Samir, I changed the subjectline (dropped half of it), because I don't want this interesting debate to become an insulting one, targeting certain individuals or questioning them personally. If you feel others have done the same to you in the past, you should overlook it with magnamity, I feel.
2010/1/13 Samir Kelekar <[email protected]> > Even a kid knows that citizenship is the only thing that > decides political rights in a country. I think those who disagree with you have managed to derail your arguments by converting this into a debate over "political rights". To me, it is just a question of credibility while taking such a stance. It is very, very easy to split from, or divorce the woman/man you once loved, and to curse her/him for all perceived faults, real or imaginary. It's more difficult to live with a person's failings, well past the honeymoon period, and appreciate them for what they are, shortcomings and all. This, to me, is the relationship between expats (and RGs, and Tony called them in his very interesting post) and Goa! For me to criticise someone else's culture, religion, State, country, language, political beliefs, ideology or perspectives is the easiest thing in the world. To appreciate the failings of my own is the challenge. The other point is that it is easy to grab a safety-boat to an island of prosperity and the 'better life', and then point to the vessel we have deserted as being a sinking ship. I think every expat who is today lecturing and hectoring Goa and India (including, but not restricted to Mario Goveia, Rajan Parrikar, Jose Colaco, et al) have a huge debt of India and Goa. They gained from the Nehruvian-"Kangres" social infrastructure that made them into Toledians, IITians or dotors with skills good enough to take on the world. They got a highly subsidised education (in the 1970s, we believed it costed Rs 100,000 to build a single doctor) and then took their education and then sold it cheap to an affluent part of the world, which probably needs it the least. As an aside, hats off to you for opting to work in India; I hope and pray that you can make a difference to a region which badly needs your skills. Whether it is the much-decried "Bengaluru" (not the sarcasm with which this name is used... I have fond memories of the place) or Timbucktoo. For me, someone deploying skills where it is most needed is more important than ethnic ties, accidents of birth, religion, or other such connects. Some of our expats believe they are doing a big favour to Goa and India by sending back money to their family and relatives. This is almost made to seem as if they are offering alms to Goa. Mineowners and hoteliers in tourism similarly point to the foreign exchange they earn "for Goa"; I think they are doing nobody a favour but just earning money for themselves and using it to meet their own, their extended family, or business needs... in either case. While the initiatives of a Dr Anil Desai to build the social and educational infrastructure in his area are to be appreciated, it would be even nicer if the expats could (i) work to improve their attitude to their original home, an unappreciated and kicked-in-the-you-know-where land which often gave them much in a way that made a crucial difference to their lives and (ii) try to share skills and be positive instead of making a self-fulfilling prophecy about how terrible the Third World situation really is. With all the problem around, is it possible to "be positive", someone might ask. Firstly, the problems are often a question of perception. Do we want to blame a few controversial politicians, and focus entirely on them... or see the potential of a tiny population that has done a lot for itself despite all the challenges? Secondly, I'm sure all the oncologists and specialists on Goanet and elsewhere would not condemn even a person suffering from the final stages of terminal cancer. This is assuming Goa is suffering from the societal equivalent of terminal cancer, a thesis I strongly doubt, despite all attempts made to project it as such ... for political and other reasons. Someone was one telling me how clean a country like the Switzerland really was... till I pointed out that the numbered accounts there, storing the wealth of Third World dicators and despots was not portrayed as corruption. Not to forget also that their multinationals had exported the talent of killing the fertility of local soil with "pesticides" and what not to places like Santa Monica (incidentally, a property sold by the Church, as its name indicates)! There are all kinds of contradictions and tensions -- local, national and international. That's no reason for a section of the expat Goan to act condescending, nasty, patronising and you-guys-don't-know-what-you're-doingish to us lesser mortals back at home. I have never claimed to be deeply in love with Goa, or proud of my Goan identity. To me, that is all an accident of history and birth. But it is a matter of pride when anyone can do something to make a difference, in howsoever small a way. Many of us don't have the oodles of money that expats have access to. But I don't think that makes us inferior or the efforts less worthy. In this context, asking anyone what-have-you-don-for-Goa questions doesn't make sense to me. May each of us find some way to do something of meaning to some cause we find worthy in life. And may we continue our debates in a way that brings out more light than heat. FN -- Frederick Noronha Columnist :: journalism :: editing :: alt.publishing :: photography :: blogging Landline :: +91-832-2409490 Mobile :: +91-9822122436 784 Saligao 403511 Goa India
