Goans used to live as a ‘Goan community’ in the past in Goa as well as in other parts of the world wherever they settled. However, in the present times the concept of the word ‘community’ has been changed. Today, more than ‘Goan community’ we prefer to call ourselves ‘Goan Hindu community’ or ‘Goan Christian Community’ or ‘Goan Muslim community’. The segregation of Goan community does not stop here. We are proud to be called as Saraswat community, Bhandari community, Kharvi community, etc. In fact, by doing so, we are strengthening the divisive walls within us which adversely affects the unity among Goans.
Community is a human group living in a definite locality which is characterized by one common life. Community sentiment is the feeling of unity among its members. Community sentiment arises naturally among people who spend a common life, live together, speak a common language, accept the same customs and traditions and share a common goal and interest. Its intensity differs in different communities, and in different members of the same community.
In a rural community, all the villagers help each other in various ways in numerous occasions. They take part in all important occasions which occur in a neighbour’s home. They are present when marriages, deaths or births take place in any family. They celebrate the festivals all together and jointly face all calamities which descend upon the village. A sense of brotherhood is generated among the villagers. They tend to identify another’s delight and sorrow with their own. This attitude in the people is considered ‘community sentiment’. Due to the community sentiment, people sacrifice their own little interests in the interests of the community and begin to look upon the good of the community as their own good.
The most important element in community sentiment is the ‘We feeling’. As a result of it an individual, instead of regarding himself as separate from others, believes himself to be identified with them. All the people look upon the pain or pleasure of any member of the community as their own pain or pleasure. The fundamental cause of this feeling is a similarity of interests of people who live in the same place. ‘We feeling’ is the main key of community sentiments.
‘Role feeling’ is another factor that strengthens community sentiments. In the community, every individual has a definite role to play according to his own status. He makes his contribution towards the working of the community in accordance with this status. The community sentiment inevitably induces this desire for contribution because this is a part of the community sentiment. As a result of this feeling an individual looks upon himself as a specific part of society and shoulders his responsibility in accordance with his status.
The third element of community sentiment is the ‘Sense of dependence’. An individual believes himself to be dependent upon community and denies his existence apart from community. It is the sense of dependence, which makes him not to object to any designs which society has upon him and he always tries to work in its favour.
There is no doubt that the community sentiments are great forces, which can be positively used for the betterment of the whole Goan community provided we inculcate ‘Goan community’ sentiments in us. Unfortunately, our vision is narrowed to such an extent that we are unable to recognize what exists beyond the boundaries of our religion and caste. It is for this reason that today’s politics is also based on the influence of these small communities.
Take for example this act which is committed by political parties during every election. A political party will nominate a Hindu candidate to contest an election in a constituency having majority of voters from Hindu community. In the same manner, constituencies having more Christian voters will have Christian candidates. If members belonging to Bhandari community are influential in a constituency, a political party gives preference to a candidate belonging to Bhandari community to contest the election. The same thing happens when Kharvi community or other communities have significant influence in the constituency. The elected members, in the capacity of MLAs and ministers, then set themselves in motion. They go all out to support the welfare of their respective communities. Goan community as a whole does not figure anywhere in their agenda. This attitude of our political leaders is disastrous in nature and instead of uniting all Goans under one umbrella of Goan community; they promote disintegration of our Goan community. Such happenings are not at all in the interest of Goa and Goans.
It is high time that we work selflessly to build a strong Goan community instead of wasting our precious efforts in promoting communities based on religion and caste. Yes, living within the walls of small communities gives benefits to political future of certain individuals but it definitely ruins the bright future of Goa. Our political leadership must realize that all sections of the Goan society progress as ‘Goan community’ and not as communities based on religion and caste.
Such an attitude will also help Goans to be a part and parcel of Indian community which believes in unity in diversity. Our sincere efforts should have been to convert the idea of ‘Goan community’ into ‘Indian community’ but in vain. We have failed to be an integral part of Indian community only because the political leadership of Goa, due to their greed to capture political power by hook or by crook, instead of widening their mind-set narrowed it by encouraging communities based on religion and caste.
Therefore the mind-set needs to be changed and this change should begin in the minds of political, social, religious and other leaders of our society.
(Tomazinho Cardozo is a former Speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly)
