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Fred,
I am resending to you and goanet a slightly revised version.
William
In the November 1 news transfer from Missisauga (Bikram Lamba) and the
comments of November 3, Fred actually bites off the identity in question -
Konkani, Goan, etc.
It refers to language, religion, caste, region and much more.
There are more than a dozen Konkani-language and people related websites on
offer online. Most of them are amateur, with garish or aesthetically offered
home pages, but many others suggested to be on offer are there only in title
line. Their message is just this: we will be there soon. They will not be
there any soon, the reason being their lack of information and research either
by their own team or by bound-up contributors. It might turn out that a
website outlet in Konkani, in English and for Konkani would be a must for an
expatriate Konkani, a matter of duty-based identity for homeland - its people,
culture and langauge. Not much else. Without well-researched material these sites
will become inevitable bores. Some already are. Missisauga item too was one,
another Konkani story, as suggested by me some days ago, was also that. Half
truths trying to establish the identity and past glory of this or that
Konkani "zat."
In this article, too, there is a lot of imaginative wind broken in the
suggestions for the origin of Konkanis (read: SB, GSB,Concanne, Konkannis and
others). Imagine these descending into India from Central Asia. Pure Aryan in
breeding, language and culture! Not for them being Parsi, Turki, Mongol or
Chini. Just Aryan, as reworked by the English and European busibodies of the
eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and repeated as hardened up cowdung for every
warm winter fire!
Look at this anomaly. Whereas these crow loud their identity descending from
Central Asia, from the cosy banks of the now extinct river Sarasvati, the
RSS/BJP world tries hard to locate the rise of Arya in middle India
("madhyadesha") spreading outward. Others in the Thar desert in today's Rajasthan
(along
the dried up river Sarasvati and its tributaries),
only to go over to the saptasindhu and the Mohenjodaro-Harappa civilisation
and claim
everything for Aryans. In the wake of such claim absorb Dravida and
Austro-Asiatic or Munda-speaking people. And so on.
SB, GSB, Concanne, Konkannis(and, of course, the ubiquitous Mangalorean
Roman Catholic
Konkanis - a breed apart and cosily together) still cling to the great
Sarasvati-based origin (somewhere along the Hindukush Amudarya river) always
south-bound, east-bound and, again, south-bound. Until at home in Goa, south-bound
again (along west coast of India in Karnataka, Kerala), but, surprisingly,
only at home in Goa! Smarta, Shaiva, Vaishnava indeed but with kulldevs all
made in Goa, from among the Bhous! Christians converted to Portuguese type of
Roman Catholic confession - carrying St. Francis Xavier, St. Anthony
and Nossa Senhora do (de, da) ... back to Europe!
Where do you go from here?
Sometime in December I will send you a fairly critical review of some of
these issues. I hope I will be able to keep the time.
With best wishes,
William
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What's On In Goa (WOIG):
Nov 05 onwards: Wendell Rodrigues Festival. Altinho, Panjim
Nov 05 Bobbin lace-making training, Don Bosco's Panjim (till 17.11)
Nov 06 Richard Stallman, free software guru, speaks Farmagudi 4 pm
Nov 06 Bob Fitts, gospel music singer, Navelim grounds, 6 pm
Nov 06 Fr Britto's health courses, Pilar. Till 10.11. Later Chicalim.
Nov 06 ArtHouse, Calangute: Chaitali's acrylics on canvas till 19.11
Nov 07 Creative science, for children, Goa Sc Centre (till 16.11)
Nov 17 Goan Engineers and Assoc meet, at Pickering, Canada.
Nov 20 Fr Agnelo's 75th death anniversary, Pilar
Dec 01 Two day conference, Goa Agenda. IT For Society. (Ends 2.12)
Every Sunday: Music therapy sessions at Moira, 5 pm. 278, N.Portugal
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