18 June was a day, which was significant for freedom of Goa. 18 June 2004 is a day when I m ashamed to be a Hindu resident of Panaji. Primarily on reading the so-called “feat” of renaming names of road, which was “reminding us of Portuguese conquests and oppressors.”
If the heads of a school show power or should I say “DADA GIRI” of majority community fearlessly by using violent means I can understand what kind of role model they are being. I am thankful to the same lobby of Hedgewar for the Blood they arranged for my family when we met with an accident. But today I m confused on my helplessness.
A crowd gets into mob fury, individuals giving fiery speeches and renaming roads in a place, where we are trying to ghettoize the Portuguese culture we have. And nothing is done to stop them.
I was not born when Portuguese ruled us, but what I do know is that their presence for 4 Centuries means that they are part of Goan Culture. We Saraswats also came settled here some thousand years ago & where as ruthless as Portuguese with the fisher folk & shudras. Aren’t Aryans foreigners on this Indian soil? Why then hypocrisy of saying no “Portuguese culture on Indian soil”?
And today we start claiming what Goa is, what it should be and how…
If 18 June 2004 was with objective to rename roads, then we can see in some years Gujarat episode occurring in Goa. During a recent youth conference, my interactions with Gujarati boys from age group of 16-28 narrated me incidents where they where given list of people to harm, houses to stone/ rob etc.
I agree that in every nation, the majority community has always tried to boss over the minority, in process we today see the reciprocation of the same in Panaji. But isn’t India a country with a difference, a nation to be a role model for others to follow, but when heads of most respected and influential institution display “maniacism” breaking name plates & renaming roads in Christian areas with Portuguese background then just imagine what next generation of students are going to follow. I can imagine the day when they will bulldoze all homes with Portuguese architecture as they “remind us of Portuguese conquests and oppressors.” Question I have is what would the so-called heroes of 18 June 2004 do if they where born in Fountainhas in Christian family where Portuguese is spoken and some Hypocrites rename the roads where they once played cricket. How safe will you then feel…and your respect for the majority religion.
Why I call them hypocrites just go to Miramar circle in the evening behind the Cigarette “Gaddas” you will see the sons of the “Heroes” talking & doing….Fix your home then start fixing your city.
Navendu Shirali
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