INDIGENOUS

The Goan Diaspora initiative, Goa Sudharop conducts workshops for college students. This year, the series connects youth with the theme of Spirit of Goan Volunteerism. Sociologist, Dr. Bernadette Gomes in a session, screened her documentary on the secluded Gouly community of Goa. The scenes of the habitats, the clothes, the lifestyles of the Gouly community seemed an unreal revelation for most.

Soter D’souza started the next session by asking the students to share their impressions about what they had just seen. The reactions ranged from terming the Goulys backward and being caught in a time wrap to comments pitying their discrimination and the fact that they were denied development and modern amenities and facilities.

Soter challenged the comments by questioning whether the indigenous community deserved patronising pity. After all, they lead sustainable lives in harmony with Nature. They walk the eco-friendly path while the urbanised citizens only talk about undoing the damage which is a result of irresponsible modern practices and tactics.

The word ‘indigenous’ refers to that what comes from the origin. The indigenous people are the tribes who are the original settlers of their lands. They continue with their original lifestyles and sustainable approaches. They indigenously resist the constant attack on their land, lives and livelihoods by the modern excuse of so-called development.

All of us need to be better as responsible citizens of this world by learning the attitudes and approaches of the indigenous communities who nurture sustainable lifestyles in harmony with our Mother Earth. Otherwise we would be deserving of contemptuous pity for our direct or indirect ecological sins that arise when we forget our origins!

Let’s BE BETTER at keeping away from eco-sins…
& stick like the indigenous people, to our origins!

- Pravin K. Sabnis