When one Goan meets another Goan from a different part of the world, there is something special that tugs at the heartstrings of both. No matter the class, village or 'caste', wealth, education, religion and whatever other background or feature that divides us all, these barriers melt in the pleasure that each feels with the meeting. You might well say that this is not unique to Goans, but with my not inconsiderable faculty of observation and the opportunity I had of meeting people across the spectrum, I would emphatically beg to differ. Unreasonable though it sounds, being Goan means being embedded with that special gene that generates a spark that lights up a mental bonfire.
All of us have experienced this. Mostly absent in childhood and youth which are taken up with the many matters that just eat up the years, this hidden biological chip manifests itself in adulthood. In the Gulf, any Goan just coming into the country was warmly welcomed by the community and help to settle in, was extended by whoever had the opportunity and was nearest at hand. Remember that it was only about 3 hours flight on an average between the Persian Gulf and Goa or Bombay, but it could have been one Goan in say Fiji meeting another Goan say from Zambia. The welcome was as good and strong. So take yourself back to the days when a young boy of a Goan family took the decision to go to Africa either on his own or after being invited by family or friend. No email, no phones, no Skype. Just letters that would take so long to reach that whatever was written had no longer much relevance. A letter telling him that his father had passed away would reach after the mother or brother or sister had died too. It must have been heartrending. The pain of separation would have died but never buried for him and for those whom he left behind. The young man would have married and had children of his own but the village baker or the church priest or temple bhat would not have forgotten him or he them. Imagine the joy or sometimes the sadness when he returned after many years and discovered that people he once knew as friends and kin were no longer there to be met or to be embraced in a hug that might have alleviated if only for a short while the pangs of separation. I dedicate these thoughts to the Africander (that's what they were once called in Goa) who sent me an email today and who evoked this train of thought for me. I don't know him nor he me except for my past Sunday Columns on Goan Voice UK. I transcribe his note and ask for you to concentrate on what he says that dovetails with I have said above. Any extolling of my own writing ability, I request you to please ignore. I could not separate the two lest I make you miss his nuance. His was not the first such letter I received while my columns were being written but since I had to prepare for the next week's thoughts, I never thought of it like I am able to do now. Roland. Dear Roland This is to let you know that I found your reflections in the Goan Voice 'Sunday Column' very informative and insightful. This is to thank you for what I have learnt about Goa and the wider Goan diaspora in Canada, Mumbai and the Middle East. Having been raised in East Africa and now settled in the UK, I am quite familiar with the life pattern and challenges Goans have had to face to establish themselves in this part of the world. However, I had a deep curiosity in wanting to know how fellow Goans are faring in the other parts and countries they have moved or migrated to. Your column has filled in so much I did not know, both historically and in terms of current affairs. For instance, I vividly remember, my parents keeping one or two Bombay Goan lodgers in Mombasa, Kenya, during my boyhood, in order to supplement their income to maintain the family. One thing that struck me about the lodgers was their command of English and their occupational accomplishments mainly in teaching, administration and banking. In other words, I was impressed by their high standard of education. Likewise, my curiosity on a host of other issues such as: Anglo-Indians, East Indians, Gulf Goans, Canadian Goans, Goan faith/behaviour/traditions/practices/foods etc have somewhat been answered to now offer me at least a cursory understanding. Your writing dealt with questions like who, what, when, why and how, so well. I for one, am most thankful for enriching my knowledge of the community, that has been dear to my heart. Wishing you and your family well. Take care and God Bless
