Like tectonic shifts on the surface of the earth when plates actually move causing disruption in the core of the earth, there are noticeable shifts of people, cultures and vibes from one place to the other.
The Assagao Chromosome is a work in progress of this tectonic shift. Over four years, it has become a zone of convergence drawing from other underground plates-as it were, through movements nothing short of seismic, the best of what was always meant to be. Music, art, food, an international chic feel and a conglomeration of diverse yet kindred souls. It’s all happening here.
But before this narrative goes further, here’s a disclaimer. The village basically consisted of (and then others came in) of folks who were living lives quietly and making a small difference to society by their passion and work. Assagao is a vibrant bubble and going through very exciting times. But somewhere, one needs to keep an eye out for a character called gentrification, where a steady influx changes the demographics and economics and the new wave edges out the existing inhabitants. Nothing as dramatic as that, has happened in Assagao, but to not even fathom that in, wouldn’t be true to reality.
The reality though is the rainbow coalition of very interesting and lovely people who have made Assagao their home, enhancing and preserving not just the village’s magnificent homes, but bringing colour and bounce to a very quaint village. Thus, it is at the crossroads. It is so Goa and yet not quite. It has Delhi moving in, without all of its brashness. That’s because if Delhi is moving in, so is Calcutta, or Mumbai or Bangalore or even London or Paris or a town in Germany. Assagao, known as South Delhi’s extension, is actually not just a village of Delhi wallahs (Thank God). It’s far more cosmopolitan than that
As reported and written in many journals and magazines, this movement has been recorded and hence this is not “news”
The list of lovelies include fashion designer Jivi Sethi, film-maker Qaushiq Mukherjee, model and entrepreneur Carol Gracias, and her French husband, Samuel Ziza, graphic designer Anjila Puri., Elisabeth Yogini a German, who started Villa Blanche Bistro and many more.
The list is longer though with many who are not in the very famous roll call, still calling it home. A writer, a painter, a sculptor, a film maker a designer, they are all here. Rumour has it that if you do throw a cashew apple it will land on some such type, who is well settled and contributing to the village by now.
Quite clearly, new meeting places were created as also places to collaborate. Sometime ago, as reported, musicians Chinmaya Dunster and Sandeep Srivastava co-founded a meeting of travelling artists and diverse music styles, from Sufi to flamenco at the Astoria hotel.
And in the middle of this activity came Nilankur Das, who is fast becoming a centrifugal force which brings people together on his platform 6 Assagao through ‘Thus’ his event initiative. All Monday evening are riveting filled with talks, workshops, discussions on myriad subjects, bringing together a motley group of regulars. His wife Chan’s Naga food especially her pork, keeps this going. One, at times, suspects that Nilankur’s Monday evenings do so well because of Chan’s food.
But Assagao is not just all about “outsiders”. It makes sense to set something up here even for locals. For long, people from North Goa came to Panjim to eat home cooked goan food at Mum’s Kitchen. Today Mum’s kitchen has opened its first restaurant outside Panjim in Assagao. Of course the local Vinayak is still an old time favorite.
What makes the Assagao Chromosome different is the assimilation of the outsiders into the village and their overall acceptance by the locals. They are both joint stake holders in the village. The relationship is not of suspicion and hostility or even through trade and business. In fact it is this bonding which has led to the village being in the forefront of some very important causes, the fight against garbage being its standout initiative, led by local Felly Gomes the founder of the Aware Assagao citizens group.
The Asssagao Chromosome is inching out towards Parra, Moira, Aldona where similar trends have been noticed. As long as this brings about assimilation and not displacement, it works well. After all Goa was always about people from distant lands who came here as minstrels and made this either home or their place to come back to.
