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GOA HAS BEEN CONVERTED INTO A POSTCARD IMAGE OF FISH, FENNY AND FOOTBALL
By Rajdeep Sardesai, Managing Editor, NDTV
[This is the text of the speech made at the recently-held expat
Goans conference in Panjim -- called the Gomant Vishwa Sammelan --
on January 3, 2005, at a seminar on Goan Identity. Sardesai has
incidentally just been declared as Goa Today magazine's 'Man of The
Year'.]
What I believe that Goan identity is a complex identity. There are various
reasons for this.
One is that Goa is extremely small state. It's a state with a very large
minority population and a state with long experience in colonial rule. Since
Goa is small and distant from the national capital Delhi, its relative
geographical isolation means that there is lot of ignorance about Goa.
There is general stereotype fad about Goa, particularly for the tourists.
Goa has been converted into a postcard image of fish, fenny and football.
It's almost as if Goan identity is expected to cater more to the tourists
than to itself.
This does not mean that Goa should not be vibrant tourist
destination. Goa should make every effort to attract outsiders,
whether film festival or hotel industry. But Goan identity cannot be
a prisoner of tourists alone. It's a multi-religious society. Goan
society faces challenges in shaping its identity for the future.
In fact right from the time Goa was liberated in 1961, it has faced various
challenges to its identities. In 60's and 70's it was about merger; 80's
whether Konkani should be language or not and last 12 years growing
challenge of Hindutva and how that will be reconciled with the Goan
identity.
Of course, from time to time there has been a questioning on Portuguese rule
and whether it is beneficial or detrimental. Part of the problem is
stereotyping because if you ask anyone from outside Goa, they have limited
knowledge of Goan Hindu community. Many outsiders still see Goa as
predominantly Catholic state and when I conducted survey in my office I
found that seven out of 10 believed that Catholics were in majority in Goa.
Let us be honest that there are two distinct communities -- Goan Catholics
and Hindus. They have lived for centuries through a process of what I would
call "civilized segregation" in the sense that there has been no open
hostility between the communities but there has been limited interaction at
a personal level.
There have been attempts over the years to exploit these divisions.
Particularly by the post-independence politicians of Goa.
It is this kind of divisive politics, which is one of the biggest challenges
before Goans today. It's not that the people of Goa have failed the state,
its politicians who are failing the people of Goa.
The most dangerous thing that can happen in Goa is a politician to pray on
the insecurities of either minority or majority communities; neither
Hinduism nor Catholicism is threatened in Goa.
Goa's village societies are strong enough to resist any external attempt to
divide the people. I believe that the younger generations of Goans do not
want to be caught in past prejudice and communal differences.
They want a modern progressive identity for Goans. And identity is
based essentially on economic progress, where they can live a better
life than the previous generation did. The politicians of Goa need
to recognize this urge amongst Goans for economic progress.
Unfortunately, Goan politicians are trapped in defections politics and
aya-D'Souza-gaya-D'souza kind of politics. The last thing a small state like
Goa needs is instability and chaos.
Unfortunately, many of the wrongs committed by Goa's politicians do not get
highlighted in the national media. For instance when hotel was attacked
recently by people owing loyalty to Goa politicians, it does not get
highlighted in the national media.
That is something Goa will have to live with.
The national media only seemed interested in Goa at Christmas and New Year
and to a large extend is responsible for the negative stereotype of the
Goans. This is a problem, which must be addressed by national media sooner
or later.
The national media needs to define Goan identity as Goans see it,
not as some kind of tourist brochure. The politicians also need to
see the Goan identity in the context of the 21st century. Whether
Portuguese road names should be changed is not the way 21st century
identity has to be shaped.
Goa needs to harness its history make the younger generation aware of the
past but do so in a manner that the future becomes a brighter place. As a
small state, Goa has the opportunity to become investment destination of the
future.
Goa needs to attract the investment without allowing it to overwhelm the
traditional Goan way of life. Goans need to take great pride in their
environment and culture without being afraid of the challenges of
globalization. The modern Goan identity must be global at one level but must
be routed in the soil.
To some extend I am a bad Goan because I don't know Konkani but I am proud
to be a Goan and I believe that the pride must come from being conscious of
my Goan identity.
[The writer can be contacted via email [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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