------------------------------------------------------- Goanet recommends, and is proud to be associated with, 'Domnic's Goa' - A nostalgic romp through a bygone era. This book is the perfect gift for any Goan, or anyone wanting to understand Goa. Distributed locally by Broadway, near Caculo Island, Panjim & internationally by OtherIndiaBookStore.Com. For trade enquiries contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] ------------------------------------------------------- Goa to the world is the "Velhas Conquistas" (Old Conquests where the erstwhile rule of the Portuguese (25.11.1510 to 19.12.1961)created a symbiosis of the "East meets West" "a Rome of the East" because of prosyletisation meaning the religion of the King (of Portugal ) ought to be that of the ruled.
The "Kashi of the South" a reference to the temples in Goa in the "Novas Conquistas"(New Conquests) 1763 to 19.12.1961 and its predominantly Hindu culture is till today not believed by people the world over to be a part of Goa. Blame it on the promotion policy of projecting only the coastal (102 kms coastline ) tourism in Goa in the early post-Liberation period. Yet even today with the promotion of the western ghat talukas ----(Goa has three regions coastal, midland (mining) and western ghat talukas) --eco tourism or adventure tourism -- Goa 365 days still many tourists national and international descend only to relish the charms of the "Velhas Conquistas". A shocking reality today however is that while the Cristaos were the dominant community during the Portuguese era with the "Konkno Bammon " always playing second fiddle today there is a clandestine rapid reversal of roles with the " Konkno Bammon" taking over as the dominant community. Partnership firms galore were testimony of this "Cristao Konknno Bammon" combine -- there was Dempo-Souza, Agencia Sequeira (Dr Jack de Sequeira and Damodar Nayak) and several others. The Portuguese always gave commercial and industrial licences to Cristaos even if a Konknno Bammon expressed his desire to run one . But with the rule of Dr Salazar the winds of freedom were fanned in Goa and during this period there was a silent revolution taking place to ensure the supremacy of the Konknno Bammon to replace the Cristao dominance in political social and especially economic spheres once the Portuguese were shown the door. There was never a Cristao Konknno togetherness but a mere tolerance owing to political reasons. It was in the year 1925 when the RSS was formed in India and in unliberated Goa the Hindu Mahasabha founded its roots. The Gomant Vidya Niketan in Margao was founded in the same year. The first Konkani Parishad which was held in 1939 in Karwar to promote one language (Konkani) one script (Devnagari) was the outcome of this ideology --- to relagate the Cristao to second position post Liberation. Many of the age old relations based solely on "trust" "word of mouth" "uttor" and a semblance of inter-religious unity began to shred apart or to witness revolts and were subject matter of long drawn litigations --- a sudden friends turning foes era was given birth. Eventually partnerships viz Dempo Souza became merely Dempo while the Souza was sent into wilderness after a protracted legal battle in Portugal. The Sequeiras were given the outdated Leyland while the lucrative venture of the Tatas went to the Nayaks ( whose kin was the late Anant Narcinva Naik) Post liberation the Albuquerque Khaunte partnership ALCONS fizzled out with each partner going its own way. These are some of the notable splits that occurred. Many of the Cristaos who had considered the Konknno Bammons as their friends were indeed deceived. They took over most of the Cristao run establishments. Margao city can easily provide a case study of this ground reality. They also clandestinely took over the properties hitherto abandoned by those that went to Portugal. Many of them also encroached "literally grabbed" land from the Cristaos or created third party rights and usurped unoccupied land or land belonging to absentee Cristao landowners. Communidade land is no acception to this malaise. There were others who were tenanted but refused to leave and entered into long drawn litigation under the obsolete Rent Control Act and came into adverse possession of properties that belonged to the Cristaos. Even to this day many Cristaos find it difficult to evict their Hindu colleagues who were given shelter in their back yards on compassionate ground as they had come in to earn their living in the Velhas Conquistas. Today many a Cristao land owner also finds it difficult to sell their lands because the political forces support these tenants to demand more then their legitimate dues. The situation for the Cristaos is so alarming that eviction even with a pragmatic consideration is no longer possible. But according to the Konknne Bammons that this writer spoke to many who are colleagus and friends agree that it is the Cristaos who are owners of vast properties palatial houses and land mostly in the Velhas Conquistas. They blame the Cristaos here for either abandoning their houses and land or leaving the land barren until destruction. A case in point is the house of Dom Moraes at Santa Cruz. They also blame the Cristaos for having allowed non goan migrants into their back yard and in almost all the Cristao dominated villages in the Velhas Conquistas. They blame the Cristaos for not selling their properties to either members of their own community or locals but preferring outsiders as they earn much more irrespective of whether in black and white. They say it is owing to this that they need to indulge in a literal "land grab" to save the demographic composition of the State being destroyed. "Why should we allow Cristaos to sell land houses to non Goans and peril the lives of Niz Goencars? they argue. There is some merit in the fact that envy jealousy hatred among Cristao siblings have resulted in either an outsider or a Konknno Bammon and now even the Konknno Bahujan gaining an upper hand over the Cristaos. The ground reality is that -- Cristaos are slowly but surely being relegated to second position post Liberation. It is a sad commentary to see thousands of Goans in the Velhas Conquistas soaked in wealth earned through the sweat of their brow ending up in long drawn litigation. The "failures" in business ventures have led many Cristaos to seek refuge at Pota Retreat Centre for spiritual solace, or at other spiritual healing centres. Most of these unsuccessful ventures are owing to the clandestine indulgence of the Konknno Bammon to grab such ventures. They perpetuate a mind set that the Cristaos are incompetent in business ventures but are good "entertainers" just as the Moslems are good scrap dealers leather merchant or vehicle drivers. Is it then not ironical that the same Cristao who had a success story while overseas has ended up in ruination in his mother land? Many believe that it is time for the Cristao community to shed its differences. The Cristao community has its members in every sphere of public life. The Church has a dominant role as a Good Shepherd to do away with the nuances that disintegrete the Cristao community. There are eminent lawyers doctors writers secretaries of the Government of Goa if these groups could form a cohesive collective sans differences of class and community within the Cristao fold they could revive the supremacy they enjoyed pre Liberation. Twenty two seats in the Velhas Conquestas could be controlled by the Cristao community and thus the treasury benches of the Government of Goa if only there is a will to consolidate their numbers and form a powerful lobby. Believe it or not the over Rs 450 crores in Banks in the Velhas Conquistas held by the NRIs could be strong economic cushion to jettison the Cristao community to regain their supremacy. Think of it -- why should every Government venture begun with the solemn breaking of a coconut and applying vermillion on every ones forehead? why should government offices only have a display of Hindu gods? Why should the Archbishop of Goa and Daman wish the Hindu bretheren on ocassion of Dipawali or Ganesh Chathurti when the Swami at Pratagali Mutt does not extend such wishes on the ocassion of Christmas Are we not permitting a partisan attitude of the Government towards the dominant religion? Would it not be better to leave religion out of Government sphere? Before the 50th anniversary of Liberation a few like minded Cristaos have therefore at a discreet meet expressed their desire to work towards this goal. The first agenda to achieve this is recognition to Konkani in Roman script as the official language. This in itself will protect the East West culture of the Velhas Conquistas and that of the Cristao community. The figures of the Cristao population as collated by a netizen (from the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman )is reproduced below: Salcete. Margao-Grace-Aquem Alto - Fatorda - 33.0 Navelim-Sirvoddem- Aquem Baixo -Davorlim 33.3 , Chinchinim-Deussua-Sarzora-Dharmapur 22.3 , Curtorim-Maina 18.6 Benaulim 13.3 , Raia 13.0 , Majorda-Utorda 12.0 , Chandor-Guirdolim 12.0 , Verna-Nagoa 10.9 , Nuvem 10.0 , Velim-Tollecanto 9.9 , Loutulim 9.7 , Cuncolim 9.0 , Assolna 9.0 , Varca 6.6 , Colva 6.1 , Betalbatim 6.0 , Carmona 6.0 , Sao Jose do Areal 5.6 , Cavelossim 3.6 , Macasana 3.5 , Orlim 3.0 and Seraulim 3.0 Mormugao Vasco 25.3 , Cansaulim 7.5 , Cortalim 5.5 , Velsao 5.0 , Chicalim 3.8 and Sancoale 3.3 Ilhas (Tiswadi) Panjim 10.5 , Santa Cruz 13.0 , Taleigao 12.0 , Merces 8.5 , Agassaim 5.0 , St. Estevam 4.5 , Piedade (Divar) 4.0 , Chorao (S Bartolomeu) 4.0 , Ribandar 3.9 , Goa Velha 3.2 , Batim 2.5 , Siridao 2.0 , Corlim 1.4 , Carambolim 1.3 and Mandur 1.3 Bardez Mapusa 9.5 , Aldona-Calvim 9.7 , Siolim 8.0 , Calangute 8.0 Porvorim (Alto e Baixo) 7.1 , Anjuna 6.0 , Gurim-Sangolda 5.5 , Tivim 4.8 , Saligao 4.3 , Candolim 4.0 , Parra 3.5 , Colvale 3.0 , Pilerne 2.8 , Assagao 2.5 , Moira 2.2 , Bastora 1.8 . Pomburpa 1.8 , Ucassaim 1.8 , Nagoa-Arpora 1.6 and Assonora 1.3 Quepem Quepem 9.5 , Tilamola 14.0 , Paroda 6.0 and Ambaulim 5.5 Sanguem Sanguem 13.5 and Sanvordem 7.0 Bardez Salvador do Mundo 1,000 , Penha de France 1,000 , Nerul 1,000 , Reis Magos (Verem) 942 , Olaulim 874 , Nachinola 865 , Oxel 480 , Revora 415 , Cunchelim 400 , Camurlim 250 and Pirna 100 Ilhas Azossim 1,000 , Bainguinim 710 , Neura 648 , Bambolim 630 , S.Mathias (Malar) 625 , Curca 400 , Cumbharjua (Sao Braz) 390 , Talaulim (Santana) 357 and Chorao (Graca) 350 Will the Goa Revolution Day on 18th June 2007 spur up the movement for the re-juvenation of the Cristao Community? This according to these few well meaning citizens is in no way a clarion call for polarisation based on religious denomination but merely maintaining our unique identity which was acclaimed by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and is sort to be destroyed by our present rulers. from the Cavelossim Mobor end GODFREY J. I. GONSALVES, BORDA, MARGAO, 403 602, GOA. (INDIA) +91 98221 58584 (24 HRS) [EMAIL PROTECTED] Looking for people who are YOUR TYPE? Find them at in.groups.yahoo.com