NIZ GOENKAR By Valmiki Faleiro
Who are Goans? I spoke of migrant "Ghantkars" (people from across the Ghats, as then locally known) while tracing the roots of Margao’s Dindi fest last week. Those migrants, now in their third or fourth generation, are so assimilated into the local ethos that it would be ridiculous to regard the Sadekars, Neogis, Munjs or Dalals as non-Goan anymore. Where, then, lies the dividing line between Goan and non-Goan? Forget the 15-year domicile definition of the State, who really is a migrant? Ghantkars are as much Goan as the Vaishyas (or Vanis, the traders) who migrated largely from South Maharashtra, are. Or as the Daivadnya Brahmins (goldsmiths) are. Or as the Bahujan Samaj (lower castes in Manu’s hierarchy) is. Why, even bhaiyyas from distant Uttar Pradesh, imported as sanitary workers when night soil was carried on the head for disposal, and later as labourers for handling cargo at Mormugao, are now in their Nth generation. As of course are the Sattari Ranes, a clan distinct from the rest of Goa’s Kshatriyas, who migrated from the hills of Maharashtra or beyond. One of them has been Goa’s longest serving Chief Minister for their Goanity to be in doubt. Are the Aryan Gaud Saraswat Brahmins and the Kshatriyas – the two principal communities that settled in Goa centuries before, and established most of her villages – the ‘original’ Goans? To seek an offbeat view, let’s delve a wee bit into history. Aryans arrived here from either Bengal or Kashmir, perhaps both. They arrived in clans, Vangods. A vangod comprised of a dozen or a few dozen blood-related families. Between ten to thirty such vangods united, identified suitable land, marked the village boundaries, and settled. In their infinite wisdom, they decided that the village land and assets would be owned in common. Thus were born the gaunkaris, Goa’s village republics, which the Portuguese centuries later re-christened as comunidades. An interesting sidelight: Saraswats and Kshatriyas, traditional rivals, never mixed. Thus you had Saraswat villages and Kshatriya villages. A pattern obtains in Salcete, which until Dec-1880, included today’s Mormugao. All seaside villages from Velsao to Cavelossim were Kshatriya villages (save a single exception, Benaulim.) Chicalim, Sancoale, Cortalim, Verna, Margao, Raia, Loutolim, Benaulim, Curtorim and Guirdolim were notable Saraswat villages. Besides coastal villages, Assolna, Velim, Cuncolim, Chinchinim, Navelim and Chandor were prominent Kshatriya villages. You never found a Saraswat in a Kshatriya village and vice-versa (save a notable exception of three Saraswat families in Kshatriya Assolna.) So was it with most of Goa. The village communes, gaunkaris, soon realized they’d be better off with division of labour. Each village imported hundreds of other caste families – goldsmiths, ironsmiths, barbers, bamboo weavers, cobblers, etc. – for their specialized skills or as menial help. Migrants, all. Between then and now, there was a trickle of migrants all throughout … like the Vanis, the Ranes, the Ghantkars. There also were, particularly in the initial phase of Portuguese colonialism, waves of emigrants – particularly of Saraswats, who fled religious persecution. (Most of Margao fled, as we shall see some other day.) Uttar and Dakshin Kannada had no native Saraswats. The ones there today are invariably of Goan descent. Goa’s loss was Mangalore’s gain. Back to the original question: were Saraswats and Kshatriyas the original Goans? Saraswats, with arguably superior intellect, spun a story to make the answer appear in the affirmative. They said they came from the banks of the Saraswati, to a land created especially for them by Lord Parashurama. Remember the arrow-into-the-sea story. An ingenious Brahmin from Benaulim even postulated that the arrow landed in his village (banna halli) – reason why Benaulim is a GSB exception to Salcete’s Kshatriya coast! They said Lord Parashurama brought 96 (Shan’nav) GSB clans from ten gotras (dasgotri) to the promised land, of which 66 (Shashasth) settled in Shasthi (Salcete) and balance 30 (Tis) in Tiswadi. Heaven knows where the Bardez GSBs descended from. History, however, tells us that Aryans colonialised Goa between the 8th and 12th centuries, Anno Domini. History also tells us that Stone Age humans inhabited Goa about one lakh years ago. Recorded history mentions Goa from about 2,500 BC. Archaeological evidence shows Dravidian tribe settlements around Dudhsagar – in Kalay, Bimbal, Sonauli and Shigao villages. This means that Saraswats and Kshatriyas were migrants to a long-inhabited land. All who followed were migrants. Goa, down history, has been a land of migrants. Any surprise that history currently repeats itself? CONGRATULATIONS: Dr. RG Wiseman Pinto, professor & HoD, Pathology, GMC (and, incidentally, one from the three ‘exception’ families of Assolna mentioned above) has earned Goa a rare honour. The acclaimed pro was elected President of the 15,000-strong Indian Academy of Cytologists, at its annual meet, Nov 2-5. Dr. Wiseman Pinto is the youngest ever and the first Goan into that post. Several young Goan medicos have won rare laurels in recent years. Must start documenting them sometime. (ENDS) The Valmiki Faleiro weekly column at: http://www.goanet.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=330 =================================================================== The above article appeared in the November 12, 2006 edition of the HERALD, Goa _______________________________________________ Goanet mailing list Goanet@lists.goanet.org http://lists.goanet.org/listinfo.cgi/goanet-goanet.org
