“Assert Goan solidarity!”That was the over-riding message of the first day of the Global Goans Convention 2011 in London. The convention saw hundreds of Goans turn out to hear motivational speeches from the Honourable Commissioner for NRI Affairs Mr Eduardo Faleiro (Goa Government), Valerie Vaz, Labour MP for Walsall South (UK) and the Indian High Commission’s Consular Affairs Minister Amitabh Mathur amongst others. Alongside Mr Faleiro, Ms Vaz and Mr Mathur Councillor Rabi Martins from Watford Borough Council (UK) and Arjan Vekaria, President of Hindu Forum Britain all inaugurated the convention by lighting a ceremonial lamp, accompanied by a special invocation song composed by members of the Goan Cultural Society UK. Mr Mathur then told the audience that the Indian High Commission (UK) was happy to be a part of the convention, especially because it was in the UKand it was keen for its Global Goans to “contribute to society, enrich culture and heritage”. He added the “changing face of Goais impacting UKpeople… sometimes causing some apprehension.” He called on Global Goans to “pull together and act as sons of Goaand sons of Indiato detract from some of the less appreciated continuous attraction the state is gathering.” Mr Faleiro echoed Mr Mathur’s sentiments, calling on the crowd to “assert Goan solidarity and let members from associations all over the world cheer on their motherland.” Meanwhile, Ms Vaz told the crowd that Goans were “a strong force seen worldwide” and added “We have a huge role to play in making Goaa bigger part of the world stage going forward.” After a morning of politics, academics completed the line-up in the afternoon, talking about the Golden jubilee of Goa’s Liberation, which begins in December. Dr. Damodar R SarDesai, Professor Emeritus, Department of History, Universityof California, spoke about how Goahad thrived since the days of Liberation when Indian ministers went about transforming the state immediately after winning Goa’s Liberation. He also praised Goans as being “eminently intelligent” throughout recorded history and still showing promise in the modern age. Dr. Teotónio R. de Souza, Professor of History, Universidade Lusófona de Humanidades e Tecnologias in Lisboa, Portgual, followed remarking of how Goashould remember its “many liberations” with people from many different countries making the state their homeland over the last 50 years – a habit that has been commonplace since Medieval Goa. He added Goans should stay true to their unique identity, namely “the language of our ancestors, Konkani, and all that associates it with it like the food and culture.” The day was completed by a presentation from Dr Stella Mascarenhas-Keyes, Senior Research Officer at the UK Government, who presented highlights from a study she did on the Development and Maintenance of the Global Goan Community. She reminded the audience of how ambitious Goans have proven themselves to be over the years and mused over whether future generations will look to migrate overseas in the same way as so many have done to date around the world. In the end though, the message was clear that wherever Goans are, they must be proud of their roots and remember the valiant efforts made for liberation 50 years ago. The convention continues tomorrow.
