Dear fellow readers Half Term Report – Will 2013 get us out of the gutter? In January 2013, through the courtesy of Goanet and Niz Goenkar, I asked the above question and take this opportunity to thank respondents and those on private circulation lists for their comments on the above.
Every year, throughout the world there are annual events. For example in Canada, salmon swim upriver Stamp to spawn, some do not make it as they become lunch for the waiting grizzly bear. In Africa some of the Gazelle, Zebra and Dig Dig become breakfast, lunch and dinner for the Crocodiles and Lions as they cross the river Zambezi to graze in greener pastures. In London, England, the city of crisps and beer, July is the time when the three GGG (Goan Ghanti Gathering) PPP (Persons of Portuguese Passports) and Patriotic Goenkars gather for what has become the annual fleecing by predators of the same species - our fellow Goans who appear to look after Number One i.e. themselves, these movers and shakers are on the take, take, take and capatilise of this annual gathering of our community needs with greed as the majority of our people are employees in soul destroying jobs, those unemployed and jobless and our retired have the opportunity to meet, greet and let off steam with the feel good factor under one sky in our cultural environment away from the mongrel society we live in for our daily bread. Even our youth have discarded our community and adapted to mixing with all of pond life dreaming of owning their first secondhand mercedes benz on HP, also see pictures of litter left behind. The smallest sterling currency note is five pounds. This coincides with the unpopular entrance charge and bears no relation to iron ore mines shut down in Goa. There are still plenty of metal coins in England but are so bulky to handle in addition to making holes in pockets which become expensive to repair due to shortage of bespoke tailors. Coins can also leak out of money bags destined for banking. In contrast, English Five Pound notes are easy and light to handle, easily blown away in the wind or folded in many pieces for maximum wallet and handbag capacity. At any event the bar or water hole is a goldmine where money changes hands and grazing areas without minimum standards can cause health problems the beer goes in and the brains go out, there is therefore no point discussing short changing over spilt beer. The raffle takes place to raise funds to supplement income as everyone likes a flutter. You can always walk with your feet instead of allowing yourself to be ripped off. This is no longer an event where one goes happy and comes home happier. Without bursting a blood vessel, I am tired of saying that SCOGO RIP (Standing Conference of Goan Organisations) with all its values as a partnership working amongst our community for the common good died nearly twelve years ago. Today its successor is the Goan Festival where as long as the patrons and customers allow its administrators with their unregulated behaviour in the name of GOA UK to thrive unchecked, unaccountable and unchallenged we as a community will never come out of the “gutter" and see the light. In the Bible, Matthew (12:33) recorded what Christ said "You brood of vipers! how can you speak good, when you are evil?" Our Goan Clergy and the open air mass was the only humble element of this event. Christianity is not a religion it’s a way of life. If some of our people choose to live in the gutter where there is muck there is brass at least keep it clean and free of litter instead of chocking the soil and tainting the name of our community and Sobit Amche Goa. Over the years I have rubbed shoulders with our people from Australia, Africa, Brazil, Holland, Germany, France, New Zealand, America and Canada amongst a few countries and villages outside our Goa . It was good to note over sixty people standing on their Painnem commenting on the Festival. I have to agree with Pedro Lopes writing in Niz Goenkar when he says” There is a difference between a Gattie Goan and an Indianised Goan. An Indianised Goan can be changed, a ghatti Goan will never change” I am not sure what the school of thought was when Gobor writing in Niz Goenkar asked for Goan Voice UK to be renamed Ghatti Voice. This Goan E-Newsletter is on the super highway providing valuable instant news to our community around the world, it has an occupational hazard of picking up garbage left on this electronic highway and should not be ridiculed. One always has the option of switching your device as what is newsworthy to some may not be for others. A Computer has to be switched on for it to work. The entrance banner had the Union Jack Flag in SOS position. The grounds had a “Kam zalem, voiz melo” atmosphere. There appeared to be no decoration of Flags or bunting be it Indian, Portuguese or even Village/Vaddo symbols from Goa - were no Goan Villages representing themselves? Was this a festival gathering of stateless and homeless people living in La La Land? Video clips on the 2013 Goan festival in Cranford indicate that choriza was king amongst grazers perhaps with World Goa Day approaching on 19/20 August those of you who purchased the genuine product and not the budget mincemeat with colouring or the mildewed variety may care to have a Goan Choriza and chilly fry party with your non Goan Neighbours who may otherwise think that you have “SOROP” on the line drying in the sunshine. Thanks to ou cooks, at least some of our culinary dishes are still in existence. Our young people do not know the difference between Korom and Quorum even those educated to Rolls Royce standard in UK are zero rated. Will these people become employers and leaders of tomorrow or forever live in bondage at the mercy of other countries while their homeland becomes dependant on income from overseas. Many times I am asked by my Indian friends, “are Goans really stupid? Goa appears to be a hundred years behind times?”. Will our people still continue to crack perfectly good claypots like crackpots, will time ever heal. In leap year 2014 only you, the clever and the super clever can decide. Niz Goenkar's background recorded music introducing the 2013 festival with ”Amchi Sobit Goa” brought a tear or two as when fellow Patriotic Goans like me and others leave Dabolim in the early morning mist to faraway lands it’s our music we do not hear on aircraft. I can recall in 2006, along with representatives of cultural groups the GCS-Goan Cultural Society, GMS –Goan Musical Society, KDA-Konkani Dramatic Association and YLGS Young London Goan Society I took part in the GOA UK Ruby Anniversary Celebrations with a script written by Rev Fr Lucas Rodrigues SFX and directed by Judy Pacheco FDZ. It was splendid to see so many cultural groups under one roof where I acted the part of Parish Priest welcoming new arrivals from Goa’s green and pleasant land to the United Kingdom. Today I am disappointed to observe these new arrivals bring with them Goa's biggest export “sandle velor” (no values) evidence of this has been noted at the 2013 festival as casual workers possibly unemployed and camera shy collected the five pound entrance fee per person at the gate, did not issue the entrance programme cleverly designed to harvest a mailing list and denied participation in the prize draw where the top prize was an airline ticket. This pilfering and fraud will continue as long as no one cares or is bothered while you carry on dancing. I hope that the names harvested will be handled alongside the data protection act of the United Kingdom. If you see a crime or can prevent one inform https://crimestoppers-uk.org/ a very successful British Police initiative, you do not have to give your name. Phone free from most landlines 0800 555 111 store this on your mobile, sometimes you may get money as a reward. Wonder who the lucky winner of the Airline ticket was this year perhaps the organisers can share with us an official group photograph. When I get round technical difficulties, I will share a clip “Sobit Amche Goa” beautifully sung jointly with GCS,GMS,KDA and YLGS in 2006 at Bishop Lan Franc School Hall in Mitcham, Surrey, United Kingdom. This is a perfect example of teamwork. Melvyn Fernandes Thornton Heath, Surrey, United Kingdom 7 August 2013
