Dear Ms. Miranda, You say: Well, please don?t generalise Mr Sa. It is precisely because it seems to us goans abroad, that our bothers and sisters in Goa are fighting a loosing battle trying to stop Goa from going down the drain, that some of us with the best of intentions and good will are trying to see if there is anything we can do to help.
Comment: What makes you think we are fighting a losing battle? Is your perception coloured by your Western 'comfort zone' glasses? If you want to do something good for Goa and Goans, then how about starting with the Goans who live in not so well appointed circumstances in your comfort zone? QUOTE: We don?t live in ?abroad paradise?, far from it., and not all of us abroad are affluent and rich ? we work hard, long hours and struggle as much as you do in Goa if not more. UNQUOTE Other than that if you really want to do something for Goa, then we the natives of this place would appreciate it if you translated your words in to action. There are quite a few Goans and Goan organizations abroad like Goa Sudharop to name one that are concretely doing some thing for Goa and that is much appreciated. Again you say and I quote: Furthermore, you don?t know the circumstances that have forced many of us to live abroad, when we would rather be in Goa, so don?t put all goans in the same basket. Not all of us are like the, and I quote Tony Sa again : ? smug Goan from Toledo, Mississauga?. giving us a sermon on how we should run our own Government, State or Panchayat.? end of quote. Don?t know who you are referring to neither do I care. Unquote Well frankly if you don't care then why bring it up? Do you have statistics of how many Goans were 'forced' by circumstances to work abroad? My perception is that most Goans who migrated did so to better their lot. A perfectly valid reason which no one can fault. To give you an example, there are for instance (I am not referring to specific cases) doctors and engineers who could if they wanted to have made a perfectly good living in Goa but chose to migrate. I reiterate, we Goans living in Goa do not want sermons from NRG's. We are perfectly capable of electing our own Government and taking our own decisions. If these do not meet your standards which are influenced by the countries that you reside in, well I have this to say: These countries were far worse than what Goa is today a few generations ago. Can we forget the prohibition in America and the Irish potato famine and the genocidal purges by the Nazis and Russians and in the Balkan Nations? What about the Northern Ireland and Basque revolts? And are countries like some of the EU countries much better than us? Once more I quote: As for all those still wasting time going on about who is a goan first, or indian second and cursing the new goans in Goa and old goans abroad , getting in a tangle and avoiding the important issues and concerns ? it is about time we change the record?..it is getting pathetic and the ?tone? of the discussion is now getting uncomfortably low?. Let?s try and call it a day. Certainly let us call it a day. I have in the past commented on this very same issue (I am too lazy to look up the archives to give you the exact link to the post) and again in the new year several posters have pleaded to keep this forum above petty bickering. I certainly endorse that. And before I wind up, let me please point out that the post of mine you have quoted above was in the thread 'Who is a Goan' and not 'What are we waiting for' -- \\\ Tony de Sa tonyd...@gmail.com M : +91 9975 162 897 Ph. : +91 832 2470 148 ^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v