------------------------------------------------------------------------ **** http://www.GOANET.org **** ------------------------------------------------------------------------
This month's Goanet operations sponsored by an Anonymous Donor ------------------------------------------------------------------------ On reading Prajal Sakhardande's article called "Saving Asia's Heritage", Carvalho opined "Has Goa really become so xenophobic?" RESPONSE: Selma, as I understand, Prajal Sakhardande, is a professor and a historian. He is also an active member of the Goa Heritage Action Group (GHAG). In a message to Goanet in April 2006 (I understand) he successfully fought and reversed a decision by the government to raze the historic Mallikarjun temple in Canacona: http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/2006-April/042583.html Prajal was also at the forefront of restoring the historic pillar at Tonca that was subsequently vandalized: http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/2004-February/010612.html It was a protest by the people of Goa, against environmental destruction, led by the Save Goa organization that forced the government to backtrack on its Regional Plan 2011. I'm sure you will agree that the thousands of homes, villas, apartments, etc that are/were to be built, without related infrastructure, are/were largely for non-Goans. Similarly, it was a protest against commercializing Goa's heritage by the people of Goa that led the government to backtrack on its plans for the old GMC earlier this week. If you harbour thoughts of xenophobia for the latter, do you believe people were xenophobic in the former? Would the people that protested the environmentally dangerous, Metastrips and Dupont's Nylon 6,6 plants in Goa also be seen as being xenophobic? It appears you stopped reading Prajal's article after the first paragraph and your rejoinder is possibly taking Prajal's thoughts out of context. We have seen some display xenophobia here on Goanet, but Prajal .....?? - Bosco