Dear friend Eugene,
instead of debating in downtown Lisboa on whether Antonio Costa is full,
half or 66,6% Goan, or on whether he considers himself to be a Goan or not,
why don't you ask the more crucial questions:
What relations does Antonio Costa maintain with Goa, beyond the insipid
diasporic emotions which link us all to our ancestral lands?
What has he contributed to the development of Goa over the last decades?
Has he, at any time, made any reference to Goa in his political life or took
up any matter of concern to the Goan (and/or Indian) community of Portugal?
Has he taken up any initiative to foster the political, economic and
cultural relations between Portugal and Goa and India?
If you had inquired a little deeper and spoken to some more people, you
would have easily found out that, from this angle, Mr. Antonio Costa is
probably a 0% Goan. I respect him very much as a politician and am sure he
will become on of the central figures of the future Portuguese political
chess-board, and I know he has been to Goa and used to appear (briefly and
timidly) at some of the literary and cultural functions dedicated to his
late father, the great writer Orlando da Costa. Also, it certainly makes
Goans proud to have such a "patrício" ranking high in their current country,
Portugal. A fantastic example of how Goans have integrated tremendously well
there, reaching top-most positions in several decision-making and expertise
areas. But all this is simply not enough to make Mr. Costa a Goan, as I am
sure he agrees with.
This is, by the way, our main problem when discussing Goan identity (and
perhaps giving out Eminent Goan awards). You don't automatically inherit
"Goanity" by blood . You deserve it by pumping your blood (money, attention,
time, interest, activity) into the heart (Goa). Anything below that is Goan
downtown small-talk.
Best,
Constantino Xavier
New Delhi
From: Eugene Correia <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
"That Antonio would win the Lisbon elections was a
certainty. He is on the cover of Elite magazine. The
intro says that he is son of journalist Maria Antonia
Palla and Orlando da Costa.
Maybe the next Gomantak Sammelan would consider giving
him the eminent Goans awards. The question that would
remain is whether Antonio considers himself a Goan.
One of the Goans I met in Lisbon said he is
"half-Goan" and I said it isn't so. His father is
Goan, so he is full Goan. He could be called of mixed
parentage."
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