The Goan is not quite ‘Soro’- ful

As life returns to the rhythms of old, facilities are being slowly reopened. The sale of alcohol resumed this week as it did in certain parts of the country. What was glaring however was the manner in which everyone reacted. There lines that stretched for a kilometre or two at least in front of shops in Delhi and other places. People pushed and shoved as they waited to get their hands on popular whiskey, beer and other alcoholic brands. In Delhi the police had to resort to a lathi charge to control the crowds. In Goa, nothing like that happened. There were no lines outside shops. That in many ways reflected the relationship of the average Goan with alcohol. Whereas the long lines and the lathi charge was indicative of the relationship between alcohol and the average Indian. However here is the twist. The general impression in the country about Goa and Goans is that of people who cannot live without their alcohol. this has been reinforced by the depiction of Goans in films produced by Bollywood. Pedro it seems cannot function without his stiff peg. After drinking that peg , he then proceeds to dance in the wedding of Charles and Gwenneth. Post which he collapses on the kerb unable to continue home. How do Goans react to all this and how do they manage to stay very blase in their reaction to alcohol.    
Marius Fernandes who is famous around the state for organising fests said he was maintaining a report on facebook about life during a lockdown. In the villages, he said people were getting for the rains and this meant dried fishes, dried tomatoes and urack and feni. They were, he said preparing for the future which was something that did not exist in any other part of the country. In other parts of India he said people depended on a third person for all these things whereas in Goa, families depended on themselves. He aid ” I dont drink but I received twelve bottles of urack. We also have a system of barter where a bottle of feni could be exchanged for some food item. Alcohol was available and no one went thirsty and this explains the Goan recation to the lifting of the ban on the sale of alcohol. The only people who suffered due to the ban were the migrants and the foreign tourists. The reaction to alcohol in the rest of the country was also due to the fact that alcohol was possibly not stored and kept in stock”.  
Father Victor Ferrao said the reaction in the rest of the country reversed the general narrative by which Goans were generally painted with. he said ” We know how to enjoy and it is part of our culture. We know how to drink and when to drink. This not to say that Goans dont know the red lines. Other comes to Goa and we give them a God’s welcome. Here God welcomes our guests and people feel at home. Our culture is a hybrid due to our intercation with the Portuguese, European and Indian culture. When we say we are susegad it mean we are laid back because we know how things will evolve”. Goan’s he said were very open and believed tomorrow would take care of itself. He smiled and said ” No one will panic and buy liquor in bulk here. Its different in others parts of the country”
The former Deputy Mayor Kabir Pinto Makhija said he was very aware of  the stereotype that marked the representation of Goans in films. He said ” As tax on alcohol is low in Goa, there is a perception that all Goans drink and all Goans are drunkards. There are some Goans who like their drinks, but they believe in drinking in moderation. Goans have always been portrayed in a very poor light and stereotyped as drunkards, especially in Bollywood films over the years. There are tourists who come to Goa only because of cheap alcohol and get drunk and create a nuisance here. The minute liquor shops opened up in the rest of the country yesterday, large crowds were seen thronging the shops, maintaining no social distancing and resorting to pushing and shoving to get to the shop counters. In some states, the shops even had to be shut again due to the disorderly crowds. In stark contrast in Goa, people were disciplined and stood in orderly queues to buy their alcohol”. True that.
For Roysten Moreas of Velim the restrained reaction to the availability of alcohol showed the Goans in very good light. He said “I feel in places like Delhi and elsewhere people did not anticipate the lockdown to have extended for such a long time. Mad rush could be a result because there are alchoholics who just cannot do without the same. In Goa we have a families who do not consume alcohol and others who consume at the time of family get together or during festivals. The Goan image set by Bollywood that Goans are generally drunk is absolutely miscalculated myth by the people at large”.
For film maker Milroy Goes the depiction of Goans he said was usually based on one touristic visit by the writer. He said ” I believe if the the script writer spend months or years in GOA, not just in the North but also South Goa, he or she would get a better idea of the state. While making our film “Welcome Millions” we had a scene in Punjab where a driver reacted in a strage way when he learned his passenger was from Goa. He assumed he would be drinking all day back home. When I first posted this on my Instagram @MilroyGoes a full length, I had really amazing reactions from Goans. I think GOA is just not about parties, booze, girls, there is much more to learn about the beautiful culture, Heritage and people. Parties, alcohol and girls are found in every part of the world”.
Perhaps it was best encapsulated by Aman Bandekar a resident of CanaCona who said Goa was different though everyone had their priorities set. He said ” Even as people like liquor and enjoy with friends and family the difference is that we more responsible in our approach in daily lives”.