In another thread I had pointed out to soter the mistake that he made by
refering to Goan
Tarvottis as Bondollist....Soter replies to me in pvt. Now that he has seen
that he has some support
he has come out with this new thread Tarvotteanchim Bondollam and also
included gulfies.
I suggest he send his post to Herald also, and surely his will be a STAR
letter, he may even have
some tarvottis garland him.
There are many Tarvottis who are working hard and are also part of this
agitation against
Churchill and the govt. Here itself we see how our Florian bab (ex tarvotti)
is fighting, and there are many others who have done
a lot for Goa. .now Soter pls tell us all these are Tarvotteanchim
bondollam?
Long before tourism was not an industry in Goa, there was no other income
besides mining.
There were a few jobs available in Goa, so people used to work in the
fields.
The only other income was from the tarvottis...the tarvottis spent all their
earnings to look after their
families, educate their children, build their houses, and also helping
others in villages.
Yes some of them who had no formal education did all the low jobs on ships
only to see that their children would not have
to work as they did. Todays generation of Tarvottis are Captains,
Engineers, and Catering Managers.
Even to secure the lowest positions one has to go thru several courses and
have 5 star hotel experience.
One should know that the Tarvottis work for 9 or 6 months and the rest 6
months they are at home, sometimes
its more ...so who looks after them when they are not working?
My uncle worked on the PO ship, and when he came down he used to tell us the
stories..as a kid that time
for me they were only stories...till i landed on the ship and saw the
reality...the hard life working 12 hrs a day on water.
The same with the gulfies working in the gulf, the hard life they have to go
thru the heat.
It is always easy to degrade others but when one is in that shoe they get to
know how it is.
Regarding the song he refers.. that was the famous comic song of Minguel
Rod..TARVOTTI, NOT TARVOTTEANCHIM
BONDOLLAM, the words of which are available on my blog and I have also
uploaded the song on the net.
This song is loved by all Tarvottis.
Now I would also suggest a video, watch the first part which I have titled
as
"Panchayat Chorpacho Training center"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntM5isrtNK8
Dev borem korum
Edward Verdes
----- Original Message -----
From: "soter"
Very interesting to read some of the remarks over my reference to
'Tarvotteachim bondollam' used in my open questions to Churchill Alemao. I
am definitely not the first one to use the phrase but people tell me that
there is a konkani song with this theme. In my childhood the phrase was used
very often. But what is of little surprise is that instead of debating upon
the primary contents we Goans choose are experts at diverting the focus and
clinging to the irrelevant.
No one denies that Tarvottis and gulfies did not improve their own living
conditions and educate their children. But besides improving their economic
status and personal social status, what has been their meaningful
contribution to the over all political, social and cultural development of
this State? They brought in the money and hoarded it in the banks? Did they
not start off the rat race with other less fortunate Goans trying to imitate
them and resorting to beg, borrow or steal to also improve their economic
status? Did this lifestyle not trigger off a mistaken notion of economic and
social empowerment in Goa? Who is it that danced with the politicians to get
benefits as sailors and NRIs from the politicians? Did all this not trigger
off a feeling among Goans that migrating abroad gives benefits of special
government status for the dollars they bring in, while those who stay on and
serve their own State and country get nothing?
These are the issues that need to be discussed.
-Soter D'Souza
