The managing committee and members of Kuwait-Goa Tiatristanchi Sonstha (KGTS) - Kuwait, Guardian Angel Club (Sanvordem) - Kuwait, Goan Welfare Society (GWS) - Kuwait and United Friends Club (UFC) - Kuwait, Wish to thank the Almighty God for the successful surgery of our beloved friend/member Jose Rod. We would also like to thank Goa-World.com. Gulf-Goans e-Newsletter, Goanet.org, Goancauses, Goan-NRI, Goa.Kranti and other internet forums and all the kind hearts who prayed. Please continue your prayers for his complete and speedy recovery.
Once again a big 'Thank You' and may God Bless You All.
CAJETAN DE cajdesan@yahoo.com
May 5, 2009
May 3, 2009
G'BYE GOA: DHANGARS/GONVLLIS by Valmiki Faleiro.
G’BYE GOA: DHANGARS/GONVLLIS.
By Valmiki Faleiro.
After a millennium of peaceful existence by Mhars in Goa, arrived a pastoral tribe, theDhangars/Gonvllis. They, too, came from South India. And subjugated the Mhars. Dhangars had mastered the skill of domesticating otherwise productive wild animals, particularly cattle, goats and sheep. The story is told of how, when the Dhangar sage,Tapa, propitiated god Khandoba with his own daughter, the original ancestor and his descendants were granted the gift of domesticating and husbanding animals.
The tribe name Dhangar probably comes from ‘Dhenu’ (cow, in Sanskrit) or ‘Dhan’(wealth, which until the monetary age, was measured by the number of animals one possessed.) Dhangars believe they descend from royalty, perhaps because the kingdom of Holkarwas founded by one of their own. Indo-Aryans, however, believe that Dhangars are an admixture of Sudra fathers and Vaishya-Kshatriya mothers. Dhangars worshipped Mother Nature – including the human reproductive organs, the female organ being ‘Gan’ or ‘Gandh’ (Bavka Devi) and the male counterpart, in the form of an erect stone, called ‘Tonko’/’Topo’ or ‘Moko’/’Makhaji’ after the banana plantlet.
Makhaji is also called ‘Rakhnea Dev’ (shepard’s god), transformed by Indo-Aryans into Betal, the deity with the huge phallus. Interestingly, the temple demolished to make way for Margao’s Holy Spirit church, was dedicated to ‘Damodar Makhaji.’ It was said to be the most beautiful of the town’s 13 temples. The temple name also tells the story of how the later age Indo-Aryans took over not just the villages and fields of the tribal settlers but also their temples and deities, and made them their own. Their leader, Ram, who wielded a ‘Parashu’ (axe), had only told them to respect deities of the locals. An inventory of confiscated properties of the Damodar Makhaji temple showed one as possessed by ‘Roxo Goully,’ who performed rituals at the temple.
Gonvllis had a marked association with various temples and rituals in Margao, a Brahmin village in the Indo-Aryan era. Even today, the Shigmo of Zambaulim must necessarily begin with Gonvllis dancing in the front yard of the temple, throwing ‘gulal’ (vermillion) at one another. Another fact: while members of all other castes and tribes were, in varying numbers, converted to Christianity during the Portuguese era, not a single Dhangar ever was –they lived in the hills and forests, where the missionaries did not reach! Local communities were regulated by the seniormost male, called a ‘Budhvont’ (the wiseone.) All issues affecting individuals or the community were adjudicated by him. Males, at least until recently, sported earrings and the ‘shendi’ (a tuft of hair on top of the head)and wore their headgear in a manner distinct to the community.
Gonvllis were socially superior to Kols, who arrived in Goa some centuries later butsubjugated the former. After Goa’s integration into the Indian Union, Gonvllis were re-designated as Dhangars, a similar tribe widely prevalent, but not officially recognised as a Scheduled Tribe in India. Only in the late 20th century did the local government call for a study of the community by Goan sociologist Dr. Bernadette Gomes. Chased to the hills and still largely undeveloped, only two from this community in Goa came into some prominence at the turn of the millennium – Shakuntala Karwat, the first to graduate in law, and Chandrakant (“Babu”) Kavlekar, the first to be elected to the Goa Legislative Assembly.
A part of this tribe is believed to have evolved into two rough classifications: the patriarchal, which integrated into the Naik-Bhandari (toddy tappers) caste, and the matriarchal, identified with the caste of temple servants (Bhavins, Kalavants.) Mhars and Gonvllis were the first to settle in Goa. Both originated from South India. All other non-Aryan tribes that followed in later centuries – Asuras, Kols, Mundaris andKharvis (Mundas all) – came from the north, from about the same geographical region of Chota Nagpur, in present day Madhya Pradesh/south Bihar plains.
PS: Some feedback: “Matters little if Mhars arrived in Goa 10000 BC or 100 years ago.Today, 1 year brings tenancy rights and 1 day of domicile fetches a Ration Card and an Election Card. Goans have just voted their ‘best from the worst.’ We will deserve what we will get. But these elections were truly ‘free’ … no cash distributed this time!”(ENDS.)
The Valmiki Faleiro weekly column .
By Valmiki Faleiro.
After a millennium of peaceful existence by Mhars in Goa, arrived a pastoral tribe, theDhangars/Gonvllis. They, too, came from South India. And subjugated the Mhars. Dhangars had mastered the skill of domesticating otherwise productive wild animals, particularly cattle, goats and sheep. The story is told of how, when the Dhangar sage,Tapa, propitiated god Khandoba with his own daughter, the original ancestor and his descendants were granted the gift of domesticating and husbanding animals.
The tribe name Dhangar probably comes from ‘Dhenu’ (cow, in Sanskrit) or ‘Dhan’(wealth, which until the monetary age, was measured by the number of animals one possessed.) Dhangars believe they descend from royalty, perhaps because the kingdom of Holkarwas founded by one of their own. Indo-Aryans, however, believe that Dhangars are an admixture of Sudra fathers and Vaishya-Kshatriya mothers. Dhangars worshipped Mother Nature – including the human reproductive organs, the female organ being ‘Gan’ or ‘Gandh’ (Bavka Devi) and the male counterpart, in the form of an erect stone, called ‘Tonko’/’Topo’ or ‘Moko’/’Makhaji’ after the banana plantlet.
Makhaji is also called ‘Rakhnea Dev’ (shepard’s god), transformed by Indo-Aryans into Betal, the deity with the huge phallus. Interestingly, the temple demolished to make way for Margao’s Holy Spirit church, was dedicated to ‘Damodar Makhaji.’ It was said to be the most beautiful of the town’s 13 temples. The temple name also tells the story of how the later age Indo-Aryans took over not just the villages and fields of the tribal settlers but also their temples and deities, and made them their own. Their leader, Ram, who wielded a ‘Parashu’ (axe), had only told them to respect deities of the locals. An inventory of confiscated properties of the Damodar Makhaji temple showed one as possessed by ‘Roxo Goully,’ who performed rituals at the temple.
Gonvllis had a marked association with various temples and rituals in Margao, a Brahmin village in the Indo-Aryan era. Even today, the Shigmo of Zambaulim must necessarily begin with Gonvllis dancing in the front yard of the temple, throwing ‘gulal’ (vermillion) at one another. Another fact: while members of all other castes and tribes were, in varying numbers, converted to Christianity during the Portuguese era, not a single Dhangar ever was –they lived in the hills and forests, where the missionaries did not reach! Local communities were regulated by the seniormost male, called a ‘Budhvont’ (the wiseone.) All issues affecting individuals or the community were adjudicated by him. Males, at least until recently, sported earrings and the ‘shendi’ (a tuft of hair on top of the head)and wore their headgear in a manner distinct to the community.
Gonvllis were socially superior to Kols, who arrived in Goa some centuries later butsubjugated the former. After Goa’s integration into the Indian Union, Gonvllis were re-designated as Dhangars, a similar tribe widely prevalent, but not officially recognised as a Scheduled Tribe in India. Only in the late 20th century did the local government call for a study of the community by Goan sociologist Dr. Bernadette Gomes. Chased to the hills and still largely undeveloped, only two from this community in Goa came into some prominence at the turn of the millennium – Shakuntala Karwat, the first to graduate in law, and Chandrakant (“Babu”) Kavlekar, the first to be elected to the Goa Legislative Assembly.
A part of this tribe is believed to have evolved into two rough classifications: the patriarchal, which integrated into the Naik-Bhandari (toddy tappers) caste, and the matriarchal, identified with the caste of temple servants (Bhavins, Kalavants.) Mhars and Gonvllis were the first to settle in Goa. Both originated from South India. All other non-Aryan tribes that followed in later centuries – Asuras, Kols, Mundaris andKharvis (Mundas all) – came from the north, from about the same geographical region of Chota Nagpur, in present day Madhya Pradesh/south Bihar plains.
PS: Some feedback: “Matters little if Mhars arrived in Goa 10000 BC or 100 years ago.Today, 1 year brings tenancy rights and 1 day of domicile fetches a Ration Card and an Election Card. Goans have just voted their ‘best from the worst.’ We will deserve what we will get. But these elections were truly ‘free’ … no cash distributed this time!”(ENDS.)
The Valmiki Faleiro weekly column .
May 2, 2009
VOTERS HATRED FOR ELECTION.
I was watching Barkha Dutt's NDTV show yesterday when she ridiculed the Mumbai's middle class citizens' resolve not to stay away from the voting booths in elections after the gruelling experience they have had during the 26/11 in Mumbai.
The voting turnout at that time was some mere 47 odd per cent which was a big let down for the Mumbai which was wide awake.
The clearer picture emerged this morning, that of 50 odd per cent. Unbelievable indeed when Mumbai's voting was earmarked for 70 plus per cent ! Therefore a sound reason to go deep down to see as to WHY people do not go to vote despite wanting to set things right, politically.
Kedar Nath Pandey says "Pundits are already calling this an election devoid of issues, where parties have abandoned ideiology for power" [NT April 30, 2009--Viewpoints "Indian Electorate Focussed on Change and Good Governance"]
In laymans' terms what this means is that 'If you are an invited guest for a banquette, you enter the banquette hall to find that the host, cooks et al have already finished the main courses even before the guests have started arriving'
Sensitive and sensible voters have, by and large, become disillusioned with our election processes wherein matinee idols, gansters and murderers, crooks and big spenders, hate mongers and even cricketers are fielded by parties to promise the heavens to the people except anything to do with 'good governance'. Good governance has become a joke. Once upon a time the BJP took hold of it and rubbed it into the dirt of the worst kind with 'India Shining' slogan spending crores and crores of tax-payer's money. This party has taken the electorate for granted by even putting up a prime ministerial candidate who is more qualified to see the inside of the Tihar Jail's bars. And this party has the audacity to even suggest its next prime ministerial candidate who could do well as a 'master butcher' of human beings.
Sensitive and sensible people want change in the way the 'GOVERNANCE' of this country is tackled. Once elected, our leaders lose their back bones to stand tall and be counted. Examples Manmohan Singh vis a vis Kandhamal in Orissa. Vajpayee and even the President of India [ Late K.R. Narayanan] vis a vis Godhra carnage, forget about Advani as India's Home Minister. Narasimha Rao [then PM] vis a vis Babri Masjid, etc. People vote leaders to power not to cultivate cold feet or to cater to their own private and party's selfish agendas. Sensitive and sensible people will remain disillusioned and stay away from the voting booths by opting for other meaningful things to do, including holidaying and going on picnics on election days if political parties do not spell out their 'good governance' script, meticulously dotting the i's and crossing the t's before elections and go about sticking to that script after elections, no matter what.
Indian democracy is destined to be a big flop in years to come where even the zopdiwallas and the slum-dwellers will have to be coaxed and cajoled to go to the voting booths if our political class continue doing what it is doing presently. It is transparently seen who benefits from these elections. People who toil and languish in long voting lines, thinking that they are doing their duty towards their nation are taken for a jolly good ride by the hypocrites who earn to be our leaders. The biggest hypocrite of them all is seen mouthing the words 'compulsory voting' now a days, having realised what I have just said above, that people will increasingly stay away from the voting booths.
To end this tirade against hypocritical elections in this country, I shall want to give a clear example as to what the political class should do before and after elections for people to leave everything and pile up in lines to vote to make it near 100 per cent voting.
1. Promise to improve the Law and Order in the State and do it when elected even if it requires to skin the top police brass.
2. Promise to raze to the ground all illegally built constructions and stick to that promise come what may after getting elected, no matter if it is Vijay Malhya, Audhut Timblo or even Almighty God's gumpty or a chapel or a church.
3. Promise to either 'stop' or 'legalize' Matka and do it when elected to power.
4. Promise to close down polluting industries including industries like META STRIPS and do it when elected [ and not take a tour inside of one as a minister and give big bashans that they are non-polluting and green industries, once elected.... you know who I am talking about here]
5. Promise to really clean up the public health (365 days mosquito menace), public transport ( so that people do not have to buy two and four wheelers), power , PWD etc and do it when elected with your pockets empty and drawn out and hanging to prove it.
6. Promise to revert Goa's comunidades back to their original health by promissing to throw out the 'Bandodkar's brainchild' the Tanancy act and do it when elected whether the Sattari's Rane Raja or the ODI's scamster Dayanand Narkasur likes it or not.
7. Promise to stop all illegal mining in Goa, to strictly monitor the legal ones with an eye to phase-out mining completely within a stipulated time frame and do it when elected, whether the Lords and Ladies as well as the cooks at the MOEFF in Delhi likes it or not.
AND I could go on and on, not forgetting to promise a laudable GOAN IDENTITY and death to the 'Garbage menace' which includes the stinking 'garbage like' menace of 'high profile corruption in Goa .. to include the entry of 'Enforcement Directorate' to flush out each and every legitimate tax-payer's penny which has been stashed away and pile it on the roadside for them (tax-payers) to claim it as their own.
floriano
goasuraj
The voting turnout at that time was some mere 47 odd per cent which was a big let down for the Mumbai which was wide awake.
The clearer picture emerged this morning, that of 50 odd per cent. Unbelievable indeed when Mumbai's voting was earmarked for 70 plus per cent ! Therefore a sound reason to go deep down to see as to WHY people do not go to vote despite wanting to set things right, politically.
Kedar Nath Pandey says "Pundits are already calling this an election devoid of issues, where parties have abandoned ideiology for power" [NT April 30, 2009--Viewpoints "Indian Electorate Focussed on Change and Good Governance"]
In laymans' terms what this means is that 'If you are an invited guest for a banquette, you enter the banquette hall to find that the host, cooks et al have already finished the main courses even before the guests have started arriving'
Sensitive and sensible voters have, by and large, become disillusioned with our election processes wherein matinee idols, gansters and murderers, crooks and big spenders, hate mongers and even cricketers are fielded by parties to promise the heavens to the people except anything to do with 'good governance'. Good governance has become a joke. Once upon a time the BJP took hold of it and rubbed it into the dirt of the worst kind with 'India Shining' slogan spending crores and crores of tax-payer's money. This party has taken the electorate for granted by even putting up a prime ministerial candidate who is more qualified to see the inside of the Tihar Jail's bars. And this party has the audacity to even suggest its next prime ministerial candidate who could do well as a 'master butcher' of human beings.
Sensitive and sensible people want change in the way the 'GOVERNANCE' of this country is tackled. Once elected, our leaders lose their back bones to stand tall and be counted. Examples Manmohan Singh vis a vis Kandhamal in Orissa. Vajpayee and even the President of India [ Late K.R. Narayanan] vis a vis Godhra carnage, forget about Advani as India's Home Minister. Narasimha Rao [then PM] vis a vis Babri Masjid, etc. People vote leaders to power not to cultivate cold feet or to cater to their own private and party's selfish agendas. Sensitive and sensible people will remain disillusioned and stay away from the voting booths by opting for other meaningful things to do, including holidaying and going on picnics on election days if political parties do not spell out their 'good governance' script, meticulously dotting the i's and crossing the t's before elections and go about sticking to that script after elections, no matter what.
Indian democracy is destined to be a big flop in years to come where even the zopdiwallas and the slum-dwellers will have to be coaxed and cajoled to go to the voting booths if our political class continue doing what it is doing presently. It is transparently seen who benefits from these elections. People who toil and languish in long voting lines, thinking that they are doing their duty towards their nation are taken for a jolly good ride by the hypocrites who earn to be our leaders. The biggest hypocrite of them all is seen mouthing the words 'compulsory voting' now a days, having realised what I have just said above, that people will increasingly stay away from the voting booths.
To end this tirade against hypocritical elections in this country, I shall want to give a clear example as to what the political class should do before and after elections for people to leave everything and pile up in lines to vote to make it near 100 per cent voting.
1. Promise to improve the Law and Order in the State and do it when elected even if it requires to skin the top police brass.
2. Promise to raze to the ground all illegally built constructions and stick to that promise come what may after getting elected, no matter if it is Vijay Malhya, Audhut Timblo or even Almighty God's gumpty or a chapel or a church.
3. Promise to either 'stop' or 'legalize' Matka and do it when elected to power.
4. Promise to close down polluting industries including industries like META STRIPS and do it when elected [ and not take a tour inside of one as a minister and give big bashans that they are non-polluting and green industries, once elected.... you know who I am talking about here]
5. Promise to really clean up the public health (365 days mosquito menace), public transport ( so that people do not have to buy two and four wheelers), power , PWD etc and do it when elected with your pockets empty and drawn out and hanging to prove it.
6. Promise to revert Goa's comunidades back to their original health by promissing to throw out the 'Bandodkar's brainchild' the Tanancy act and do it when elected whether the Sattari's Rane Raja or the ODI's scamster Dayanand Narkasur likes it or not.
7. Promise to stop all illegal mining in Goa, to strictly monitor the legal ones with an eye to phase-out mining completely within a stipulated time frame and do it when elected, whether the Lords and Ladies as well as the cooks at the MOEFF in Delhi likes it or not.
AND I could go on and on, not forgetting to promise a laudable GOAN IDENTITY and death to the 'Garbage menace' which includes the stinking 'garbage like' menace of 'high profile corruption in Goa .. to include the entry of 'Enforcement Directorate' to flush out each and every legitimate tax-payer's penny which has been stashed away and pile it on the roadside for them (tax-payers) to claim it as their own.
floriano
goasuraj
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