Dear Cornel and Gilbert: I did not expect my intervention to provoke a mini-tsunami that has washed away the caste labels of sevceral goanet anti-caste campaigners! GL's line of argument comparing the action of Gandhi, Mother Theresa and American black civil rights campaigners is more in sync with Christ's Incarnation, the rock base of Christianity. Those on the goanet claiming their "Catholic" affiliation seem to pay only a lip service to this. St Paul wrote that Christ by becoming man emptied himself! The word he used in Greek seems much stronger than the english equivalent: He became "dung"! St. Paul himself would say that he too became all things to all men to save some! Goanetters who are ashamed and reluctant to publicly admit the caste label they have inherited will never be taken seriously in their anti-caste campaign for such a basic lack of courage! All their brave arguments seem futile and mere alibis. Some even said they are dalits! Dalits would take as an added insult such a cock-and-bull story. They may take me more seriously and welcome my bit of collaboration if I start by admitting that I did nothing to be considered a "brahmin". I wish these "dalit" (bamonn/chardde) goanet campaigners will have an opportunity to welcome as in-laws persons "known in the society" to belong to low-castes or outcastes. Otherwise, as our Goan saying goes: Vigarache sermanv uniek!
Teotonio R. de Souza ----------------------------------