By Dr. Eddie D'Sa gdig...@btinternet.com Benedito Ferrao and Jason Fernandes[1] deserve all praise for a fitting and timely response to the allegations made by Andrew Green, chair of Migration Watch. They have stated their case persuasively and in clear and crisp academic prose -- rare among Goan writers. [The subject title may be a bit misleading though: if Goans are Portuguese, they are so only by virtue of citizenship (passport), not ethnicity. Right?]
Sir Andrew, a former ambassador to Saudi Arabia, is the favoured migration expert for the Tories who quote copiously from his reports and pronouncements. He belongs to that select band of Little Englanders and Empire cheerleaders who have never come to terms with the loss of Empire and with subsequent presence of black and Asian migrants in the 'green and pleasant land'. * As for the media, the tabloids (Daily Mail, Express, Star, Sun), all owned by Rightwing billionaires, are generally, and often virulently, anti-immigration and anti-asylum. They have often made biased and inflammatory statements knowing well they can get away with it. In fact, the government (especially Downing Street and the Home Office) is said to be in thrall to the tabloids and reportedly used them from to time as conduits for leaks of harsh laws in the pipeline. [See APPENDIX for more on the tabloids.] * Ferrao and Fernandes write: "As Goan academics, there is a need to redress such misrepresentations and firmly call out the Anglo-centric interpretation of colonialism..." I heartily agree. Unfortunately, for too long, the Goan community, and even the elites, do not have the intellectual resources to confront the mainstream media and present their own case. They have sought safety in their feasts, religious rituals, community celebrations with song and dance.... * Rarely has the Goan Diaspora challenged the biased views put forward by the mainstream media. Mind you, if they did write and state their side of the argument to a mainstream paper, the letter would probably be binned. The media cling to the official view and allow no contrary position in general. There are no wide circulation Leftwing papers in Britain for an alternative perspectives. They will fail to attract advertisers and would have to fold. Smaller papers and online websites are forever begging their readers for donations. You could perhaps try addressing your arguments to the Daily Star or Daily Mail and see how far you get. Ferrao and Fernandes have rightly distinguished the Portuguese colonial state from the one created by the British. Significantly, "the Portuguese state attempted to recognise natives as citizens, with rights equal to those of persons from the metropole... whereas the only status enjoyed by the natives in the British Empire was as that of subjects of the British crown". How right they are to point out "the racialised political climate induced by years of British colonial rule in Africa". In particular, in Kenya, racial segregation was enforced in residential areas, public toilets in government buildings, entry into hotels. Even the Catholic Church privileged White parishioners at church services (Mass) by reserving the front pews for them. I believe it was the same in India, certainly in Bombay until the Brits left. * As for the Mau Mau rebellion in Kenya, the British resorted to mass detention, torture and killings. Michael Blundell, Minister without portfolio and head of the European land owners said in July 1954: "We do not detain people for what they do but what they intend to do." (Never be Silent, S Durrani, Vita Books 2006). It took over 60 years for justice for victims of the Mau Mau rebellion because the British Government destroyed all evidence of their atrocities -- there were reports about "roasting alive" Kenyans, beating natives to death, anally raping men in internment camps using knives, broken bottles, rifle barrels, snakes and scorpions, even making a special tool to crush and rip off testicles by British forces. These detention camps held more than 160,000 Africans between 1952 and 1960. Pliers were used to mutilate women's breasts. The Mau Mau court hearing charges numbered over 400 brought by four elderly Kenyans -- two victims of castration. * Likewise, how right Ferrao and Fernandes are to point out that Asian travellers have had to put up with much "ritual humiliations at embassies, consulates, and immigration check-points globally". But how do you counter the Anglocentric view of the world? The English-speaking nations are far too united and powerful. I guess the way forward to equality and respect is by achieving power like East Asia (China, Japan, Korea). At present India cannot speak from a position of strength -- it is too backward on all fronts and Indian elites too weak intellectually to challenge the West. Indian leaders like PM Singh have no grand vision and can only mouth vacuous cliches. So we have to wait and see. I would be interested to hear more from you on this point. Eddie ============================================= APPENDIX British Tabloids, scourge of the minorities and immigrants The Daily Mail This paper was founded in 1896 by two brothers, who rose to became Lord Northcliffe and Viscount Rothermere. It soon became an establishment paper that gloried in the Empire but it also put on a high moral tone and preach on family values. It was the Daily Mail that relentlessly pursued Keith Vaz while he was Minister for Europe in 2001. To the likes of the Mail, it was unthinkable that one from the former colonies should hold a senior position in Her Majesty's government. Almost daily, readers were treated to headlines like "Questions the pompous Mr Vaz must answer"; "Dump Vaz or pay the price, Blair"; "The Minister for Obstruction"; "Blair's repeated support of Vaz is shameful"; "Vaz is not fit to be a Minister: ... Vaz soon resigned as Minister -- the Mail's campaign had played its part. The Sun The Sun is one of Murdoch's paper. It has a simple recipe for profit: dish out jingoism, sex and racism. Ridicule and contempt for minorities became a dedicated Sun sport in the 1980s. Its African cartoons propagated the archetypal colonial image of the African with spear, bone-through-nose and loincloth confronting cork-hatted Brit explorers. Owner Murdoch is (or has been) a Jew and the Sun's worst venom was directed against Arabs. A Libyan diplomat allowed re-entry into Britain was greeted with the banner headline 'Arab pig sneaks back'. Similarly when the Syrian ambassador was expelled over an alleged anti-Israeli plot, the Sun headlined: 'Get out you Syrian swine.' Nor were South Asians spared. Attacking Imran Khan (cricketer) in the mid-90s Murdoch’s News of the World: Two days before Imran's civil marriage on 20 June 95, the paper published alleged confessions of a porn star -- "Cricket hero's jacuzzi romp with porn girl ... He prowled around like a hungry caged animal and I was the meal... we used every position imaginable... Jemima better watch out." The following week saw the headline: "Jemima naked in honeymoon romp... they made love four times and he never took his hat off." Daily Mail [circulation 1.7m] asked Jemima solicitously: "Are you sure you know what you are getting yourself into?... Will it end in tears for Imran?" The Sunday Mirror [circulation 2.5m] headlined: "Imran is a lying, cheating rat." Other comments: "Jemima risks life... Both can be targets for fanatical assassins... Can a party girl give up champagne and Versace, then pray to Allah?" -- [1] See Goanet Reader DEBATE: Europeans of An Other Colour -- Why the Goans are Portuguese (Ferrao & Fernandes, Kafila.org) http://bit.ly/Ferrao-Fernandes circulated via Goanet on Sat Aug 31 03:15:57 PDT 2013 Goanet Reader is edited and compiled by Frederick Noronha. 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