>From a posting on goa-research-net goa-research-net@goacom.com
00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 What is also charming about the Goan way of life is that unlike Bombay and Delhi, Goans are not a competitive breed. They are self-contained and proud of their heritage. One thing that never fails to amuse me is that 'expat' Goans who live beyond the Ghats and who as recently as a decade back referred to us as 'you Indians', have now assumed a new avatar. They now call themselves Saraswat Brahmin Catholics. This is pontifical hypocrisy at its best. Surely, today's Catholics were yesterday's Brahmins, who in turn were Indians! One reason is that after nearly 450 years of Portuguese dominance there has been a steady loss of identity, particularly among Hindu Goans, leaving them almost totally 'divorced' from the mainstream of the Indian way of life. It manifests itself in many ways. The tactile components of culture, art and architecture in particular are an essential fabric of Goan life. Yet very few Goans appreciate these aspects of their heritage. Evidence of this for example, is that traditional Goan music, folk art, literature, oral histories and theatre are relegated to the fringe of Goan society. ..... Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Precedence: bulk On the flip side the Portuguese may be forgiven because they gave us the chilli, cashew, tomato, potatoes and avocado. What would we do without the chilli? On the downside there are the well-to-do Goans who continue to live in the past. They speak Portuguese among themselves and some perhaps even miss 'the good old days'. This explains why the more enterprising and talented among them fled Goa to seek their fortunes elsewhere after 1961. The tragedy is that Goa was literally denuded of potential entrepreneurial talent. Despite all this, Goa's transition from the bullock cart to the jet age in a short span of 30 to 40 years has been truly remarkable. -------------- Extracted from *Seminar*, New Delhi, November 2004, Special issue on "Amchem Goem", coordinated by Maria Aurora Couto. ------------------------------------------------------------------- posted : rene barreto -------------