G.H.A.N.T.I
Dr Oscar Rebello
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
Gaganappa Hassan Ali Nagarjuna Tennyson India (G.H.A.N.T.I for short) is an old friend of mine. Now, graying at the temples, he has been working in Goa, for years now making this little land his home, away from home, since the early 60s.
His perception and critical analysis of Goa, her socio-political climate and her tortured history is something, I usually listen to with rapt attention.
As we sit down, at Clube Nacional, over a glass of feni, these are the pearls of wisdom he proffers.
“Goa, is completely fed to the dogs, don’t you think? Many people blame Goa’s disastrous woes on you, the ‘outsider,’ the perennial bhailo,” I said menacingly.
He smiled knowingly, “No doc” he said. “I share your sentiment, that the Goa we all know and love so much is being destroyed by powerful economic forces, both from within and from outside who care a fig for Goa, her people, her beauty and her splendor as long as their private profits are ensured.”
“Mmm,” I responded, “but then despite democracy, despite a reasonably fair electoral process why can’t we tame and destroy these forces that are driving a dagger through our soul?”
“Simple,” he grinned cunningly, “Because you Goans have never ever been united throughout your brief history in your small land, never!”
He then went on to elaborate, dissecting our history.
1961. “Some called it liberation, some still call it an invasion, so, you guys still could not reconcile if you guys were free or enslaved. Your first blow against unity.”
1966. “Opinion Poll. The overwhelming majority opted to retain Goa’s separate unique identity. And some wanted out, to merge, it with Maharashtra. Look at it this way. Whatever the analysis of the historic opinion poll, one set of Goans won and one set lost. Did you all as a community ever try to figure out why the almost entire Bahujan Samaj wanted to merge with Maharashtra then? Were their grievances suitably addressed, or was the Jalyach Payge war chant always seen as an act of betrayal?. The fault lines between communities continued through this period.”
1986. “The historic language agitation. Again a vicious battle of Goans versus Goans. Kokanni won, Marathi, sort of lost. But in a repeat of Goa’s divisive history one Goan won, the other lost. In addition, Romi Konkani was given the short end of the stick. Their grievances mounted. The faultlines now threatened to become an earthquake”.
“Hence,” he patiently explained, “when the unprecedented economic boom of Manmohan Singh swept into Goa, where land, minerals, sand and other natural resources were all put up for auction and Goa’s future was on the chopping block, your leaders, beneficiaries of your historic divisions, sold you guys down the river, like disposable tampons.”
“And as this tsunami of destructive development is ready to swamp, you and drown you out of existence, you still can’t figure out if you should cry for help in Romi or Nagri Konkanni or Marathi or rush to a church or to a temple to seek divine succor.”
“But the migrant influx in slums is choking us out of reckoning,” I protested strongly.
“True doc,” he countered. “The slums are traditionally fixed vote banks with recurring compounded interest to highest bidder. But things are changing. The youth in the slums unlike their parents are rebelling for being treated like toys without dignity. And in any case, can the migrant vote ever match you, if you guys stay united?.”
“But where do your loyalties lie,” I asked this crackling, sharp G.H.A.N.T.I? “Whose side are you on?”
“Unfair question doc,” he murmured. “Having lived off this land, my loyalties will always lie with Goa and all that you are fighting for. But talk to us, engage us, win us over to your side. We are tired of being pawns in the chess board of dirty politics.
True, there are bogus voters amongst us, huge blocks of guys who sell their votes, but then, so do Niz Goenkars, hundreds of illegal squatters, but crack down on them as per provisions of the law. Don’t stuff us all in the same basket for God’s sake.”
Having probed the deep, intelligent recesses of the mind of my friend, I was stupefied by his lucid and simple analysis of Goa’s socio- political scenario.
I asked him “So, do you think there’s a just and hopeful future for us in Goa?”
With a large smile on his face as he downed his last drop of feni, he winked at me “yes,” he said, “but only if you let go of the ghosts of the past that are constantly shackling you.”
“And if you realize that in this battle of yours, you must necessarily take everyone along on the ride – Hindu, Christian, Muslims and the bhailo. Democracy my friend gives you no other choice after all!!!
++++++
A matter of attitude adjustment…
Kurt Bento
I met him a few days ago, a friend of a friend down from Bombay. It was over some live blues, specifically to the strains of Stormy Monday, belted out by a young band, that he told me what his next project as a photographer was. “I’m going to be capturing every facet of the Ajanta caves, photographing every square inch, so they can shut down the original caves that are reeling under the constant onrush of visitors, and create a replica in front of it that will be the new tourist attraction.” That’s an interesting proposition I thought – a group of people coming together with Maharashtra Tourism to preserve their heritage.
A few days later, I watched as Japan, or parts of it more rather, went underwater. As I felt pain for the people who suffered, I realised that there are certain things that can’t be predicted. Some things can be preserved but you never know when the forces of nature or otherwise will come and swallow it up.
There are little things that happen here in Goa. Little instances that in the larger scheme of things, aren’t really that little.
Ask yourself this. How is it caring for Goa when you discreetly, or sometimes blatantly, throw your garbage over your neighbour’s wall? How is it a call for better law and order when you overtake one vehicle and then force the oncoming vehicle to swerve out of the way just so you can drive the way you want? Or parking erratically in a space that can fit two cars and not caring that you haven’t left space for the second?
How is it caring for your fellow Goan when you openly criticize a competitor or a peer, just so you can get that client that wants to hire them, instead of courting them by talking yourself up instead? There’s a fine line between right and wrong and we cross it all the time. There have been so many times, driving on the Mandovi bridge that I have seen people throw bags of garbage over the side. How many times have you heard someone talk ill about another person, just because they didn’t like his or her grandfather?
How many times have we heard about families fighting over property, or one sibling forging wills and taking it all? You can’t make rules up as you go along. If you put it all together in the same pot, then that makes one no better than the people they hate.
Some people preach about Goans becoming strangers in their own land. Many Goans are leaving for better salaries, for what they think is a better life in other countries or cities, or for many other reasons.
But, no one’s sticking a gun to their head and forcing them out. They leave because they want to. Coming down once in a few years and lamenting about the state of Goa and waxing nostalgic about the old days is fine, but they have no real right to question the people here about what’s being done. They’re there. We’re here.
If every Goan in Goa stood up, voted, resolved to be a better person and look out not just for personal interests but for the interests of the people and meant it, then Goans would not be a minority. It’s a choice everyone in Goa needs to make. Goa will move on. Goa will evolve. It will grow with the times. Some things can surely stay the same. We don’t need to build a replica of certain aspects of life and culture to preserve it. It’s time to stop crying and start working towards a better future.
Sometimes, we just need to grow up and realise that it’s not about the self-serving politicians and it’s not about the ‘outsiders’. Stand up and look in the mirror. That’s who it’s really about. And that’s who really needs to change.
