraw' from Goa. They were given many opportunities to do so but > they chose the dumbest one. India then marched in and kicked them out. > People from all parts of India are now marching in and that is their right. > 70 years ago Goans were marching into Mumbai and there was no objection to > it. > > My concern right now is if I decide to relocate from Toronto to my > ancestral house in Goa, I may not be able to afford it. My bigger concern > is that the locals there, today, cannot afford to live in their own land. > > > As for claiming who is or is not a Goan, the answer lies in the legal > books. If it takes 3.5 years to legally be a Canadian or a Goan so be it. > Thanks to P. Trudeau, I was Canadian before I arrived here. On the other > hand, I know Irish immigrants who have been in Canada 40 years, who are > thorough Canadians, but have not become citizens as they absolutely refuse > to swear allegiance to the Queen. > > Similarly, one can claim to have become 'Goan' without meeting any of the > requirements others impose - in order to be 'accepted.' > > Mervyn
