My condolences to the family of Cornel. To those who knew him, Cornel was a bon-vivant, notwithstanding what some people would conclude about his personality from some of his Goanet posts. He had this bugbear about caste. But then who among us does not have some kind of irritation at best and hatred at worst at some thing or other that was experienced at some vulnerable time in life.
Me, I hate Goans who would stoop to really low levels as amply demonstrated on Goanet. They know who they are. Now, I do understand that it's not just Goans who have their bottom feeding sections. It's just that in my mind a Goan is somebody who is the embodiment of honor, gentleness, kindness and many such characteristics that I have experienced in abundance throughout my life no matter which country, from fellow Goans. But times must change, only with Goans it's largely for the worse. When Goans were poor they were a simple but honorable community. When they came into riches, they somehow let corruption both moral and fiscal into their souls. To the end, Cornel remained a gentleman Goan. One of a dwindling number that hopefully will continue to breed for ages to come. In an email a long time ago, Cornel confided to me about the one experience that his father endured from a "higher-caste" indivdual. Cornel, a boy, was with his father in a public place in Benaulim, his village, where this incident took place. It was this event that forever soured him against all those who pertuate the Goan Catholic caste system. Out of respect I shall not describe this further although he divulged the minutest details as if it happened on the day he wrote to me. Cornel being young and impressionable, would have been marked for life. If it were me, I would have long ago brushed off that bad feeling and relegated it to the back of my memory bank. But who is to say how one should remember an experience? There are some simple truths that forever hold true. One of them is that one never speaks ill of the dead. One day all of us shall surpass our mortal bonds and rue the people who would use the occasion to tell the world about anything but good about us. When we speak ill of someone dead, we exalt ourselves. And the consequences of that are well known. Rest Cornel. You have done your good. You have marked your presence among the Goan community. If you can smile at us, do so. We are your friends. Roland Francis 416-453-3371
