The roar of the sadhvis and the recent crescendo of hatespeak ebbs somewhat in the rollicking strip of land the Portuguese once ruled where Francis Xavier and Shantadurga today breathe in relative peace. Goa may be stereotyped by fish, feni and football, but in transcendental riverside villages (“real Goans” live in emerald green surroundings by the river and not by the tourist-infested sea) where hibiscus flowers are placed at the base of a crucifix and candles glow in shrines of kuladevathas, flickers the flame of what author Maria Couto calls a “unique humanism”.
The BJP’s rule in Goa has never seen – except for a few stray incidents – Hindutva hotheads taking on an openly threatening face towards other communities, as Read More
