Double faced towards Goa Christina Viegas
The recent electronic music festival held on Goan sands, again coughed up the glaring hypocrisy on part of many Goans. I received copious calls from residents of the State urging me to write against the festival.
There were complaints galore, ranging from unbearable decibels right into late hours of the night, the garroting traffic jam with agonizing hooting; where the locals couldn’t reach their own homes in the village, the littering of garbage, the display of a distorted Goan culture to the world, etc. But what had me flummoxed was that the very residents of the State were persistent in giving maximum coverage to this festival. On one hand, the Goan PRs persistently endeavoured in pushing for maximum coverage ( with no thought to Goa or Goan culture) and on the other hand, I was bombarded with calls from residents, on writing against the festival.
No, no! I was not confused about the stand I had to take as a journalist, but what had me bewildered was the fact that the PRs were Goan, the ones befriending and assisting the organisers were Goan and we also had hoards of Goans patronizing the festival. It gets worse when you hear a handful of the “ so called” ( wealthy) sons of the soil quip, “ It is high time the people of Goa understand that most of the tourists come here because of the drugs, cheaper alcohol and every other pleasure that comes within the territory.
Otherwise, what is there in Goa to lure the tourists?” Yet, these very people are the first to decry the threat to the Goan identity and while doing so, fingers are pointed at the outside settlers who have settled in the State and fitted in with the locals, peacefully. They are Goans at heart who have adapted and preserved the Goan culture, and work for slashed salary packages, to breathe, feel and live – only Goa. They have made efforts to learn the local language to amalgamate with the residents of the State.
The Ganga Zuari Academy keen on teaching conversational skills to non Goans in the State, is one such archetype. Yes, they might own a residence, but in majority cases they procure an apartment with both spouses slogging to pay that home loan.
Why is it so hard to see that encouraging wealthy Indians from the rest of the country to seize a piece of this most coveted paradise, is what has made even an average house, out of reach to the commoner, not these peaceful settlers? The Goans themselves wine and dine ( sans the Feni) with these wealthy land sharks and strike lucrative deals with them, for selfish returns, with no care to Goa or Goan identity. How can you ape their culture and then cry about loss of Goan identity? And when it comes to protecting the image of Goa, how many Goans genuinely stand up to do so through deeds; not just loud talk?
I always remember the words of our Dr Oscar Rebello on a talk show, “Every person who has the interests of Goa at heart is a Goan, and every person who tarnishes the image of Goa is anti-Goan.” And I experienced this, first hand, during the music festival!
A potpourri of cultures, hearts and minds with our assortment of talents and capabilities in ensuring Goa moves forward as we preserve and take our heritage with us, is called ‘ being Goan’.
http://www.epaperoheraldo.in/Details.aspx?id=3022&boxid=33335921&uid=&dat=1%2f10%2f2012 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
