While doing some cleaning on my computer's hard drive, I came upon Dale Luis Menezes's review of Selma Carvalho's book, Into the Diaspora Wilderness." I had read it hurriedly when it was posted on goanet (reproduced from Gomantak Times) and then completely forgotten about it.
The first para showed that the reviewer has no great knowledge of Goa's history. He read the "history book" like a "thriller-novel." Never knew that a genuine history book could also be a novel in either the Ian Fleming or John Grisham way. Selma's book is not the "fictionalized" version of Goan diaspora but rather a patchwork of different topics with her own personal journey as an expat Goan running as a thread in some parts. I am shocked that Dale could not find any notable history book on Goa in the state's libraries. i am informed he is a young journalist and, hence, could be excused for not spending more time reading Goan history books. What's shocking is that a reputed paper such as The Gomantak Times would allow Dale to do the review. Or is is just a matter the publisher throwing the book his way and he going and doing a review for whatever paper willing to take it? Goa has many senior journalists and academics who know Goan history well. They would have done a much better job that Dale. But as I and many others know, nobody cares a damn. Maybe the intelligentsia is dead in Goa. Delma's meanderings into many fields of Goan life and into the Goan presence in some East African, European and North American countries indeed makes good reading. What it lacks is the depth and scope that one would have loved to read. Selma's prose flows as smoothly as the Mandovi. Calm and composed. She creates no ripples of controversy. She just moves along like the barges that go up and down the river. While trying to focus on the Goans in Africa, Selma sheds little light on what droves wedges between the different caste-based groups and why Goans never projected themselves as a united front. Dale quotes Selma's final words in The Exiled Intellectual chapter that " Goa will never be bankrupt for its artistic sons of the soil, whether in Goa or in the Diaspora, refused to abandon her." Considering that a noted Goan paper got someone of Dale's calibre to do the review, it does seem to me that Goa is "intellectually bankrupt." In that chapter, Selma has mentioned just a couple of names of Goan intellectuals who went into exile. If only she had checked old issues of The Goan World, The Goan Tribune and other Goan papers, she would have come across names of many Goan intellectuals. The period from the late 30s to late 60s was the "golden era" of Goan intelligentsia . See how these giants used to cross swords. The Goan world then was at least split into three camps -- one that supported the Portuguese, those who wanted Goa to be ruled by Goans, and those who wanted Goa to be integrated into India. Not only they fought political battles in the pages of the newspapers but also showed their depth of knowledge on other social matters. The late Prof. George Mark Moraes, in many ways by guru, told me during his visit to Toronto for the first International Goan Convention in 1988 that African Goans have contributed little to the intellectual life of Africa. Coming to present times, check the pages of Goan newspapers and magazines and you will notice the shallowness of opinions of many of its editorial writers and columnists. I used to enjoy the political analysis by Prof. Peter D'Souza (i hope I got the name right) who is now with the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies in Shimla. Of all the African nations, Kenya was a shinning example of Goans shinning in public life. Pio Game Pinto will forever stand as a supreme example of Goan pride in his role in nationalist politics and ultimate sacrifice of his life. No doubt he was shunned by Goans, Pio threw his lot with the Africans. Was he a "betrayer" because Kenya's independence resulted in Goans facing hardships and let with little choice to either stay or run away? History will judge him. It is sad that Selma chose to give a chapter to Emma Gama Pinto. Though Pio is mentioned, the focus is on the woman who came into the limelight because of the man she married. Pio was a politician and the one in his family who followed his political footsteps was his sister Sevigne Gama-Pinto Athaide, who was nominated as Member of the Legislative Assembly in Maharashtra. She wrote two pamphlets, Whither Goa? (July 1965), and Genesis of Linguistic States with Reference to Goa, which was published under the auspices of the Goan Socio-Cultural Association, based in Mumbai. She was then secretary of the association. Sevigne is well-known for her fast against the Lt. Governor JK Handoo just after liberation, and then later against the then chief minister Dayanand Bandodkar, who was responsible in persuading the then Maharashtra Chief Minister V.P. Naik to nominated her to the legislative assembly for the seat reserved for Christians. She also went on indefinite fast against the late president of the Bombay Congress Party, Rajni Patel. Sevigne visited Toronto for the international convention in 1988. I asked her if she was going to visit Emma but she gave no reply. Many years ago a common friend of Emma's and mine asked me if I wanted to meet Emma. I told him I would only meet and interview her if she is going to do a "no-holds-barred" interview. I never got a reply. Selma has not done a professional job of interviewing Emma. She could have interviewed those who knew Pio well. A couple of those having deep knowledge of Pio's life live in Toronto. AMany years ago a Kenyan Goan who is no more told me many aspects of Pio's life. But I would let that rest. Finally, Selma's effort is commendable and I echo Dale's sentiment that Selma "shouldn't stop at just one book." Eugene Correia
