GOA SHOULD BE A PROGRESSIVE STATE - PART 3 by Yogesh Marathe, (Goa) Dubai

I had decided not to write anything in defence of my article but again a detailed rebut By Mr. Fernandes (London) against me meant I needed to reply to him.

About the NRP Sagres issue, I would kindly note that if the so called mission of the ship was to celebrate 500 years of historic Voyage and discovery of a sea and trade route to India via the Cape of Good Hope than why it is being celebrated in 2010 when the actual year should have been 1998, considering the fact that the Vasco Da Gama landed in Calicut on 20 May 1998. Now as far as I know the ship has been at sea for last 18 months so no claims can be made that it started its voyage in 1998. so the motive as the gentleman wants to know is clear, the ship was indeed commemorating the crusaders visit. Your comments that the ship was on a goodwill visit is truly contradicting considering the facts above. About your claims questioning the motive of the freedom fighters, it’s obvious for them to feel disgusted in welcoming a Portuguese ship with a hidden agenda as mentioned above. Finally everybody has a right of expression so both the warring fractions did express themselves by either opposing or supporting the ship arrival.

Another gem from the gentleman is that the Portuguese arrival was for trade purpose and not for colonization. “What a misguided notion to say the least”. The good thing is that you finally agreed that the Portuguese were Colonizers. During the sixteenth century there was a major competition between Spanish, Dutch, British and the Portuguese which led to the discovery & colonization of new lands. The discovery of trade route to India too was a part of this Imperialism.

I saw many contradictory statements in reply to my claim about anti liberation articles in goan newspaper. Some say they have read articles and some say that the goan press is being censored and hence no such articles have been published. Lets agree to one fact and than argue the same. Do you think a average goan is concerned about liberation and Portuguese, it’s only a handful of people who have immensely benefited from the Portuguese rule and are missing the privileges and thus jump at every opportunity of abusing India.

Coming to the most important part of your rebut Mr. Fernandes is your attempt to draw levels between your version of “Goa invasion” with that of Kashmir and north eastern state. What a pity! You know the biggest advantage of being an Indian citizen (if you are still one) is that you have a free hand on freedom of speech. Any body comes in and runs his mouth, runs wild and draws lines with different issues not concerning one another even by the fairest means. Since you have raised the question of Kashmir and other north eastern states. I would like to bring to your notice that this states have been on constant radar of violence because of special interest by our neighbors. There are some anti Indian sentiments that do not want to see India as a strong union and your attempt to highlight the so called cruelty by Indian soldiers, is an encouragement to them, what do you expect when you are being stone pelted by a brain washed crowd, they are being headed by leaders who are holidaying in some European nation, their children studying in prestigious university. Please don’t try to compare these totally polar issues together.

Your attempt to support the Portuguese destruction makes you fall flat Mr. Fernandes. On one hand you say that the Portuguese considered Goa as their home and an off shore province. If that was the case than why the destruction? I would like to thank you for not claiming that the said destruction was caused by the Indian soldiers. The Portuguese had clear orders to destroy Goa if not defended. Bitter but yes that is a fact. You write in defence of Portuguese that destruction is a part of war, if this is the case than the same thumb rule can be applied to the Indian army. About the so called robbery and loot by Indian soldiers (very sure, propagated by some Portuguese supporter) I can provide you with references about how a number of “Goan Pedro’s” became rich overnight and the amount of copper looted from Mormugoa port on the eve of Liberation. And mind you they were not Indian soldiers but goans themselves.

About the concern for goa, not even in my distant thinking I have though that goans living abroad are not concerned about goa or have no right to express them. But the fact of matter is that their concern or right to expression is only limited at cursing the politicians, freedom fighters and the so called “ghantis”. Have you ever thought what can be done to change this scenario or even attempted to act against the issues faced by Goa today, writing tons of papers and abusing is an easy way out which no one cares. You may come up with an attack on me saying that even am doing the same thing but at least I don’t think in a negative manner the way you people do. I do dream about a Prosperous Goa, I know it’s difficult to imagine the same but not impossible at all.

Mr. Fernandes tried to make a mockery of my “right to information” solution in previous article. It was expected from a person like him but to his information this particular gesture by the Governor (as reported by you) may prove to be a painful one considering that he has been summoned to appear in person before Goa State Information Commission on Jan 04. Let’s hope that there would be a landmark judgment in this case.

Mr. Fernandes, you love for the Portuguese is truly to be adored, you have attempted to mention almost every incident in the world history right from Iraq’s attack on Kuwait, Kashmir, north eastern states trying to link them with Goan Liberation, it seems that you have been immensely saddened by the Portuguese departure from Goa which is inevitably highlighted in your every comment, sad but true that you may have to live with the bitter fact that even Portugal has accepted Goa as an integral part of the Indian union way back in 1974 and that you have been shouting from your house top for a lost cause. I would appreciate if you could come up with some advisory comments on how to solve the current issues faced by goa and your ideas for maintaining the Goan Identity. Being a regular contributor you have been to this forum one may expect a good deed like one mentioned above. Crying about the good old days is not helping you idea of maintaining the goan identity. Goa is a part of the Indian Union; we are celebrating 50 years of Liberation and are facing many issues that include the identity crisis, solution if any: you are welcome! Don’t be like the person who teaches swimming by standing on the river bank.

Many people in rebut to my article have termed me as a BJP/RSS chamcha. The actual problem lies in the fact that the mindset of the people is polarized to such an extent that you either support their views or are against them, and those against them are termed as right wingers which is utter in bad taste. You all talk about the intrusion of the so called “Ghanttis” In Goa, don’t you people think that we in a way have invited them, let’s see how many Goans find interest in working as Labours, selling vegetables and many other blue collar jobs, even the people of Khariwaddo whom you all are so proud of rely on labours from Orissa & Bihar to work on their trawlers. A person even pointed out that Goans are less priotized at jobs , yes it’s a fact and that’s not because thy are goans but than if appointed they need to have a holiday almost every 10 days stating reasons such as feast, Jatra, relatives etc.

The issue of so called Ghanttis is not only limited to Goa, every developing state faces the same problem, and Goa is not an exception to it, but I have to agree that they also are being utilized as a Vote bank by the current crop of politicians. Now many people will come out and abuse me of being supportive of the so called “Ghanttis”. But let them answer me for the facts mentioned above.

Finally just to reiterate my humble request to all people on this forum is that No State or Nation is perfect, we the people need to make it. I suppose with the current musical chair in current government one may find elections being announced shortly and if so lets unite and elect a new brood of young people who are concerned about Goa and Goans.

Last but not the least here’s wishing you all a Very Happy New year. We all may differ in opinions and views but at the same time we all have a comman dream; that to see Goa as a Progressive State.