From: Bernardo Colaco
To: [email protected]
Subject: Ervell E Menezes
Date: Sun, 19 Jan 2003 16:27:33 +0000
Hi Prakash,
This is an article by the above writer not to sure if he is based in Bombay. I have found it in the Navhindtimes.com - Magazine. The NT thrives on such false information. Not to sure if you have any info on the writer such as email. Or could you blast him!
Regards
BC
That the word susegado or susegad or whatever way it is spelt means contentment is purely academic but it is tourism that has glorified that term and those who know least about it flaunt it the most. Thanks to Prime Minister A B Vajpayee�s visit you find it even in the editorial columns of the national dailies. It is meant to convey an idyllic state of affairs, something like Lotus-eater land, but it could also be a state of mind.
So whether it conveys laziness or laid-back or whatever for starters let�s banish that word from our vocabulary. And with susegado a lot of other myths and aberrations must go. In spite of bandying the word ad infinitum tourism is itself in dire straits today in Goa because we have killed the goose that laid the golden egg. So let�s not think of tourism as the major industry any
longer. It will continue to draw tourists from abroad (because they come from a stronger currency) and at home (for whatever reasons) but only the professionals will be able to keep their head above water, the others will sink as many of them did this season.
There are more urgent problems we have to address ourselves to like the sad fact that seven out of ten students in Goa are dropouts. One reason for this is that our children do not feel the need. They can afford to stay at home because there�s money from the Gulf or tourism, landed property (which is often sold) or whatever other source. And don�t believe that tourism is a
non-polluting industry. That�s at best a good line. It is an industry that eats into the culture of the locals. In fact it is tourism that has probably contributed to this very high dropout rate in schools, to say nothing of the spiralling prices of essential commodities.
Some of these dropouts are believed to become extortionists, going about in gangs and exploiting folks that are trying to eke out an honest living. Yes, it is the baile (outsider) and amche (insider) phenomenon that gives us the onus to decide who should do business where. But why? Because we think we can get away with it. But wait awhile! There is this very blatant Goan duplicity at work. We may condemn corruption but will be the first to offer a bribe. By the same token we may condemn the outsider but not hesitate to become his agent, for a consideration of course. So where do we stand? In no-man�s land. Or is it a fool�s paradise? This is another myth or aberration that must go.
Another long-standing phenomenon is the Hindu-Christian divide. I don�t think it is right to say that Hindus and Christians got on well during the Portuguese regime. They made the best of a bad deal, that is the Hindus. It was need-based. The Portuguese Inquisition loaded the dice heavily in favour of the Christian. After Liberation the boot is on the other leg. It is a
backlash but not necessarily the right thing. If the Portuguese used Christianity as a weapon, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is doing the same with Hindutva. Or is it Advaniism? Where the Portuguese put up churches and crosses the BJP is setting up temples, politicising religion. It is for us to resist the nefarious designs of the politicians. This Hindu-Christian divide must go. Whether it was the language stir or the Konkan Railway realignment issue or the Carnival floats it has always been the Catholic Church that has orchestrated the protests. Priests have given sermons telling their flock whom to vote for forgetting the Biblical adage of �render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar�s and unto God the things that are Gods�. It is high time that this changed. Why couldn�t the Church clamp down on tourism? Because too many were deriving the benefits. Why, there are priests in north Goa who are themselves actively involved in it.
What happened to Konkani as a language? With all the agitation and the protectionism, the irony is that English has displaced it. So what are we getting at? Why is there always a polarisation on issues? Because the Hindu-Christian divide is as strong as the outsider-insider nexus. If we Christians are being marginalised in Goa who are we to blame but ourselves.
With our so-called Western culture we migrate to the West and the vacuum thus created is filled in by the Hindus or the outsiders or both. But then many of us have never been truly Indian. Unless we make it a point to assert our Indianness our numbers will continue to diminish. We�ll be like earthworms to be found under stones (no, not grave-stones).
And forget about reservations. The Goan of the future has to compete with the outsider, so the need to work hard is paramount. Do away with susegad or whatever it means. In many areas of Britain the locals are becoming second-class citizens in their own land. This will also happen in Goa. Of course the government�s role is also important and that�s where the people must make the politicians accountable. With the right to information bill much is possible, but only if we try.
But the first requirement is a change of attitude. Bury our prejudices. Think clearly and without jaundiced eyes. May be there�s a place for a new political party which will synthesise the two warring communities. It�s never too late and why abandon hope? We surely need to turn a new leaf. Leave tourism to the professionals, get into some other line of business. Why not Information Technology? The sooner we do this the better and for God�s sake never, never say susegad again. Article by Everell E. Menezes, http://www.Navhindtimes.com
My attention has been drawn to Everell Menezes' article. Having read it, I can say that there are many good ideas to be found in it. Most important is the agreed need to overcome the 'susegad' attitude - that of lethargy, inertia and laziness.
However, in my humble opinion, Everell errs in his analysis and therefore in his suggested remedies, on many points.
E. E. M.: There are more urgent problems we have to address ourselves to like the sad fact that seven out of ten students in Goa are dropouts. One reason for this is that our children do not feel the need. They can afford to stay at home because there�s money from the Gulf or tourism, landed property (which is often sold) or whatever other source.
One of the reasons for this high dropout rate is that we still allow ourselves to suffer from the susegad attitude. However, there are other reasons.
There is or was a strong movement, sponsored and encouraged by the governments in the Indian Union, including that of Nehru at the Central Level, to weed out Goans (and Anglo-Indians) from their positions, and to discourage their being employment even in the private sector. Today, that embargo is loosening. However, even so, it is still largely in place. And, in the meantime, others have settled themselves in, and have monopolised the situation. Christians, with good reason, feel left out and that they do not belong. That message is not too shyly broadcast by the Hindu Revanchists: time and again, they have claimed that Christians are aliens, do not belong and must emigrate.
The only Christians whom these people have any use for are the womenfolk... and it is not to difficult to imagine why.
The combined result is that Christian girls tend to fare better than boys in finding themselves a place in the job-market.
E. E. M.: Many of us have never been truly Indian. Unless we make it a point to assert our Indianness our numbers will continue to diminish. We�ll be like earthworms to be found under stones.
We may condemn the outsider but (we do) not hesitate to become his agent, for a consideration of course.
It is a fundamental truth, that, atleast the Goan Christians, are not truly 'Indian'. That is because, in fact, we belong to another country. Even the Indians recognize that fact, because, despite occuping our country and annexing it, they still regard us as alien and our culture as a curio.
No, it is not by asserting our 'Indianness' that we will be saved. It is the desire of the Hindu Revanchists, both of the Nehru-Congress brand and of the BJP-RSS brand, that we should 'Indianize'. However, 'Indianization' in their dictionaries, means paganisation, or more precisely , 'Hinduisation.'
This is a process that no sane and faithful Christian will even consider contemplating. Apostates and namesake Christians are a different matter.
The Outsider or Bhairlem are not our friends. In fact they have no business in Goa. They have come in to loot, rob and enslave us. The folk campaigns of resistance and even of 'terrorisation' of these Bhairlem is thus a good and noble work, one that must be praised, supported and encouraged.
E. E. M.: We surely need to turn a new leaf. Leave tourism to the professionals, get into some other line of business. Why not Information Technology?
Or why not Scupture? Or horticulture?
These are all red herrings. The fact is that the Hindus operate on the Caste System. They network and they monopolize and they keep out and exploit the others who do not belong. We are being in-processed or assimilated, just as the Shudras and other aborigines of India have been, and do what we may, that too will be our fate, if we permit it.
It is typical Caste thinking to confine ourselves to the function of a particular Caste Labour. Everell may suggest Information Technology; but the process of being confined to Castes is not good or beneficial, whether to us or to the peoples of India.
But, as far as we, as an integral Social Community is concerned, Everell's suggestion is a recipe for sure disaster. Leave tourism to the professionals! And pray, who are these professionals? Since Everell advises us to confine ourselves to IT, it becomes obvious that we are being asked to surrender Goan Tourism to non-Goans.
And not only Tourism. Every other sector of Goan Society, with the sole exception of IT.
Now, one could suspect that such a mischievous and self-destructive course could only be from a traitor, one who has sold himself to the enemy, in particular to the Indian Tourism sector; however, I believe that this suggestion is not born from treason but only from error - wrong-thinking.
E. E. M.: The Hindu-Christian divide is as strong as the outsider-insider nexus. May be there�s a place for a new political party which will synthesise the two warring communities.
The divide is mutual. From the Christian viewpoint, we are always reminded that we are the Children of Light, of God, ransomed from the darkness and benightment of paganism, by the precious blood of the only begotten Son of God. We are taught to love all men, to treat all men kindly, but to avoid all evil and false ideologies, even paganism. We cannot be Christians if we deny these truths. If we would abandon them, why should we pretend to be Christians nevertheless? It is better, then, that we revert to Hinduism, which was the religion of our ancestors.
From the Hindu viewpoint, we are unclean and polluting, and apostates from Hinduism. The Hindus harbour rage, hatred and resentment towards us, for having abandoned Hinduism for Christianity, and they always insult us and seek to pervert us, if not actually persuade or terrorize us to revert to Hinduism.
That Hinduism is tolerant is a great lie, one created to deceive its victims. Hinduism has always been one of the most viciously intolerant religions. It cannot find place in India for non-Hindus. It cannot stomach the idea that some Indians have abandoned Hinduism for Buddhism or Christianity. And so on.
Therefore, the conflict, even, face-off, is not accidental or regrettable: it is real and necessary, for it is the fight between Good and Evil, between Truth and Error.
This fight cannot be avoided or ended, except by abandoning Christianity whether nominally or substantially, and only for those who do so. However, the price to be paid is impossible: Eternal Damnation! No sane Christian, I believe, would want to pay this price.
E. E. M.: What happened to Konkani as a language? With all the agitation and the protectionism, the irony is that English has displaced it.
All our agitations are doomed to failure. All our achievements will be corrupted and perverted. This will continue to happen until we ourselves are the sole arbiters of our destiny. So long as the Outsider has it in his power to modify and change, he will continue to do so. He will continue to pervert and negate our achievements.
There was, is and will always be, only one true solution to our difficulties, and that is to regain our liberty and freedom, as an independent state. Until we achieve this, until we have forced the Occupation by the Indian Union to end, all our works shall be in vain.
However, the real reason we have failed - in this particular matter - is because of the treason of the neo-Catholic sect. This sect has betrayed us and our cause by ganging up with our enemy to impose Sankritised and Maharasthrianized Konkani, and the Devanagari script upon us. This has alienated our people, whose affections lie with the Lusitanic, Roman-Script Konkani.
The Reason this sect has done this is because it wishes to re-paganize us.
Prax Maskaren