CANADA’S 55+ PUT PEN TO PAPER
By
DALE LUIS MENEZES
In the recent years it seems that the Goan diaspora is speaking out. This is
evident from the fact that a number of books have been published which deal
with the history of Goan migration, the causes of such a migration and the
experience(s) resulting from settling in a foreign land. These books have a
decent ‘visibility’ in the various bookstores in Goa as well as on the
internet. I would rate Selma Carvalho’s Into the Diaspora Wilderness as one
which articulates migration-related issues in a succinct way (reviewed by me
for GT: October 6, 2010).
Goa Masala, an anthology of stories by Canada Goans, is one such voice of the
diaspora. This book was conceived by the 55 Plus Goan Association (55PGA) of
Canada. “Our vision was to capture for the future the many stories that resided
in people’s minds, and which otherwise might not have seen the light of the
day,” says Rudy Fernandes, the President of 55PGA in the foreword. The book,
running into 260 pages contains 41 essays and stories by many prominent Canada
Goans above the age of 55.
I am of the opinion that the Goa Masala project is a very ambitious one. What
it aims to do is to safeguard for the future Canada Goan generations an
‘identity’, a form of Goaness if I may say so. A major achievement of the 55PGA
– for which they must be lauded – was that they were able “to get reticent
Goans to put pen to paper.” These writings, in a way, are expected to function
as the Prehistoric cave paintings containing hunting, fishing and other scenes
that were meant for the next generation.
At the outset, I should state that I do not intend to do a full-fledged book
review. While reading the book, I realized that this was a text essentially
dealing in personal histories. These personal histories do help the historians
in understanding a larger historical process – in this case migration in
general (or migration to Canada in particular). The importance of personal
histories that would contribute to a better and nuanced understanding of a
larger historical process is stressed by Pamila Gupta from the University of
the Witwatersrand, South Africa when writing about the migration of Mozambique
Goans living in Maputo (to which I shall later return). What I was really
looking forward to, in this collection, was these ‘personal histories’ against
the social, economic and political background of Canada. Let’s call this, the
‘Canada experience’.
Most of the writers (including some who were coerced to write) in this
anthology have immigrated to Canada from Africa and rather than their ‘Canada
experience’, the nostalgic and adventurous reminisces of living in Africa and
hunting trips in the African jungles as well as homecoming to or vacations in
Goa find a greater print place. While there is certainly nothing wrong with it,
the successive repetition of more-or-less the same plot-line renders a good
portion of the book monotonous. Along with the ‘African Adventures’ and
‘homecoming’, wouldn’t it have been better if Canada too was featured in the
narration? After all, Canada is the country that all the writers have adopted
as their new home. The essay, The ‘canonization’ of Manny Sequeira! by Manuel
Sequeira makes an earnest (and perhaps only) attempt at explaining his
assimilation into Canadian society but falls a little short. Similarly, most of
the essays do start promisingly but lack a good ending.
Meriting special mention is one particular story that I immensely liked: The
Chutney Mutiny by Alice Pinto.
The editor(s) of this book could have used their red pens with a greater
flourish. One can’t help but notice that the narration is not free flowing in
many cases. In the foreword, a disclaimer is added: “The stories featured in
this publication have not been fact-checked for authenticity by the 55PGA, the
publishers or the editors. Authors of the individual stories assume full
responsibility of their own stories.” Maintaining authenticities as well as
technicalities is the responsibility, I think, of the editors along with the
authors. Consider this confusion: On p. 162, the author, Pliny X. Noronha,
writes that, “…a member of our clergy informed that in fact St. Catherine of
Alexandria…is the official patron saint of Goa” to which the editor introduces
a footnote saying, “She was until recently; today the patron saint of Goa is
the Blessed Jose Vaz.” Jose Vaz is only beatified and not canonized ergo; he
can’t be a patron saint.
I shall now return to the case study of the Mozambique Goans. In 2009, Pamila
Gupta wrote an essay, “The Disquieting of History: Portuguese (De)colonization
and Goan Migration in the Indian Ocean”, in the Journal of Asian and African
Studies (44[1]: 19-47). Due to the dearth of archival and reference material,
Ms. Gupta had to rely on life histories of the Goans who had migrated to
Mozambique. She uses a “biographical” approach to reveal “unwritten histories
and ideologies of migration.”
Ms. Gupta takes her inspiration from the anthropologist Engseng Ho, who
“productively and creatively turns to other source materials such as
gravestones, textiles, biographies, genealogies, legal documents, poetry,
novels, and prayers.” By taking the help of the personal narratives of the
Mozambique Goans, Ms. Gupta was able to bring about a ‘disquiet’ of the history
of Goans living in that country.
Like the Mozambique Goans, the Canada Goans too could have offered their
‘personal histories’ to the historians. A chance is missed at a potential
‘disquiet of history’. Since my major complain was the inadequate
representation of the ‘Canada experience’ in an anthology by Canada Goans, I
sincerely hope that future endeavours – by 55PGA or any body else in Canada –
would include the same.
Hats off to 55PGA and to Goa 1556 for publishing this anthology in association
with A Plus Publishing, Canada.
END OF ARTICLE
A version of this article was first published on Gomantak Times, dt: April 18,
2011
Comments/feedback @ www.daleluismenezes.blogspot.com
Name: Goa Masala: An Anthology of Stories by Canada Goans
Published by: Goa 1556, Saligão in association with A Plus Publishing, Canada
Price: Rs. 195/-
ISBN: 978-93-80739-04-5
Find my writings @ www.daleluismenezes.blogspot.com
