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Goa & Goans
Poor little Carambolim !
GOA is a tiny but picturesque State on the west coast of India. While known for its world famous beaches, churches, temples and scenic beauty, it is the Goan music, cuisine and hospitality which captivates the many visitors who return to Goa almost every year.Goa fortunately has a rich and varied past. Of all the influences, however, it is the Portuguese influence which stands out the most and that too despite sustained recent efforts to reverse it. After several see-saw early 16th century decades during which the control of Goa yo-yoed between the Hindu Kingdom of Vijayanagar and the Muslim rulers of Golconda, it was taken over in 1510 by the Portuguese admiral, Afonso de Albuquerque. The Portuguese who were primarily interested in the black pepper trade more than welcomed this foothold in the east. From this base in Old Goa, they were able to eventually neutralize the Arab dominance of the entire region; gaining significant trading privileges as a result. One immediate change that Afonso de Albuquerque was able to effect in Goa was the abolition of Sati, an age old custom which expected a widow to join her recently deceased husband into the flames of the funeral pyre. Albuquerque, however, could not abolish the violent animosity that existed between the Hindus and Muslims of Old Goa, most likely because of the traditional ill-feeling that Christian Portugal had towards the Muslims ever since the Moorish invasion and rule of Portugal. This shared animosity explains the collaboration between the Hindu Goans and the Portuguese. No one, however, has yet succeeded in abolishing the horrible and discriminatory, colour and race based Caste System. It remains an absolute mystery to many as to how Goans who converted from Hinduism to Catholicism still practice the Caste System with such vigour, even till this day. In the first several years of Portuguese control, the violence of the preceding years continued. There was also a period of Christian intolerance, the dreaded Spanish Inquisition. While meant to control the 'unChristian ways' and the Corruption displayed by the then Portuguese officials in Goa, the Inquisition was misused as a tool by those in control to destroy political enemies, intellectual opponents and financial competitors. In the process, many Goans suffered untold harm and torture in those very dark and intolerant days of the late 16th century. Despite this history, Goa managed to work its way out from this cycle of violence mainly perpetrated upon the Goan by people and rulers from without; be they be the rulers of Golconda, the kings of Vijayanagar, the Peshwas from nearby Maharashtra or some of the early Portuguese rulers. This transformation meant that Goa enjoyed nearly 400 years of peace and tranquility; in the bargain, becoming complacent enough to earn the nickname "sossegado" or easy going. The Portuguese rule brought Christianity to Goa, most notably through the efforts of St. Francis Xavier who landed on its shores in 1542. While Christianity can be traced back to the arrival around AD 40, of the Apostle Thomas on the Malabar coast, the primary credit for the spread of Christianity and the establishment of the top Catholic educational & health establishments on the subcontinent, goes to the 1498 arrival in Calicut of the famous Portuguese explorer, Vasco da Gama. The Portuguese era also brought about unprecedented prosperity to Goa. This rather undeveloped place which was used primarily as a port for transporting Muslim pilgrims to Mecca and Arabian horses to the various Kingdoms on the subcontinent, was so transformed under the early days of the Portuguese rule that Goa became known as the " Rome of the East ". It is indeed the significant Lusitanian influence in Goa which makes Goa an unique place on the subcontinent. But this El Dorado era was soon to be brought to an abrupt end by the Dutch and British colonizers who followed the Portuguese to the Indies and Africa. With the passage of time, the colonial powers were no longer able to hold on. It was now the 20th century. The Independence movement was in full gear in British India. In Goa and in Portugal, the eminent Goan physician, outspoken member of the Portuguese Parliament and freedom fighter Dr. Froilano de Mello was demanding Independence for Goa. Dr. de Mello, however, was a lone public warrior in this struggle. There were many others who clamoured for freedom at the time. They were neither in Goa nor in Portugal. There were also those in Goa who murmured but ever so softly and very privately. The Portuguese dictator Dr. Antonio Salazar turned a deaf ear to even a mere suggestion of autonomy for Goa. As far as Salazar was concerned, Independence for Goa was out of the question. Supporting Salazar were his cronies and the group which supports whoever is in power i.e. Big Business. The winds of Independence for the colonies were blowing all over the world and the writing was on every conceivable wall, but the 'hermit' Salazar could neither feel the breeze nor read the writing. The British were out of British India and the French from their possessions but the Portuguese held on to Goa; much longer than it should have. Eventually, in 1961, the Indian army marched in and took over control of Goa. The majority of Goans adapted very quickly to this new reality with absolute ease and so did Big Business which suddenly and magically transformed itself into the long suffering martyr of colonial oppression. Sure! Since 1961, tremendous strides have been made in the fields of education, electrification, roadways and infrastructure. The most striking of these strides is in the field of education. Graduates from schools and colleges in Goa continue to perform superbly, at national and international levels in many fields especially music, computer science, engineering, medicine, literature, teaching, architecture, banking and management. Among the major milestones in post-1961 Goa are the : *Opinion Poll of 1967, when Goans resoundingly rejected the attempt by the neighbouring state of Maharashtra to co-opt it, *Recognition of Konkani, the mother tongue of Goans, as the Official Language of Goa, and *Statehood for Goa in 1987. A good number of Goans not only speak Konkani but also have an excellent command over the other languages of Goa and Goans i.e. English, Marathi and Portuguese. Unfortunately, Goa has rapidly begun to lose its erstwhile image as a clean and crime free place. Corruption, political nepotism, financial scams, chaos on the roads and an increase in crime since 1961 have caused significant disappointment to Goans. Responsibility for this degeneration of the Goan ethos, lies with the New Delhi seconded & appointed administrators and the corrupt and unscrupulous Goan bureaucrats and politicians. As a result, chaotic confusion has descended upon Goa, much to the delight of the politicians & special interest lobbies who have fed on it and prospered in the bargain. This disappointment with what has happened to their land has led numerous Goans into taking the decision to emigrate and settle abroad permanently. At about the same time, a new, vibrant and democratic Portugal opened its doors to Goans and offered them citizenship. Many Goans jumped at this offer and gladly accepted it, even some erstwhile 'freedom-fighters' ! Goans are to be found in almost every country in the world. The vast majority of the estimated 3 million Goans are Roman Catholic in tradition and live outside Goa. Their natural ability to blend in with the people around them has helped them to become part of the many and varied communities they now live in. In Goa itself, there is an excellent level of communal harmony between the majority Hindu and the minority Roman Catholic communities; a harmony which holds despite the disruptive activities of some Goan political operatives and non-Goan extremist groups. Most Goans are cognizant of the agenda of the disruptive elements in society and disregard them with contempt they deserve. Countries and areas which have sizable number of Goans include India, The United Kingdom, The Middle East, East Africa, Brazil, Pakistan, Canada, the United States, Portugal and Australia. Wherever they live and whatever their profession, the one common thread which runs among almost all Goans, is their unmistakable love for Goa, Konkani music replete with the Mando and Dulpod, the world famous Goa sausages, Xacuti, 'Vindaloo', Bebinca and the occasional shot of the cashew-fruit liquor called Feni. TGF
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The
khazan rice fields of Carambolim near historic Old Goa and the world famous lake
which was home to the winter birds from Siberia. This beautiful stretch of
fertile agricultural land and the lake were violated by the construction
of the Konkan Railway track right through it, despite much opposition. Konkan
Railway is a very useful and time-saving link for rail travelers of the
West Coast of India. Environmental groups had advised the Govt. of Goa to
construct the rail track a few miles inland. They cited environmental,
safety and cost benefits. Despite several years of 'hearings' , the pleas of the
environmental groups fell on deaf ears. Some of the safety concerns, now, appear
to have been justified. 