Dear 12012012Mervyn, Your short response wasn't very short.
This is a neat attempt at curbing the discussions by suggesting (i) that everyone is trying to be an "expert" (ii) that only those who have an experience of migrating to East Africa can have an opinion on that attitudes that some still display about the role of our community there (iii) anyone critical is talking out of ignorance, envy or both. I don't bite. Read my comments carefully: I did not say that all Goans there acted as "lackeys", but feared that such uncritical attitudes towards the process that was colonialism could give the impression that *all* Goans were lackeys of "colonialism, racism and an unfair order". Obviously, I firmly believe that there were alternative perspectives here, and hence it is important to challenge perspectives that suggest otherwise. You talk about the "black African" (would you also talk about the "brown Asian" or "yellow Asian"?) and the fact that they "will distinguish the Goan from the other peoples of the Indian sub-continent". That didn't, of course, stop all being sidelined after colonialism ended there. Why? You are building straw-men out of my arguments, and very easily dismissing the same. My argument is that Goan history is full of facts we all can be proud of, and other which are definitely nothing to boast about (to put it mildly). It is a mixed bag. The faster we come to terms with the latter, the better. My comments of "traders in slaves and opium" were linked to the wider Goan community; nothing even related to East Africa Goans. My goal is not to launch a diatribe against one geographically-linked Goan community, but to understand our wider role in history. Are you suggesting that no Goans were involved in either? Anyone with even a nodding acquaintance of Goan history could give you specific names... I cannot accept this Goans-can-do-no-wrong logic, which comes up repeatedly, including in our criticism of other communities. As for Mervyn Maciel's writings, I think it is a very important piece of work, and gives interesting insights into those times. More importantly, Mervyn strikes me as being honest about where he stands, and acknowledges the limitations facing of a government official in colonial Africa. He is not boastful or triumphalist about things there, unlike some of our other discussants. Some of us would like to brush issues under the carpet, as it were, using "humour", put-downs, diversionary tactics and what not! Now whatever makes you think that the villagers of Saligao should be immune from criticism? Like any society, we have our pros and cons, probably more of the latter :-) And how could you say that nobody is responding to me when you are yourself writing such long "short" responses? Of course, taking unpopular stands which flow against the dominant tide can make things a bit lonely out there. I don't mind this, and believe in saying what I feel anyway... FN -- FN +91-832-2409490 or +91-9822122436 [email protected] Books from Goa,1556 http://scr.bi/Goa1556Books Audio recordings (mostly from Goa): http://bit.ly/GoaRecordings --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
