Dears, It is quite Chilly here in Philly this Monday morning. However, after cold NY, it is very pleasant here. Winter weather or not, the presence of family and friends makes it very warm and cosy indeed. Once again, yesterday, we were blessed to have some very nice Goans for company. It is nice to meet such nice Goans.
VRR, wish you could have joined us. And, oh! How much we miss your dear Lea. Later this week, for us, it is back to work in more temperate climes. So, as I write to you good folks, I thought I'd note how impressed I was with: a: the civility of VRR's post, notwithstanding the fact that I do not agree with the position he took wrt the Rapes. b: Marcos Catao's (IMHO) kattor re bhaji response to VRR. While I await responses from erudite Goans (including) VRR, I thought I'd invite present former journos, historians and other distinguished writers to indicate what they may have written on GoaNet, other Goa related nets, newspapers etc about the following topics: 1: The gang-rape tragedy which culminated in the tragic death of the hapless Delhi based physiotherapy student ...... AND the police reaction to that protest. The distinguished ones may note that Salazar is no longer alive......and that NO Purtuguez soldados were present at Jantar Mantar. 2: The invasion of East Timor (where many Goans lived and live) by the Indonesian forces. You may also include the reactions of nearby allegedly pro-democracy nations. Also, if you are aware, indicate which of those nations celebrated the Referendum and Independence of East Timor. 3: the following attached. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20910661 a: During the week, I interviewed a woman who had survived a rape - and YEARS AFTER THE ATTACK is still struggling to get justice. She joined the protests on the streets of Delhi too, where there were plenty of reports of men using the opportunity to GROPE women. b: Most of its residents are migrants who have come to Delhi from impoverished rural areas, widely seen as the cradle of regressive attitudes to women, where figures show RAPES are commonplace but RARELY REPORTED because of the social stigma c: ......there is plenty of evidence that India's wealthier, more educated classes can be just as SEXIST in their attitudes towards girls and women d: And one image sticks in my mind from these past weeks - an Indian man sitting at one of the protests .........quietly .......and in front of him he had a placard which read: "Let us look at ourselves first." http://tinyurl.com/SaibaBhogos2 Delhi gang-rape victim is as guilty as those responsible for the barbaric sexual assault on her. http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/2009-July/180405.html "Pakles," in comparison, were decent. Worse than the worst Muslims like Mallik Kafur and Ghazni Mohammed, were the marauding troops of Sambhaji. When Sambhaji's troops overran Salcete from the southern fortification of Cuncolim in Dec-1683, despite paying for peace, women had to dive in rivulets and the Sal to hide, neck-deep in water, to save their honour. On the eve of Christmas day that year, they reached Margao. The local men who gathered at Holy Spirit church, negotiated peace for a huge price. After it was paid, and hiding womenfolk and children were assured safe passage to the Rachol fortification, the women who emerged to flee to Rachol were attacked. Many were stripped of their honour and possessions. Those who tried to defend themselves were speared to death or had their limbs severed. Such was the barbarity that many women preferred to jump into wells. Only the Mongols might match the Marathas under Sambhaji when it came to barbarity against women. And our own Shashikala Kakodkar, in the mid-1970s, wanted to change the name of Vasco da Gama (the place, not the man!) to Sambhaji Nagar.
