CUTTING FROM THE
“The COLONIAL
TIMES”,
(Africa’s
largest selling Indian weekly)
Caption
Goans’
Unity
The Editor, Colonial Times,
We
Goans in East Africa have aped the West one sided only, that is in fashions,
dresses, dances, language, etc, etc but have failed to be Patriots to our Mother
Country, which is certainly unlike the European way to life, to live like slaves
to eternity. I
am unable to see you love your country less than a Nationalist, if it is a
question of time, when will you throw in your lot as a community with the
reformers who are hungering to free Indians from the curse of White domination.
NOW IS THE TIME, remembering that the unity is strength and not merely a
copy book maxim.
At
the present moment we Goans have nothing to share with other communities, and
ahead of us is wilderness, conflict, struggle, despondency and despair, it is
proof that our slavery is complete as we have been hugging these whites and have
kept aloof from Indian politics which concern us most.
Accept my evidence that the rest of the Indian communities are sick of
our aloofness. Therefore I ask you to choose the better way and make common
cause with the other communities.
Indian Nationalism is not exclusive, nor aggressive, nor destructive.
It is health giving, Religious and therefore humanitarian.
The
Goan Nationalist Youth can avert this catastrophe no matter what difficulties be
in our path, we must make the clearest possible declaration that we are INDIAN
FIRST, MEN FIRST and subjects afterwards.
JAI
HIND
Your
etc.,
EDDIE H. PEREIRA
Reaction
Goans’ Unity
Sir,
-- It
gave me a genuine pleasure to read the letter of Mr. Eddie Pereira in your issue
of 9th Feb. 46.
I do sympathise with him and his views are cannons of truth.
“United we stand and divided we fall”, is the moral I have drawn from
his letter. It
appeals to me greatly.
It is now high time that Goans all over East Africa should be united and
call themselves “Indians first and Goans afterwards” and unless this idea is
inculcated in the minds of Goans.
‘THE GOAN NATIONALIST YOUTH MOVEMENT’, as suggested by Mr. Pereira
would be merely a utopian scheme.
Let us then cross the Rubicon and sweep down the Alps before our path.
If other communities are progressing by leaps and bounds in political
fields, why not the Goan Community?
If the Goans in East Africa adopt the policy viz:- “Each one for
himself and God for all” then they are doomed for ever.
Now is the time to call a spade, a spade and sacrifice time and energy
for the betterment of our community.
Goans
in East Africa are lacking in sincere leaders, but if they are united, this
knotty problem could be solved without much ado.
Let us remember that Goans are not lacking in brains and suggestions, but
real actions and to do this, we must infuse in us the spirit of true patriotism.
Goans must know less about Shakespeare or Milton and more about their own
poets like Armando Menezes or Nascimento Mendonca, the Ramayana, or the
Mahabharat, and then only we shall attain our aims.
Let us then with unruffled patience and sober confidence waok might and
main to cast aside petty frivolities and western ideas.
If Goans are sarcastically referred “Europeans who fell in the Black
sea on their way to India” it is up to us to challenge those who call so.
We have even dubbed as foreigners in official circles merely because we
come from Goa, which in spite of being a foreign province still remains
essentially part of India.
The land of our birth, our mother country.
We have drunk so deeply at the font of western culture, western
education, that we have gradually shed our Indian habits, our culture or
refinements. We
have practically ceased to be Indians fully justifying the abnoxious term,
foreigners, labeled on us.
Now
sir, let me come to the constructive part of my reflections and first let me
warn those critic nor to turn.
Arma mea, Contry
me and look askance upon me as one of the Quacks, who have panaceas, to
offer, for the evils of SOCIETY.
Duce et decorum est pro patia mori.
JAI
HIND
Your etc.,
Jinja
16th
February, 1946