By Roland Francis
Goans carried a huge collective burden for God knows how long. It was the caste system inherited from our Hindu ancestors and it played havoc with the community. It caused pain, suffering, mental anguish and a host of other ills, some of which remained latent until they popped out indelicately to destroy relationships, intended marriages and worship in churches that were presided over by a clerical hierarchy that perpetuated it. In my village in Goa there were even first and second class graves that had nothing to do with affordability. In an irony, the latter were better kept. Simple folk, relatives of the 'second class' dead tended to love their departed with a more abiding affection. Perhaps there were no complications of estates that interfered with their affection. Full text, 612 words at www.goanvoice.org.uk Daily newsletter of 8 July 2012