Fatima Pais
2006-12-28 08:02:02 UTC
Hi
Where can I find this collection of pieces on Goa? Are they published in a
book? I would love to read them
Fatima
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Where can I find this collection of pieces on Goa? Are they published in a
book? I would love to read them
Fatima
<html><div></div></html>
From: "Goanet Reader" <goanetreader at gmail.com>
Reply-To: goanet at goanet.org
To: goanet-news at goanet.org
Subject: [Goanet-news] A feeling of Goan separateness from the rest of
thecountry
Date: Tue, 26 Dec 2006 17:44:34 +0530
http://www.dnaindia.com/sunReport.asp?NewsID=1070832
A feeling of Goan separateness from the rest of the country
Sidharth Bhatia
Saturday, December 23, 2006
A new collection of pieces on Goa reveals why it is an exceptional
place, and also why it generates so much exceptionalism amongst its
inhabitants
Goa has been invaded many times, they will tell you. Depending on
which 'they' you talk to, the invaders will be variously described as
the Portuguese, the Indians, the hippies, the loud tourists from North
India, the weekend crowd from Bombay, and now, the latest scourge, the
rich from Bombay and Delhi who are gobbling up property.
Each of them has left an imprint on the state, though it is the
Portuguese colonial influence that finds an echo in the popular
imagination. Indeed, it is the state's calling card, used in brochures
and tourism campaigns, even though it is a moot point whether tourists
go there to check out the beaches and what lies on them or the
churches and the architecture.
This book, a collection of essays, poems, stories and extracts ? old
and new ? is not for those tourists. Anyone looking for Goa of the
brochures may not find much of value in this collation. Nor is it for
the new settlers, who want a place to unwind and mix with their
friends whom they met the previous week in the metropolis. This is
more of an 'in' project, a labour of love or a self-indulgent
exercise, call it what you will, but decidedly knowing.
The first essay is about the 'Indians' who marched into Goa and rudely
threw the Portuguese out nearly five decades ago and are still
resented by many who nostalgically remember the ancien regime.
William Dalrymple, with his eye on a good story for British magazines,
interviews one of them, a Grand Matriarch type who heaps curses on the
Indians for having destroyed a way of life that 451 years of
Portuguese rule had engendered. "We Goans have a different mentality,
a different language, a different culture," she rails to the bemused
British author. One can't help thinking that had Goans not been laid
back, we would have another Kashmir type insurgency here.
This piece is followed, a tad cleverly, by an essay by Prabhakar
Angle, originally printed in a book by The Goa Hindu Association Kala
Vibhag, which seeks to remove misunderstandings about Goa. Angle lists
all the popular misconceptions about his state, which include the
overemphasis on the Portuguese connection and the clich?d images that
make it to the media ? the drinking, the leisurely lifestyles and,
most of all, the fun-loving nature of the natives.
Angle vents against a wide range of villains, all of whom don't
understand the true Goan spirit. These are two distinctly opposing
points of view, with one thing in common: a feeling of Goan
exceptionalism and separateness from the rest of the country. Angle
resents any cultural connection with Maharashtra, too. Where it is not
resentment, there is a sense of loss about a Goa long gone, no doubt
because of the invaders, (though the book does not consider the latest
scourge of property buyers worth even mentioning.)
The contemporary writing constitutes of, inter alia, the joys of
drinking good feni, notes from the beach, and sundry pieces on
interesting Goan 'characters.' Sometimes it works: Vivek Menezes's
compelling piece about meeting the irascible Francis Newton Souza in
New York and finding a connection is one of them. Naresh Fernandes's
irony-filled search for the buried body parts of St Francis Xavier,
allows him to approach Goa but from the outside, and he avoids sinking
into the quicksand of describing the vignettes of rural Goan life. But
that is where most writers prefer to hang out, happy in their little
worlds, bemoaning the intrusion of the city folk.
Is this nativism? Chauvinism? Goa does exercise a hold on our minds,
especially of the English-speaking, westernised classes, and it is
precisely because of the clich?s that make Goans cringe ? the beaches,
the swaying palms, the susegad and yes, the Portuguese influence. But
would the good burghers of, say, Punjab or Gujarat, warrant such a
book? And would Penguin publish it? Methinks not. The inescapable
conclusion: There is much that is exceptional about Goa, but it is not
of the variety that Goans ? whether in this book or not ? would want.
As for those pesky, moneyed invaders, they don't get an opportunity to
offer their take on Goa ? the Goa of glossy brochures, holiday
packages and rising property prices. The real Goa suffers them because
they bring in the Dollars, Marks and increasingly, Rupees. But they
are not, and can never become, Goans, because they come from the dark
side.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
This article is from the DNA, a newspaper published from Mumbai.
GOANET-READER WELCOMES contributions from its readers, by way
of essays, reviews, features and think-pieces. We share
quality Goa-related writing among the 8000-strong readership
of the Goanet/Goanet-news network of mailing lists. If you
appreciated the thoughts expressed above, please send in your
feedback to the writer. Our writers write -- or share what
they have written -- pro bono, and deserve hearing back from
those who appreciate their work. GoanetReader welcomes your
feedback at goanet at goanet.org Goanet Reader is edited by
Frederick Noronha fredericknoronha at gmail.com Please visit
Goanet's website at http://www.goanet.org
GOANET is not just a newspaper... don't just read it. Take part in
its discussions. Post your comments, feedback to goanet at goanet.org
_______________________________________________
Goanet-news mailing list
Goanet-news at lists.goanet.org
http://lists.goanet.org/listinfo.cgi/goanet-news-goanet.org
_________________________________________________________________Reply-To: goanet at goanet.org
To: goanet-news at goanet.org
Subject: [Goanet-news] A feeling of Goan separateness from the rest of
thecountry
Date: Tue, 26 Dec 2006 17:44:34 +0530
http://www.dnaindia.com/sunReport.asp?NewsID=1070832
A feeling of Goan separateness from the rest of the country
Sidharth Bhatia
Saturday, December 23, 2006
A new collection of pieces on Goa reveals why it is an exceptional
place, and also why it generates so much exceptionalism amongst its
inhabitants
Goa has been invaded many times, they will tell you. Depending on
which 'they' you talk to, the invaders will be variously described as
the Portuguese, the Indians, the hippies, the loud tourists from North
India, the weekend crowd from Bombay, and now, the latest scourge, the
rich from Bombay and Delhi who are gobbling up property.
Each of them has left an imprint on the state, though it is the
Portuguese colonial influence that finds an echo in the popular
imagination. Indeed, it is the state's calling card, used in brochures
and tourism campaigns, even though it is a moot point whether tourists
go there to check out the beaches and what lies on them or the
churches and the architecture.
This book, a collection of essays, poems, stories and extracts ? old
and new ? is not for those tourists. Anyone looking for Goa of the
brochures may not find much of value in this collation. Nor is it for
the new settlers, who want a place to unwind and mix with their
friends whom they met the previous week in the metropolis. This is
more of an 'in' project, a labour of love or a self-indulgent
exercise, call it what you will, but decidedly knowing.
The first essay is about the 'Indians' who marched into Goa and rudely
threw the Portuguese out nearly five decades ago and are still
resented by many who nostalgically remember the ancien regime.
William Dalrymple, with his eye on a good story for British magazines,
interviews one of them, a Grand Matriarch type who heaps curses on the
Indians for having destroyed a way of life that 451 years of
Portuguese rule had engendered. "We Goans have a different mentality,
a different language, a different culture," she rails to the bemused
British author. One can't help thinking that had Goans not been laid
back, we would have another Kashmir type insurgency here.
This piece is followed, a tad cleverly, by an essay by Prabhakar
Angle, originally printed in a book by The Goa Hindu Association Kala
Vibhag, which seeks to remove misunderstandings about Goa. Angle lists
all the popular misconceptions about his state, which include the
overemphasis on the Portuguese connection and the clich?d images that
make it to the media ? the drinking, the leisurely lifestyles and,
most of all, the fun-loving nature of the natives.
Angle vents against a wide range of villains, all of whom don't
understand the true Goan spirit. These are two distinctly opposing
points of view, with one thing in common: a feeling of Goan
exceptionalism and separateness from the rest of the country. Angle
resents any cultural connection with Maharashtra, too. Where it is not
resentment, there is a sense of loss about a Goa long gone, no doubt
because of the invaders, (though the book does not consider the latest
scourge of property buyers worth even mentioning.)
The contemporary writing constitutes of, inter alia, the joys of
drinking good feni, notes from the beach, and sundry pieces on
interesting Goan 'characters.' Sometimes it works: Vivek Menezes's
compelling piece about meeting the irascible Francis Newton Souza in
New York and finding a connection is one of them. Naresh Fernandes's
irony-filled search for the buried body parts of St Francis Xavier,
allows him to approach Goa but from the outside, and he avoids sinking
into the quicksand of describing the vignettes of rural Goan life. But
that is where most writers prefer to hang out, happy in their little
worlds, bemoaning the intrusion of the city folk.
Is this nativism? Chauvinism? Goa does exercise a hold on our minds,
especially of the English-speaking, westernised classes, and it is
precisely because of the clich?s that make Goans cringe ? the beaches,
the swaying palms, the susegad and yes, the Portuguese influence. But
would the good burghers of, say, Punjab or Gujarat, warrant such a
book? And would Penguin publish it? Methinks not. The inescapable
conclusion: There is much that is exceptional about Goa, but it is not
of the variety that Goans ? whether in this book or not ? would want.
As for those pesky, moneyed invaders, they don't get an opportunity to
offer their take on Goa ? the Goa of glossy brochures, holiday
packages and rising property prices. The real Goa suffers them because
they bring in the Dollars, Marks and increasingly, Rupees. But they
are not, and can never become, Goans, because they come from the dark
side.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
This article is from the DNA, a newspaper published from Mumbai.
GOANET-READER WELCOMES contributions from its readers, by way
of essays, reviews, features and think-pieces. We share
quality Goa-related writing among the 8000-strong readership
of the Goanet/Goanet-news network of mailing lists. If you
appreciated the thoughts expressed above, please send in your
feedback to the writer. Our writers write -- or share what
they have written -- pro bono, and deserve hearing back from
those who appreciate their work. GoanetReader welcomes your
feedback at goanet at goanet.org Goanet Reader is edited by
Frederick Noronha fredericknoronha at gmail.com Please visit
Goanet's website at http://www.goanet.org
GOANET is not just a newspaper... don't just read it. Take part in
its discussions. Post your comments, feedback to goanet at goanet.org
_______________________________________________
Goanet-news mailing list
Goanet-news at lists.goanet.org
http://lists.goanet.org/listinfo.cgi/goanet-news-goanet.org
Over 200000 Jobs @ naukri.com ! Choose The Best One
http://naukri.com/tieups/tieups.php?othersrcp=4358