I could not really comprehend Peter's explaination on why the Goan Association of New York chose to call their picnic Beyond Freedom. Choosing a politically-loaded words such as Beyond Freedom seems to be themitically inappropriate to something like a picnic. A picnic is just a romp in the park and for New York Goans it would be an occasion to celebrate India's beginning as a new nation. It was an annual picnic and it was in part to be a celebration of Goa Day. Nothing more and nothing else. But Peter goes ahead and gives another reason, that being "Goa is the great UNIFIER of all people." I would have loved to be a good explaination as to how Goa is what Peter says it is, "Great UNIFER." I dare to ask: Where's the unity? Furthermore, Peter goes to add that "Goa transcends all that divides us as human beings. It is a state of mind that represents what is best in humanity. t is truly a concept that lies Beyond Freedom." I believe Peter worked or works in marketing and advertising and such hyperbole is really the stuff of copywriters, who are known to sell the sizzle not the steak. Maybe Goa is a "state of mind" with a mind numb with lots of feni. My Goan hearts warms up to hear such words, but than the ground reality is different. We should fool ourselves by living in a world of illusion. Goa appears to be an oasis in India. And, to some extent, it may really be an oasis but let's not get too carried away with what Goa really is now. Goa was once the El Dorado, but we shouldn't hope that the grandeur days will return. We need to face the truth of everyday life and how hard it's becoming for Goans in Goa to eke out a living. It gives me no comfort to know that thousands of Goan youths are unemployed. Tell them to breath the Goan air and be contented. Tell them that Goa is a "state of mind" and they shouldn't worry about empty stomachs. We Goans living abroad should just celebrate whatever the occasion brings us together and not get hysterical over Goa. I am not less a patriot than those who sign praises about Goa. I think it was George Menezes, the humourist, in one of his columns, said Goa is a state of mind. But then one never knows if George is serious or just satirical. Peter does retract saying that what he says does not mean "we are perfect." Perfection itself is an illusion. It's like a mirage, just like Goa is in the vast land called India.
Eugene Correia __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free, easy-to-use web site design software http://sitebuilder.yahoo.com ########################################################################## # Send submissions for Goanet to [EMAIL PROTECTED] # # PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), and avoid top-posts # # More details on Goanet at http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ # # Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to reflect respect to others # ##########################################################################