Just forgot to mention that Selma passed negative remarks of my review of Yesterday in Paradise, and I hit back at her, reminding her that she thanked me for the review of her book, A Railway Runs Through It (I think that was the one and I can't remember if I also reviewd her first book). Eugene
Sent from my iPad > On Aug 30, 2018, at 4:02 PM, Mervyn Maciel <[email protected]> > wrote: > > As this issue contained the following article: > > > *The Literary Maladies of Diaspora GoansBy Ben Antao* > > and since I and many of my ex-East Africa friends have found the > article offensive, I feel it is only fair that I should publish this > rebuttal > by my dear friend, Francis Noronha of Alberta, Canada. > > > Mervyn Maciel > > > > > > > > A RESPONSE TO “THE LITERARY MALADIES OF DIASPORA GOANS” BY BEN ANTAO > Dear Mr. Antao, > I have just read your diatribe above attacking author Cyprian Fernandes and > the many other Goans “who immigrated to Canada from East Africa in the > 1960’s and 1970’s who still hearken back with nostalgia to the good times > of the so-called paradise they basked in under the British colonial sun.” I > am one of these Goans that you are so disappointed with because they have > failed to live up to the lofty goals that you have apparently achieved in > that your fiction and non-fiction “embraces” your experiences in Goa and > Toronto. Bravo! You point out to all of us lesser beings that “a writer has > to draw upon his lived experiences if he seeks to create literary fiction.” > Thank you for this original and inspiring insight into the art of creative > writing. Your encouraging words to aspiring writers fills me with the > desire to put pen to paper in an effort to emulate the sterling example you > have set us in your own literary creative fiction. > I confess, however, that I am confused. Even a cursory reading of Cyprian > Fernandes’ two books, “Yesterday in Paradise” and “Stars Next Door” would > reveal that they are not meant to be “literary fiction”. Unlike you, > Cyprian, (whom I have yet to have the pleasure to meet), is an > unpretentious writer who sets out in “Yesterday in Paradise” to give a > personal insight from the perspective of an investigative journalist into > events at a particularly interesting and turbulent period of Kenya’s > history. During the 60’s and 70’s, Kenya was emerging from the cocoon of > colonial rule and taking its first faltering steps as an independent > nation. During these transitional years, I was a student at the first > multi-racial College in Kenya (later the University of Nairobi) and then > away for three years as a student in Britain. I found Cyprian’s account of > the political in-fighting and intrigue of those early years absolutely > enthralling and enlightening and it filled the gaps in my own knowledge of > the events that eventually led so many of us to decide that, much though we > loved Kenya and its peoples, we had to take what was for most of us a > painful step to emigrate to other countries where we could make a more > secure future for ourselves and for our families. > From your account I gather that you were born and raised in Goa and > immigrated to Canada when you were 25. You probably had little knowledge or > interest in Kenya. I don’t say that in a negative way because there was > probably no reason for you to take more than a cursory interest in an > African country. You are probably not aware of the deeply personal struggle > that Goans and many other Indians of my generation had in leaving the only > country that we had known as “home” to venture to an uncertain future in > countries such as England, Canada and Australia. A closer reading of > Cyprian’s book may inform you of some these personal struggles. I left a > comfortable and secure job as a teacher in Kenya and arrived in Lethbridge, > Alberta in 1975 to start a new career at the age of 38. I have no regrets > and Canada has been a wonderful home to me, my wife and daughter. Most > Goans I know who immigrated from Kenya to Canada > have not spent time in wistful musing about the paradise we left behind as > you seem to think. > We have moved on, forged new careers, made many new friends and contributed > to the > communities we became an integral part of, as, I am sure, you have, Mr. > Antao. That does not > mean that we have erased our memories of the past whether we “basked” or > toiled under the > “British colonial sun”. > I have happy memories of growing up in Kenya, of travels in East Africa, of > climbing Kilimanjaro, > Kenya and Elgon, of playing hockey with my friends, no less than six of > whom were destined to > become Olympians, of teaching in some of the fine schools in Kenya > including historic Allidina > Visram High School in Mombasa, of great holidays spent at the coast and > visiting several > wonderful beaches. I have memories of dear classmates, students and > friends. I was thrilled > when I browsed through Cyprian’s second book, “Stars Next Door”, to find > that it recorded the > achievements of many Goans for posterity. I knew many of the people who are > mentioned as > classmates and friends and reading about them brought back many happy > memories. > To use your own terms, Mr. Antao, I was astonished and filled with anguish > that you so casually > and superciliously discredited the efforts of a fellow Goan whose two books > have put on record > events and persons that needed to be recorded by a writer who had a unique > opportunity as a > reporter to get the inside scoop in a way that the rest of us didn’t. > Neither of Cyprian’s books > has anything to do with the colonial period or with discussing the merits > or demerits of British > rule. You thought “he’d be more inclined to be objective, judicious and > rather circumspect than > be eager to pander to his compatriots in the diaspora”. Frankly, I don’t > know what you are > referring to and I am inclined to believe that you had some preconceived > notions of what the > book was about and were upset when your cursory perusal revealed nothing in > the book > remotely related to a bitter indictment of British colonial rule in Kenya. > Why should it? That is > not what Cyprian set out to do. If you truly are interested in appraisals > of British colonial rule in > Kenya and elsewhere in Africa, there is a whole body of writing that covers > every aspect of > policy and implementation as, indeed, there is on the rule of the British > Raj in India and the > Portuguese in Goa. But then, you as a journalist, teacher and writer would > know that. So why > do you go looking for that in Cyprian’s book that has nothing to do with > that branch of study? > As for the term “paradise” that you seem to find so offensive, nowhere in > Cyprian’s book do I > find any reference to British Colonial rule as paradise. Rather it is clear > to me that in retrospect, > Cyprian sees his youth and life in Kenya as a happy and exciting time. To > me, this is quite > remarkable as he grew up in circumstances so different to my own > comfortable and > conventional upbringing; Cyprian came from a family where his mother had to > leave an abusive > husband and raise her family working a variety of menial jobs to feed her > clutch of children. > Then there came the traumatic ending to his formal education, an early > indication of his > stubborn resolve to stand up for his principles regardless of consequences. > At the age of > fourteen (at which age I was still learning to tie my shoe laces), he set > out with determination > to make it as a reporter in spite of his lack of qualifications. All things > considered, I saw much to > admire in Cyprian’s survival in his career as a reporter and his courage in > exposing the dark > underbelly of Kenya’s politics – I know that I would not have had the > intestinal fortitude to do > so. Fortunately, his dear wife’s insistence that that they leave Kenya when > he began to receive > death threats almost definitely saved his life. We know that there were > others who probed too > deeply and did not live to tell the tale. Sadly, Mr. Antao, you dismiss all > Cyprian’s extraordinary > life experiences with a sneering remark about “a messiah (who) had sprung > with spring water > to quench their (East African Goans) thirst and longing for the bygone > days.” > As you are a writer and would wish your work to be judged fairly, I would > suggest that you read > “Yesterday in Paradise” over again, this time more carefully. You will > discover that it is not a > work of literary fiction, nor is it an evaluation of British colonial rule. > Rather it is a factual and > highly personal account of a young boy growing up in Kenya and overcoming > the obstacles of > life in his own resourceful way. Most of us Goans who grew up in Kenya had > caring parents > whose hard work, middle class values and sacrifices enabled their children > to lead happy lives > with opportunities for sports and other recreational activities. Cyprian > did not start off with > many of the advantages that many of the rest of us enjoyed. The fact that > he succeeded in > making a life for himself, marrying the love of his life and achieving many > of his goals is a > remarkable testimony to himself and his wonderful mother. He looks back to > his life in Kenya > and considers that he was living in Paradise. I think that in itself is > remarkable, Mr. Antao, and I > admire Cyprian all the more for it. I hope that you too can feel the same > about your origins in > Goa, a homeland that is dear to me in spite of the colonial power that held > sway there. > As a Goan who immigrated from Kenya to Canada, I don’t really care what you > think of me – > and I think most other Goans in my category would agree with me. However, > you have made > some highly questionable and uncalled for criticisms of Cyprian Fernandes > and his books and I > really think that you owe him an apology for judging him too hastily. While > you are about it, you > may also consider apologising to Juliet Rebello and J. D’Souza for the > patronising and > condescending manner in which you treated their well-meant remarks. You may > be a very > accomplished author but that is no way to treat your friends.. > I rest my case. > Francis Noronha > [email protected] > August 29, 2018, Lethbridge, Alberta.
