A few weeks back a Goan lad who had returned from abroad for a holiday decided to have a litany before his departure, and as is tradition, some villagers were invited. As is the way, there was a small party after the litany with music in the background and as the evening turned to night, the tempo of merriment increased.
At around 10.15 pm, this group felt the prick of a needle to their enjoyment when a man living in a rented house in the vicinity approached them with the request to switch off the music as it was disturbing him.
It took the locals some time to comprehend the request and they were further astounded when told that the cops would be called if the request to switch off the music was not immediately entertained.
Now, here was a man from North India, living in a village in South Goa, asking the locals to cut short their celebration because the music disturbed his work-from-home activity.
The music was not played through amplifiers and the cross, where the party was going on, was around houses where many locals lived.
The locals were stumped and felt that the man living in a rented home in their village was biting more then he could chew. For them, celebrating at the cross after a litany was not a daily affair and this was one of those rare occasions when they were letting their hair down.
The music was not played through amplifiers, and the cross where the party was going on was around houses where many locals lived. Yet, their partying had disturbed this one family from North India that was living on rent.
The boys did get angry and unpleasant words were exchanged and at one point the locals actually waited for the intruder to make good his threat to call the cops. Luckily, it did not reach that stage with better sense prevailing.
The incident occurred in a village in South Goa which today is second home to former IAS, IFS, IPS officers and even a former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India, but the manner in which the party after the litany was attempted to be stopped, left many puzzling thoughts in the minds of the locals.
The incident occurred in a village in South Goa which today is second home to former IAS, IFS, IPS officers and even a former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India.
Many villagers today feel they are in a minority, with most of the land and houses having been sold to people from across India—who were once in power—and are now flexing their muscle in places they have chosen to make their second home.
Most locals are against noise but here they felt that their traditions were being trampled on. As one local said, “Do you think they would have settled here if we were a noisy village?”
It is the control that the people, who have decided to make the village their second home, are trying to show that is unnerving the locals. Everyone is welcome to live in Goa but as long as they do not poke into the life of the locals.
As one local said, “Look at what they have done to North Goa. We have elderly, sick, lesser privileged, students and children crying who cannot sleep because of the loud music being played from night till morning by outsiders and here, just because we were celebrating after a litany, there were threats of calling the cops.”
Everyone is welcome to live in Goa but as long as they do not poke into the life of the locals.
In many ways, the new neighbour’s attitude was unsettling. But this was a village where people don't live with horse blinders on — they observe, understand, and adapt. So, there was still room to sweep away the misunderstanding.
For those to whom the incident strikes a chord, Rainer Maria Rilke’s words from 'Letter Eight' may serve as a guiding light: The future enters into us, so as to transform itself in us long before it happens.
