Has Goa Lost It’s Soul?

My first couple of days I really thought Goa had lost its soul!  There were no native Goans to be found, no Konkani (local language) to be heard, not even the plaintive nostalgia-laden lilt of a mando (folk song)!  I was hard-pressed, distraught even, to find that Goa’s unique “culture” had somehow become subsumed in the larger ethos of the subcontinent!

It was so unlike my all-time favorite beach resorts, Hawaii and the Bahamas where the local culture is so immersive! In Hawaii, lei garlands, hula dances, aloha greetings and Hawaiian music (even the ‘wedding song’) are everywhere!  In the Bahamas it’s all about flame swallowers and fire walkers and Goombay music and Calypso! 

Not so in Goa! I had to travel all the way to the village of Aldona (near Mapusa) - my Mum’s ancestral home - to find real true-blooded Goans!  Thirty years ago, at statehood, Goan residents out-numbered visitors (domestic and foreign) by more than ten to one. Today, by my unscientific count, tourists seemed to far outnumber residents and native Goans!

Where Did the Natives Go?

Everybody in Goa is an “outsider” now - the entire tourist industry is filled with non-Goans. Where did all the natives go? Well to America, for one thing, and Australia and Canada and the Arabian Gulf and of course to Portugal and its former colonies of Brazil, Angola and Mozambique. 

Like other desis, Goans were hardworking and excelled at language skills, mechanics and accounting. They got jobs as government workers and bankers and educators - or as operators in the refrigeration and oil industries of Bahreïn and Das Island and Saudi Arabia - or that fave standby for every Goan, it’s become cliché : as bandsmen or crooners or chefs!  

The Best Musicians in the World!

The Bombay music industry, especially the orchestras, used to be crowded with Goans!  Like the Filipinos, they are the best musicians, singers and dancers in Asia! There are relatively few Goans who can’t sing or dance. I think it may be the most “civilized” thing about them: this ability to outsing and outdance most which also distinguishes them from the larger desi melting pot and what separates Goans from those who just can’t get Western music: either the accent is wrong or the feel is off (Usha Uthup being the rare exception)!  In general, Goans shine in this sphere!

We went to Martin’s, a famous restaurant in South Goa and were blown away by Kenny at the keyboard doing English and Hindi. After a bit of persuasion, he even did a mando medley for us (“Mogan Ason Borem,” “Undra Mujea Mama,” and “Ya, Ya, Maya Ya” of Remo Fernandes fame), although he claimed not to know the most well-known mando ever “Aum Saiba Poltodi Vetam!”  A version of that mando was made famous in the Hindi film “Bobby!” Hey, what’s that about - are young Goans forgetting their language and culture?   Shame on them! 

Goa Vibe

I’m happy to report that the fabulous sunsets, the moonrise over the Arabian Sea, and the golden sands are still as beautiful as I remembered them - despite the rampant and ubiquitous commercialization and the karaoke beach shacks full of rowdy male visitors jumping about, minus any musical or dance talent!  Yes, despite the vendors selling pineapples, cheap beads, hair braiding and footrubs, Goa still retains a certain “je ne sais quoi” ambience!  It is a laid back vibe that doesn’t exist anywhere else in India. It is hard to explain! Let’s just call it a mix of India and Portugal with young visitors shedding their conservatism and inhibitions in favor of freedom, mobikes, and western attire!  

The Portuguese colonized Goa for more than 450 years. How they withstood the Bahmani and Bijapur rulers, the Vijayanagar Empire and the Marathas - with only a small navy and military force - is a matter of conjecture, even today!  Fort Aguada - a well-preserved 17th century fortress and lighthouse near Candolim, overlooking the Arabian Sea, stands like a lonely but imposing sentinel. For more than 250 years a freshwater spring within the fort supplied water to passing ships, which is how the fort got its name ("aguada" means water).  

St. Francis Xavier

One of the most famous proselytizers and saints of 16th century Europe spent a significant amount of time in Goa. He was St. Francis Xavier, a Spanish Jesuit from the Basque region, whose religious missions took him as far away as India, China, and Japan. He died off the coast of China in 1552 and his remains were brought to Goa on its way back to Spain. After a series of incidents (deemed to be miracles), it was decided by the locals that the saint "wished" to make Goa his last resting place. The body (which is perfectly preserved, though shrunk), is kept in the Bom Jesu Cathedral in Old Goa and displayed for public viewing every ten years or so.

Portuguese Inquisition

Goa and Kerala are probably two of the only states where the highest castes were converted to Christianity. Most Indians are taken aback to hear that the Portuguese Inquisition (in its most tyrannical form) existed in Goa in the 16th and 17th centuries and lasted for more than 250 years or that the caste system is so prevalent with Christians (who are proud of being Brahmin, forget JC and brotherhood and equality!) Even now, you can find the instruments of the Inquisition in the museum in Panjim. The Jesuits were clever enough to realize that if they got the landowning educated Brahmins to convert, the rest would follow. 

In 1961, when Nehru’s threat of sending in the Indian army resulted in almost overnight independence from the Portuguese, the ratio in Goa of Christians to Hindus was perhaps 40-60. That number has reduced dramatically to less than 25 percent of the population with many Christians opting to go overseas. One can hardly blame them. 

Like my Tamil-speaking Dad (a non-Goan, writer and avid student of history) was fond of saying, "the Portuguese did nothing for Goa." There was no infrastructure of any kind: schools, hospitals, roads, bridges, electricity, running water. All Goa had were churches and bars! The Goans had no option but to emigrate in large numbers. My Mum's entire family went to British India to attend high school; the girls went to Loreto Convent in Calcutta and the boys went to Don Bosco's in Bombay.

The 21st Century Hits Goa!

Even though Christians were always fewer than Hindus, they wielded a lot of political and economic clout that belied their numbers. The Goans who chose to remain behind were teachers and educators. I wonder what the deceased members of the Soares family (Mum’s family) would make of all the changes in Goa. The ancestral home is very dilapidated and ramshackle and that for sure would have broken my grandmother’s heart!  The land and house and grounds, including the cashew plantations, have now been donated to the local school - but that’s not the only thing that’s changed. 

Indoor plumbing and electricity and roads and schools have come to the more remote areas of Goa and (to my astonishment) people actually speak Hindi!  That’s huge!  I was also glad to see that many old-timey desserts can still be found: bebinca, and dodol and, of course, Goa's most famous (alcoholic) product, cashew feni is alive and well, still relatively inexpensive and still consumed in large quantities by native and visitor alike! 

Most importantly, however, Goa is a haven of peace and Goans continue to live with each other in perfect harmony - whether they are celebrating Carnival or Christmas or Dassehra or Eid! One can hardly minimise the importance of this after the talk of "love jihad" or fictional Queen Padmavati or a slew of imbecile controversies plaguing other parts of the country! 

Ludi Joseph
Dec. 8, 2017