Goan Voice UK Daily Newsletter 2nd Sep. 2012 By Roland Francis. Two significant thought-provoking news events were made known last week. Teriano Lesancha a young woman, just graduated with a Bachelor's in Social Work from Toronto's Ryerson University. The University's President along with her mentor and Social Work professor accompanied her to her village in Kenya and conducted a unique convocation ceremony to the joy of all her villagers. There was much exchanging of cows and hugs between fierce warriors and reticent Canadians. She was the first Masai woman to achieve that level of education.
This reporting from Toronto Star took my mind back several years and more beyond that, to the young Goan boys and girls who left their homes in Goan villages and dispersed to what were then far and wide places in pursuit of an education. Their parents knew enough and valued learning enough to have their hearts torn apart from sending their offspring to boarding schools and educational institutions in places like Guirim and Arpora, Bombay, Belgaum, Hubli, Bangalore, Karachi and even in those early days to cities in Portugal and other countries in Europe. Then there were the Goans in East Africa who sent their sons and daughters to far away Bombay, a uni-direction voyage taking over a week and to other places in England and Ireland. They ended up at strange places with new friends and new systems with only an occasional visit from relatives, to remind them of home and the receiving of affection and cooking only someone caring could provide. But flourish they did, going back with a sound schooling and an ambition that was the foundation for further education or with college degrees that were so much more valuable then, to start on illustrious careers that took them to positions and places their parents and grandparents could only dream of. It was the late nineteenth to mid twentieth century, so their parents didn't hug or tell them how happy they were or even start minor foundations like the Masai and the Canadians did. No hullabaloo then. All that was shed were a few invisible tears of happiness, the pain and shock of absence borne and a sense of pride and duty discharged carried quietly to their graves. The other major event of consequence to Canadian Goans was the quiet political awakening of the community. A group of seven Goans met with the Immigration and Multiculturalism federal minister on issues that affect us. Hopefully the details will be presented to the community in due course, perhaps in the Town Hall meeting later this month. It is possible that a group had to be cobbled quickly and the prevarication and quibbling of our Goan associations is only too well known. Any which way, it was a great start and hopefully an indication of better things to come. For far too long has the community been without a meaningful political voice. Talking of meaningful, the Goans in Canada mostly concentrated in the greater Toronto area, are too small a body to have political significance. Goan representatives must not be restricted to the Catholic faith. Goan Hindus, Goan Muslims and even non-Goan Konkans with a common culture, food, language and geography must find a place in Goan representation. Specifically, the Mangloreans with whom we have a common ancestry must be invited to be an essential part of our community voice. They are a business oriented, forward thinking people and the Goans can only benefit with such unification. Ideally, Goans must be a distinct component of the Indian community but joint with them on political issues. However things being what they are in Canada, Indian is synonymous with Punjabi and until that changes, Goans may be right in taking their own narrow path. Roland Francis (roland.fran...@gmail.com )