BRAWL AT HOUNSLOW: Image of Goans bruised, battered in UK?

Shock over loutish behaviour by section of our community

To say that the brawl at Hounslow on June 24 has brought disgrace to the majority of law-abiding Goans here in the UK, would be an understatement. When I first read the report, I was filled with anger and shame.

Anger, because I felt many of us had lived here for years and, despite initial discrimination, have made a valuable contribution to the country of their adoption. We have prominent Goans holding ministerial positions in the Cabinet.

Our valuable contribution to this country has been recognised by politicians and others too, and it came as a rude shock when I heard of the loutish behaviour by a section of our community in Hounslow.

Speaking personally, I arrived in this country from Kenya, with my wife and young family, in 1966. Although I’ve heard stories of racial discrimination, I must say that we were very well received and didn’t fall victims of the disgraceful discrimination that some friends had to endure.

Despite all this, we have soldiered on and made a valuable contribution to Britain. The disgrace brought to the community from unruly behaviour by some elements of the community is something we abhor and hang our heads in shame. We are certain though, that the bulk of the British people who respect us and acknowledge the contribution we’ve made, will certainly know that, as happens in every community, we, the bulk of Goans in the UK remain loyal and trustworthy citizens, much appreciated by the population at large.

Mervyn Maciel

South London

Ex-Kenya

Salvador-do-Mundo

Our once-great Goan image gone into gutters

Goans were held in the highest regard in East Africa for our hard work, honesty, respect for law and order and best behaviour, which was second to none.

Soon after East African countries gained their independence from Great Britain, a few hundreds of young Goans from East Africa decided to come to England as there were no job prospects in those countries due to the Africanisation policy on employment. What it meant was if you were not a Uganda, Kenya or Tanzania citizen, you had no chance of a job in these independent countries.

The very first wave of young Goans first settled in London where we had to face an uphill struggle finding employment, housing, education places for any children accompanying parents and of course, other benefits available to us as British citizens.

Apart from these difficulties, we were faced with daily racism, decriminalisation and were abused by the white host community.

To add to this racist treatment, we had trouble finding office jobs as companies would say to us point blank that we do not have London experience even though some of us worked in office or civil service jobs back in East Africa.

This was not all, as when we Young Goans sought decent accommodation we would phone the house owners, gave our names to them as David or Jason Fernandes. We would be asked to come and view the bedsit. No sooner had we gone to view the room, the house owners would say, “Sorry Sir, the bedsit has been taken a few minutes ago”, just because we happened to be brown/coloured person and not of white complexion.

Despite all this mountain of difficulties, we never gave up our dreams of a better life in a foreign land.

We put all our pent-up energies to forming the first Goan Club, the first football team called Simba FC, we organised summer picnics, trips to Europe and England, held annual sports and athletics, had our own hockey teams competing in local leagues and generally socialising with our fellow Goans.

We didn't mind downing a few pints of Double Diamond Beer or a couple of pegs of Bell’s Whiskey, but we never strayed far from the drinking pubs or social clubs to end up in unruly brawls or street-fights like the present younger Goans who have come to UK, courtesy of Portuguese passports.

Unlike us, they seem so indisciplined, loud-mouthed, rude and so disrespectful in public.

Today, our once great Goan image has gone into the gutters. When we lived in East Africa, we Goans had so much pride in being Goans, we were well respected, highly thought of and admired by all for our good behaviour, our honesty, but most of all our hard work which was well appreciated.

Retired civil servant

London

Ex-Kenya

Goa

We must be responsible to maintain Goan reputation

Videos of recent fights allegedly involving our fellow Goykars in Hounslow have spread across the world. Those involved in fights may have had justifiable reasons for behaving in the heat of the moment, but this incident has led to police involvement, not a good idea as police records are taken and maintained.

Those of us from East Africa who came to the UK from the 1960s onwards were faced with many more challenges than the Goykars who have come into this country recently. We had to quickly adjust to our new environment, considerably colder than it is today, finding employment, racism, accommodation issues, buying our homes, etc. Perhaps, our mind was so focused on dealing with all these problems, we did not have the luxury of behaving badly.

Goans have worked hard at building a strong and excellent reputation in whichever country they have settled. Till today, the Goan brand hardly needs to be marketed but we are individually as well as collectively responsible for keeping it this way.

Rose Fernandes

South London

Ex-Mombasa

Saligao

New breed of Goans becoming insular?

Goans in the UK have much to be proud of and I should know because I have marched along the same road with many of them. Additionally, as member of the Goan Association UK Executive for many years, I witnessed generations arrive, settle and contribute to the rich and diverse culture that so proudly likes to boast about.

All of that is so far removed from the story we read about how some establishments have recently been moved to barring Goans public events on their premises. It is helpful when such isolated incidents occur to reflect on the challenges that previous generations overcame 

In my own case, I was amongst those who arrived here in the late 1960s together with many hundreds of fellow Goans. It was a time when Asians, and other immigrants, were not welcome by locals and they were not afraid to make this abundantly clear.

To their credit, the migrant Goans accepted the fact they were living in a foreign land and the right thing to do was adapt and adopt the customs and culture of their host country without sacrificing any of our cultural heritage. This attitude endeared them to the indigenous population as a consequence of which most found that the initial hostility they were met with on account of the colour of their skin soon dissipated. 

Consequently, Goans were able to break through glass ceilings that held some of the other communities behind. Free of the yoke of prejudice and discrimination, imagined or real, the able and talented have risen to the top of chosen field in business, politics, sport, music and the arts.

But I now detect sections of the new breed of Goan immigrants becoming increasingly insular and forming their own mini-communities. Could it be that it is this new isolationist tendency is partly to blame for Goans being identified as potential troublemakers? I do sincerely hope not.

Rabi Martins

Watford

Former President of Goan Association UK

Ex-Tanzania

Varca

PORTUGUESE GOANS SPEAK

Goans must celebrate Sao Joao in true spirit

During our younger days in Goa, we used to celebrate Sao Joao as one community. Everyone would meet at one Cross, dressed in traditional clothes, wearing "Kopels" on our heads and holding different types of flowers, fruits, etc., along with musicians.

Before we started, we would pray by singing ‘Vhodilanchea Kaidea Pormannem’. We would then proceed and jump into wells. After jumping in the wells, we would sing ‘Vho Sam-Joao Ponos Magita or Vho Sam-Joao Bottle Magita’. The newly married couple along with "Vojem" would sing the same song. We used to enjoy singing and dancing, while moving from one well to another.

Finally, after jumping into different wells, we would assemble at the Cross and conduct a Litany. After the Litany, homemade food and fruit would be served to everyone. This is the traditional way we would celebrate Sao Joao feast in Goa.

Are we showing our generation the Goan tradition of Sao Joao in London? Here, we Goans have transformed Sao Joao feast into a beat show/disco to make money. Is this the right way of our traditional celebration?

The image of Goans has been tarnished because of fights during the Sao Joao celebrations. Who is responsible for this? The organisers should take extra care of safety during such traditional Goan festivals. Besides, organisers should strictly follow traditional festive Goan norms and make traditional dress code compulsory (Kopel, etc.), and avoid entry to outsiders unfamiliar with Goan culture. It is my request to organisers and Goans, in general, to celebrate Sao Joao in the traditional spirit.

Teodoro Colaco

Southall-London

Ex-Doha

Vasco

Such incidents affect Goan entertainment industry

Goans are known to be peaceful and fun-loving people. We are amazing at hospitality and believe in hosting feasts, events, etc. The recent episode of fights during the Sao Joao celebration in Hounslow is something which has created controversy about the Goans at large and has tagged Goans as anti-social people.

There are different rumours over the reason of the fights but whatever the reason is, or even if non-Goans started the fight, Goans were not justified in continuing the fight or adding fuel to the fire. The ideal situation would have been to seek police intervention, rather than taking law and order into their hands.

Overall, UK laws are quite strict and police take action in a timely and vigilant manner. If the violence was reported to the police in time, the situation would have been under control.

After Brexit, immigration laws have been revised and deportation based on criminal records or background has been introduced. Youth indulging in unruly behaviour will be risking their future.

These fights have already created problems for organisers planning parties in clubs, etc. Pub owners are afraid that their licences could be cancelled by authorities, if such incidents are repeated. I frequently organise events to engage the community and I am also a host, compere in the UK. I strongly believe that the Goan entertainment industry here can get affected by such incidents.

Joyce De Souza

Wembley-UK

Canacona

Follow rules, maintain proper decorum

In general, Goans are known for being peace-loving, hardworking, fun-loving and honest. We have carved a niche for ourselves wherever we go.

However, incidents like the one in Hounslow on the night of June 24 and the two videos that went viral showing the brawl inside a club and later showing the fight continuing outside where youngsters of our community getting caught up in a brawl has surely raised eyebrows everywhere. There are conflicting versions of what exactly triggered the clashes.

While celebrating our festivities and taking our culture wherever we go, it is important to follow rules of the place and maintain proper decorum. Such incidents can have serious consequences and repercussions for our community. This incident was surely not in the right taste.

Due to such happenings, the image of the community gets tarnished, especially in a foreign land. It is important that we all work united to uphold the good Goan ethos we are known for, and we also maintain our dignity and respect while we integrate ourselves with other cultures and other communities in a foreign land.

Events Manager

London

Brawl sullied image of Goans in Hounslow

The brawl involving some Goans in Hounslow on June 24 was very unfortunate for the Goan community.

What triggered this situation is unclear. Various other communities have differences, but resolve their differences and do not spread the event on social media. Goans should try and defuse untoward situations and take the legal course by reporting it to the police. Not grouping into a fight and creating a tense situation.

The Sao Joao nightclub brawl has sullied the image of Goans in Hounslow. Even if a disagreement takes place, Goans should report it to the police and not take law into their hands. Let’s build our damaged image by behaving in a civilised manner.

Micheal Bevan D’Silva

Hounslow

Majorda

SPIRITUAL LEADER SPEAKS

Gracefully inclusive, resolve conflict, build communities

Goan identity is characterised by its graceful inclusivity and its ability to build harmonious communities. Questions surrounding the definition of a Goan and what constitutes Goan ethos often arise during conflicts.

One such incident occurred at a Goan-centred event in Hounslow on June 24. This incident highlighted how negative behaviours can quickly spread through social media. Tempers flared, words were exchanged, and the situation became increasingly unpleasant.

It is important to address these incidents and gain a perspective on what it means to be a Goan at heart and a global citizen in action. Traditionally, Goan nature has been associated with positive attributes such as inclusivity and acceptance of immigrants on Goan soil. However, there has been a growing disdain towards non-Goans in Goa in recent decades, leading to name-calling and a lack of harmony within the community.

Returning to the incident in Hounslow, Goans are generally known for their peaceful nature, hard-working attitude, and ability to integrate into foreign communities. The Hounslow brawl challenged the perception of Goan ethos, with the majority of Goans condemning the conflict and emphasising the importance of harmony.

There is no excuse for unruly behaviour, property damage, or breaking the law. The decline of respect for one another, including other ethnic communities and the law, marks the beginning of the downfall of any society. The principle of treating others as you would like to be treated is an achievable ideal and a true reflection of Goan ethos.

In simple terms, kindness and positive behaviour will lead to exponential growth, shunning petty-mindedness. One measure of success is how well a community resolves conflicts with respect, adhering to existing laws or working towards a reconciliatory approach through public policy efforts. Negative behaviours, even if expressed in a local language in a foreign land and unknown to the listener, can spread and perpetuate negativity. Our best is seen in efforts to diffuse conflict scenarios and affirm zero-tolerance towards violence. We salute the Goans who silently strive to be gracefully inclusive and build communities.

Fr Feroz Fernandes

Goan Chaplaincy

London