Hi Edward
You definitely say some of the daftest things I have ever heard on Goanet!
It intrigues me that it is possible for you to be so switched-off as not to
understand what you have been effectively told about occurrences in Mombasa a
long time ago. So, hopefully, let me spell this even more clearly to you.
1. Interaction between members of the Goan Community was open and not caste
bound at all possibly because the Goan community was small---everybody knew
everybody very well at school, church, sports and socials. Later, for small
numbers at College, interaction (including dating) was with all the communities
i.e. the many different communities among the Asians, the Arabs and the
Africans. At our Goan High School, Mombasa, there were significant numbers of
non Goan Indians and smaller numbers of Africans, Arabs and whites. There were
no white College students with me in Mombasa. In brief, the issue of caste
among the Goans was non existent to most. The culture of education and
socio-economic class in the modern sense mattered. Thus, most of the Goan youth
knew nothing about caste unless their parents insisted on their knowing about
this. A good friend of mine married a girl when neither of them knew a thing
about caste. Both discovered when marriage appeared on the horizon
that one was supposedly Brahmin and then, things became difficult briefly
until the couple decided to ignore the absolute nonsense about caste and just
went ahead.
2. You were told that, I discovered about the Brahmin caste of two of my
dates (from friends much much later). This was indeed after I had actually left
the country to study further in the UK. Dating then was part of general
sociability and not necessarily with marriage in mind. Further, for me, despite
many a proposal, and personal contact, no marriage was ever under
consideration, as an article of faith, until I completed most of my advanced
education in the UK first, became professionally established and purchased my
own residential place. And incidentally, I do not have a "petty" education as
you also ever so daftly referred to. As per your logic and presentation this
may apply to you but definitely not to me--- but I accept that you may find it
difficult to understand this!
3 I pointed out that there was, in terms of club membership, a distinction
between white collar and blue collar Goan club membership in Mombasa. It is a
fact that the tailors, stewards, barmen, mechanics etc could not become members
of the Goan Institute Mombasa. They therefore formed their own St Francis
Xavier Association that was more a welfare association than just a club. It
accepted without exception, all classes of Goans seeking temporary
accommodation within its premises. The SFX was not, repeat not, based on caste
distinction but rather on occupational distinction akin to work that was manual
and non-manual. As numbers declined in the town of Mombasa, Institute
membership was thrown open at first to the Goan blue collar workers and
eventually to all communities. At one stage, the President of the SFX
Association who had been denied membership of the Goan Institute for years,
eventually became its President!
4 I lived in Goa for the first five+ years of my life and then within each
five year period, until 18, for six month periods too. Therefore, I want to
suggest that I have a pretty clear idea about what went on in Goa then,
including understanding the many real tensions between Bamon large scale
land-holders and their hegemony over those who 'suffered' them in so many
different ways. Some day I may spell this out in terms of the duality of
Portuguese oppression and Goan Bamon oppression upon so many. So, you see,
Edward, you do not fool me one little bit with your 'knowledge' that is largely
spurious and based on marked ignorance of the facts and also, your seeming
difficulty in learning things quickly when the correct facts appear on Goanet.
Despite everything I have said here, I am sure you will continue making
further daft statements as illustrated below.
edward desilva <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Unfortunately Cornel never will (The Bamon girl who dated him in Mombasa was
not allowed to marry him so he bears resentment towards bamons of Goa, from
Mombasa and London having not lived in Goa AT ALL).
ED.
