To Goanet - I thought this was a poorly written, incoherent piece. Cecil Pinto has written much better columns before.
The phenomenon of the privileges an insider enjoys is well-known and universally accepted. For instance, blacks in America often refer to one another as "Hey you nigga bradah." But you, a non-black, would do well to abstain from calling a black man "nigger." Even in your own family, there are terms of endearment or derision you may employ on some member that you would take great offense if uttered by an outsider, however well-meaning. On the subject of caricature - it is a healthy habit to poke fun at oneself now and then, and to not be too sensitive to every little gob of criticism or caricature. The outsider is allowed the business of caricature but the insider's reaction may depend on the specific circumstance. Frequency, content, and intent can help determine if it is good-natured ribbing, honest criticism, or a snide putdown. But Cecil has missed out on a critical observation concerning the caricature department and Goa. It is that the line between the caricatures of Goa and reality has been blurred beyond repair. To non-Goans, the caricature itself is the reality of Goa. Look at the way we Goans are portrayed - as insignificant, nameless, shadowy figures, always hovering in the background, (that Remo and Hema are thrown in now and then does not alter this picture). Or consider the silly images of Goa one encounters in articles, magazines, books etc. For this state of affairs, we have ourselves to blame. True, we are too small a community that always runs the risk of a wipeout in the Indian swamp. But we have let ourselves, our land, our religious and cultural traditions be defined by others and wholly within the framework of tourism. Goa's fantastic heritage is read like a comic strip. We have ceded ground by not asserting ourselves appropriately and widely enough. Many Goans themselves remain ignorant of the wealth in our midst. It is absurd that today the "go to" people on matters Goa and Goan are bhaile who think they know it all after a few years of domicile here. In the latest issue of Parmal (Goa Heritage Action Group's magazine) is reproduced an essay by Robert Newman (*). Dr. Newman makes very good observations on this issue of Goa's caricature. The essay has been posted here earlier. See - http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-news-goanet.org/2007-May/002055.html (*) Sometime in the 1970s, St Inez - then a quiet, beautiful village of orchards and fields - was agog at the sight of this unsual couple - a saree-clad Indian lady and a white man - strolling its streets. I remember them well (they had rented an apartment from our family friends). It was Professor Newman and his wife Sudha. A couple of years ago, through Frederick Noronha as the intermediary, I had occasion after almost 30 years to establish contact with him. Warm regards, r ____________________________________________________________________________________ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ
