i have always read selma's comments with impunity. that they are too hollow and 
rarely do matter to the common man. cause she discussed issues which were non 
to caring to the general folk. but in this letter, i must really appreciate her 
for hitting out at fellow catholics. we have let ourselves become nomads in a 
no mans land. we have forgotten our roots. we only look forward to getting 
portuguese passports. worst of all we dont have a sense of belongingness even 
to our beloved GOA which we pride ourselves on. but we allow ourselves to be 
carried on with the tide. 
eveteasing has always been there in goa and all around. a few whistles, a few 
words, and a bit of line maring. but we goans respect the women folk. these 
idiots just look at womens as items of pleasure, thats why the intolerance now. 
it is true that there is a feeling caving in almost senses that we are allowing 
ourselves to be known as minorities. we catholics in goa have never had these 
feeeling of minorities. we have always lived happily  with our majority hindu 
brethren. nor had the hindus have anything to worry from us fellow christians. 
how come suddenly we feel that discord is gaining strength within goa. come on 
catholics and the church at large, wake up. we are goans first. this outside 
community is today telling  us that minorities are under threats in our goa. 
infact we should tell them to pack their bags and go back to their places. 
in this struggle against the outsiders, we have to join forces with the hindus 
of goa or atleast give our tacit support.  the incidents in margao are just not 
hindus v/s muslims. it should be goans v/s outsiders (of course, muslims)this 
war should be goans against outsiders who are actually dividing the complacent 
goan community of hindus and christrians.  rather we are slowly being 
outnumbered by the other minorities (muslims) from outside who know nothing 
else but spit venom and hatred against others and ever ready to defend 
themselves with swords. and we just have our good hearts as goans to welcome 
them.
these are not stray incidents of communal violence. these is vicious propaganda 
to get in their community by thousands in their govt funded slums with all 
backing from hte powers that be. Housing Board, moti dongor has no goans. what 
a irony. Housing Board for whom. How come our poor gauddis, both hindus adn 
christians dont get a place in this plots. we have to fight the govt too on 
this factor.
but we catholics have first to show solidarity with our hindu brethren. atleast 
cause of you, we know the reality of thes outsiders. 
Beny Pereira
Dubai  - UAE
I spent three years of my college life in Panjim. Being of Shasti origins, my 
best friend from San Jose d'Ariel and I, would routinely make a trip to Margao 
every weekend. There we would spend endless hours at Peter Stores, buying 
knickknacks we didn't need and then heading to Loughinos for a falooda and 
sausage pao. On our weekend binge into town, being hormonally-charged teenagers 
at the time, we would try to elicit as much eve-teasing as possible from 
teenage boys, feeding into our insecure budding egos. The fear of being 
accosted or assaulted rarely entered our minds.

Those days are long-gone. Today, eve-teasing in Margao is occasion for 
full-scale communal riots and anticipation of these riots, is reason enough to 
bring in swords by the dozens. The Goan Catholic cannot cope with this. The 
male of our species has been emasculated by centuries of Sunday Mass sermaos. 
He has neither swords, nor koitos nor the inclination with which to rise in 
protest. The female of our species is educated and emancipated. She wants 
nothing more than to get on with her professional and family life. In this 
morass that Goa has  become of hurt religious sensibilities and communal 
tensions, Goan Catholics have no place. Sadly, I urge you to go to the nearest 
embassy you can find, whether Canada, Portugal or New Zealand and apply for 
citizenship. Don't let the fear of the West keep you for applying. You are 
already bi-cultural. Your children's transition to a Western culture will be 
fluid. It is the best thing for your children's safety.

I write this with all sadnes for my beloved Goa and Goans.

selma




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