---------------------------------------------------------------------------
**** http://www.GOANET.org ****
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Rape of Goa - A photo documentary
by
Rajan P. Parrikar
Venue: Menezes Braganza Art Gallery, Panjim, May 21-24, 2008
http://www.parrikar.org/misc/doc-notice.pdf
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cheers Dears
By Augusto Pinto
May Day Blues
Dears,
It was the May Day holiday, and I was sitting at Happy Man's Shack in
Candolim praising the work of the greatest Installation Artist of our
generation, Anil Salgaocar, to Viggy the vegetarian who wasn't really
listening. Anil's masterpiece The River Princess squatted prettily on her
haunches before us, as the Arabian Sea washed her bottom. I said,"There's no
doubt it's a great work Viggy, but I think that Anil believes too much in
'Art for Art's Sake'. In my opinion the greatest art must have an
utilitarian aspect to it,"
Viggy who all this while had been in his own world, stirred for a moment and
muttered,"Utilitarian?" "Yes", I said,"Art should be useful. Like our great
temples and churches. They're great Architecture, no doubt, but what makes
them even greater is the fact that people use them." Viggy snarled ,"Sure,
to give the masses their dose of religious opium"
As you might guess, Viggy is a Marxist philosopher, and a votary of a
secular Goa. I pattered on,"Personally I think he should have installed it
somewhere in the middle of the Mandovi river, between the two Panjim bridges
say, and then set up a casino on it with go-go girls and all." I thought
that this practical idea would have pleased him, but a look of contempt
fiashed across his face before he resumed his own meditations.
Then an extraordinary thing happened. Viggy, the pure veggie, called Shiri,
the bald headed owner of Happy Man over, and ordered a bottle of beer!!
Shiri shot me a quizzical glance, for this was the first time he had seen
Viggy break his vow of abstinence.
Why did he do this? Well Viggy apparently had just had an epiphany, a sort
of euphoric, 'Eureka I got it' kind of moment, for he cried excitedly, "Marx
had it all wrong!! OK... maybe a wee bit wrong" I said,"What did Marx get
wrong, Viggy? He said,"Marx, or was it Engels, had said - Workers of the
world unite, you have nothing to lose but your chains", he said.
"What's wrong with that Viggy?" "Don't you see Gus - he should have said -
'Villagers of the world unite!!' " "Viggy, I think a spectre is haunting
you", I said, getting tired of his gibberish.
"No, no, I'm serious Gus." said Viggy, "Marx had too much faith in the
working classes. How could he even have dreamed that the workers would save
the world? He should have realised that workers were just the slaves of the
big business barons.There was no way that they would stand up and fight
against the same men to whom they say 'Yes Sir! Yes Sir!! Three Bags full!!'
, day in and day out - would they"
"So what's new Viggy, Christopher Fonseca could have told you that ages ago,
or he would've been the Sarpanch of a village Panchayat at least by now" I
replied, alluding to the trade union leader, whose favourite pasttime was to
lose his deposit at every election he stood for.
Viggy gushed on "Have you seen what's happening in our villages? Have you
seen the way the villagers of Siridao and Benaullim and Carmona and Aldona
and Moira are rising up and smacking the noses of the land sharks and big
builders? The workers couldn't do that...they've already sold out to the
capitalists."
Then all of a sudden a new brain wave struck him. "I know what!! We must
attack the symbol of all capitalism and corruption in Goa!" I asked, "What's
that Viggy?" "The River Princess".he replied. "The villagers of Goa must all
commandeer fishing vessels, speedboats, ferries and whatever and capture The
River Princess and plant the Red Flag of Progress on it"
I groaned, and said," What next,Viggy? Kidnap Anil and keep him hostage on
board?" Quite typically missing my sarcasm, he said,"What a brilliant idea,
Gus!! Yes that's it exactly!! I'm going to rally secular Goa to rise and
fight to regain our lost pride once again!! I'm going to issue a press note
right away." Ignoring the beer which Shiri had brought, Viggy rushed out to
to find the nearest cyber-cafe. And I was left to pay the bill.
Till next time then.
Cheers (ENDS)
==============================================================================
The above article appeared in the May 14, 2008 edition of the Herald, Goa
