StyleSpeak: Portuguese Plagiarism
By Wendell Rodricks
There was once a time, over two decades ago, when fraternizing with the
Portuguese was considered an almost treacherous act. For Goans, it was a
clear case of “being with them or against them”. The Inquisition changed
lives. The dictator Salazar invoked fear, love or hatred. Goans in Goa
and beyond the borders were in a state of confusion emotionally when it
came to the longest colonizer in India. While the rest of India retained
diplomacy, trade and emotional relationships with the British and the
French, Goa was left to purge it’s Portuguese demons in a manner that,
in retrospect, could have been done in an alternative manner. In world
events, people’s emotions are justified to pull down memories of the
past. Fresh in memory is the statue of Saddam Hussein beheaded and torn
down by a raging crowd. Ten years after the American presence and no
solution in sight, Iraqi’s must ponder if it was better or worse “in
Saddam’s times”.
The ejection of the Portuguese from Indian soil was celebrated by most,
especially those who valiantly fought for liberation from colonizing
rule. While Bombay removed British statues from city squares, Bangalore
retained them. While French and Portuguese street names stayed in
Pondicherry and Goa, the residue of colonization, language, was treated
differently in both union territories.
Recently, the visiting Portuguese Ambassador was unfazed when asked to
apologise for colonial rule in Goa. His reply was that an apology was
given in the mid 70’s. True indeed.
I wonder if apologies for past events, crimes of war, colonization,
human rights abuse and the like are simply diplomatic politesse. The
crimes are over and done with. In many cases, the victims are from
earlier generations. An apology does not affect those that passed away.
THEY were the poor souls who suffered. We inherited an emotion of
wrong-doing and are consoled in some measure when an apology is tendered in.
When history is written by both sides… by the colonizer and the
colonized, many events and emotions become debatable. The Portuguese
claim that “at least they did not segregate (like the British) and
encouraged mixed marriages with the natives”. Did they ever have a
choice? Portuguese women did not make the long sea passage to Goa. Even
if they could, they might well have preferred to marry Goans than the
lowest rung sailors and rogues who made the route to India. Viceroys who
made such grand “mixed marriage” statements knew that such decisions
were made for their own needs. The fact is that they needed the mixed
blood as much as the British needed to build the railways for their own
transport and trade. Drawing room proclamations that the British did so
much for India belie the truth that India was looted and plundered in
style. The result is visible in European museums, palaces, grand public
buildings, royal jewels and the progress colonizing nations enjoyed
during and post colonization. The Renaissance of
Europe was complete thanks to the colonizing ships that sailed to new lands.
The Portuguese Ambassador was right to say that we must now look to the
future, develop better trade relations and let the past lie where it
should be buried. Agreed that is way to react today; despite the
simmering emotions and residual bitterness over many matters. In any
case, one cannot, should not, dwell in the past. It is foolish to
consider not dealing with modern Germans due to two world wars.
In our own Indian space, an apology or the acceptance of one, is a
matter that has disturbing implications. As Indians, should higher
castes now apologise for the millennia of misery and unjustness towards
the lower castes and classes?
So no. I do not want an apology.
But I do want to say “Obrigado” for a long list of emotions,
philosophies, trade, commerce, thought, medicine and technology. Thanks
to the Portuguese, and others that colonized before them, Goa changed in
ways that are remarkable.
What would our gardens be without the grafted mangoes, melons, guavas,
jackfruit, bananas, chikoos, papayas, tamarind, mandarins, pineapples,
passion fruit, radish, pumpkins and bread fruit. And what would our
cuisine be without brinjal, ladies finger, tomatoes and potatoes? What,
no potato bhaji? For that matter no bread, no palm vinegar and worst of
all no urrak nor feni. The beautiful cashew apples, like many fresh
fruit or saplings, arrived in Arab or Portuguese ships, flavouring our
tables with wonders from Arabia, Burma, Malaysia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka,
Brazil, France, China and Macao.
The red chilli, so integral to India curry, came from the Americas. What
of dishes imported via trade and altered to suit our taste? Peri Peri,
Vindaloo, Cafreal, Balchao, Guisados and Assados…today considered an
integral part of Goan cuisine, would have not clung blissfully on our
palettes.
As for dress, for those Goans who want to wear what is truly Indian,
must resort to the kashti, the pudvem and a shawl for men or a sari
without blouse nor petticoat for women. Unimaginable that most items in
our wardrobes are imported creations. Shirts, trousers, baniyans, socks,
closed shoes, sari petticoats, belts, wallets, underwear…The list goes
on. Not all are Portuguese imports. Sewn garments and pattern pieces
came to us largely from China, the Mongols and the Moghuls. Besides
clothes and food, can we ignore Western inventions such as electricity,
the light bulb, the telephone, the computer and the internet? And the
wonders of hybrid architecture, legal systems, laws and modern medicine?
The results of what began five hundred years ago…
What do we say to the Portuguese colonization?
No thank you.
But thank you too! (ENDS)
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First published in Goa Today, Goa - June 2011
