------------------------------------------------------------------------ TRI Continental Film Festival - Dona Paula, Goa, Sep 28 - Oct 2, 2007
http://www.moviesgoa.org/tricontinental/tricon.htm For public viewing. Registration at The International Centre Goa. (Ph: +91-832-2452805 to 10) Online Media Partner: http://www.GOANET.org ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The electronic Goan Voice (UK) edited by Eddie Fernandes is now read widely across the international Goan Diaspora. There is daily reportage and a summative weekly presentation relating to Goan people and events worldwide. One small section is titled Goanet Highlights. This provides a precis of selected items appearing on Goanet. Thus, the Goan Voice and Goanet liaise well progressively in the furtherance of issues of interest to Goans. Goanet readers, especially those from outside the UK, who may be interested in the Goan Voice (UK) should contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] Last week, the GV(UK) informed its readers in advance of (among others), a particular UK television programme (21/9/07) titled Unreported World: Civil Rights issues in India's Caste System. There have been many excellent TV programmes in the UK about the 60th anniversary of the independence of India and Pakistan but the one on the Unreported World was outstandingly good. Here are a few points raised in that programme: 1. There is massive ill-treatment of the 170 million Dalits in India by the upper castes. 2. Ill-treatment is varied in form from denial of most basic human rights, forced segregation, poor schooling, the feeding of whole families on rats, the worst jobs possible, physical attacks, banishment from homes and murder. Indeed, there were 24,000 murders of Dalits last year with virtually no prosecutions of the murderers even when there were witnesses. 3. There was widespread intimidation of the Dalits. On the programme, this was pictured as it happened with the upper castes threatening the Dalits if they spoke to the programme makers. 4. Many Dalits were forced to work in removing upper caste human excreta by hand even when this function is illegal in India. Alternative work was largely unavailable to them. 5. The Dalits were now becoming radicalised and determined to use the methods used in the anti-racist Civil Rights Movement in America of the 1950s to obtain their human rights through recourse to the law. They appeared to be confident that change would come about through such means reasonably soon. 6. Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister of India, declared the caste situation in India as a "blot on humanity." [Please note, not just India but humanity]. Commentary 7. There appears to be revolution in the making. It is likely to be a showcase situation with India simultaneously presenting itself as a civilised emerging economic superpower whilst the world keenly watches how India dismantles some of the most foul social practises on earth. If apartheid could be dismantled in South Africa and the blacks in America could win their civil rights, the time may be right for a concerted effort to dismantle the worst manifestations of casteism. Bear in mind that, across the world, all kinds of racism, from the old ones like anti-semitism, and casteism to the more modern ones like ethnic cleansing are no longer amenable to contemporary values of democracy, freedom, equality, and fairness. 8. While I have focused intensely on casteism among Catholic Goans on Goanet, I believe it is opportune to now ask our Hindu Goanetters about their attitudes to caste and casteism in today's globalised world. Their response would be much appreciated especially if the Dalit situation in India is interpreted differently by them. 9. So too, it is time the Catholic Church in Goa put its cards on the table and explained why it has avoided any criticism of casteism and casteists among members claiming to be Catholics. Periodic criticism of virtually everything else, but not casteism, from the Archbishop of Goa and his office can have no validity whatsoever in civilised society. It is high time (and with much evidence available), for the one billion plus Catholic community worldwide, to get to know about the accommodation and complicity with caste by the Catholic Church in Goa over the past 500 years. Cornel DaCosta, London, UK.
