Discussing Goa at Chitra Written by NT NetworkWednesday, 30 December 2009 01:21
MARGAO: From early times Goa has been a land from where people have migrated. People have always left the state for shores unseen, mostly for economic reasons, with the hope that grass would be greener across the proverbial fence. For many the grass has indeed been greener on the other side. This can be seen by the number of success stories that we see of Goans in the middle east, Europe and the Americas, both the US and Canada. This can also be gauged by the remittances that pour into India as well as the number of youth trying - some desperately - to fly to shores far away, all with the glint of lucre, of a better life, in the eyes. A renewed interest has begun to brew among the many people who had moved away many years back. The interest: to find their roots. The state too has started encouraging this. As part of this longer initiative a group of youngsters came to Chitra, Benualim, the mystical land of Parshuram for a dialogue, a tête-à-tête, if you will, with local homebred youngsters. All twelve of them, students and young professionals, between the age group of 18 to 28 years hailing from Canada, Mozambique and the United Kingdom were shown the artefacts gathered at this museum by its curator, Mr Victor Hugo Gomes. This gave them an insight into the Goa before which set the stage for a freewheeling discussion. The Goan youth panel was made up of young professionals active in the fields of art and culture, education, heritage and the environment. There were a few college students as well. After the welcome address given by Ms Aldina Gomes, director, Goa Chitra, Dr Savia Viegas and Dr Manoj Borkar chaired the discussion. Dr Viegas, writer, and artist welcomed everyone and gave an overview and loose parameters on the discussion, stating, "Born without choice in a land far away from their own, dealing with a crisis to identify with the land of their forefathers and the land of their birth. Being neither here nor there, yet having the privilege to belong to both." Co-chairman, Dr Manoj Borkar, associate professor and head of the zoology department at Carmel College, emotionally welcomed the guest urging them to connect to their motherland while lamenting about the state facing a crisis and the need of the hour would be to find ways that Goans, across the world come together and show solidarity. http://www.navhindtimes.in/buzz/6831-discussing-goa-at-chitra
