I liked to quip that our Sirswats ( sa-ra-swa-ta) could out-banya any Indian vaishya at his own game, commerce and trade. We had trekked a long way from Swat country, but even Brahmins have to eat and they adapted, survived and thrived. Regular coastal rain meant we did not need moneylenders, an Indian village standout, but the humble corner grocery was his forte. Of native mineowners, perhaps Bandodkar was the sole non-member of the clubby fraternity. The scene is fast changing, I notice. Panjim retail may now approach fifty percent non-native. The social ramifications of such a sea-change can be significant, with export of profit and wealth also leaving a big dent on our backs. There is no easy solution: well schooled children are less likely to be drawn to life behind a store counter. Swat, in Pakistan ruled Kashmir, remains under several feet of flood waters this week, with most of the population displaced and starving. The PM was last seen at the family owned chateau in France ! eric.
