If you come to Moira there are some huge banners announcing in Marathi that from today there are going to be festivities at the Shri Devi Sateri Devasthan in Povoacao which is close by to the Moira Church.
On Monday there is a play called Mog aso karta piso; on Tuesday it is Papa ek Papa; and on Wednesday - Gharchi gazal gharchya ghara. All three are Konkani plays and although the Konkani will be in a different dialect to what the Christians speak at least it will be understandable to one and all. This is a welcome change from the time the Temple Nataks were all in Marathi. One thing I note, and I'm not sure if I'm altogether pleased with this - all the cultural activities that take place in the vilage are organized on communal lines. The Catholics will have their tiatrs or hops around the occasions of feasts; the Hindus will have their nataks and cultural programs around the temples feasts and zatras. Why is it that we cannot organize ourselves in the villages on a non-sectarian basis? In urban and beach areas this is happening no doubt to some extent and if one went to a disco, one may not be able to tell the community of the dancers there. I wish this cultural apartheid did not exist in the villages. This is why I wish that the Moira club would be more pro-active in this direction. As of now it is identified as the hangout of Catholics only, a result of some gerrymandering by the managing committee which still hangs on to power desperately, through these means. It is a pity that it cannot be the common meeting place of all in the village. As of now, only the Panchayat and the School to some extent are secular bodies where all citizens have equal rights. Thank God that sports at least has not been infected by this communal virus. At least in theory. Cheers Augusto -- Augusto Pinto 40, Novo Portugal Moira, Bardez Goa, India E [email protected] P 0832-2470336 M 9881126350
