October 2004
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Vol2004 October Konkani Christian MigrationBetween 1600 and 1763 AD, Goans migrated to South Kanara, because of political, cultural and economic reasons. The Portuguese had their trading post at Coondapur and needed people to work over there, and this facilitated the migration. For a practical example of one family who has recorded the facts in their genealogy, you may read about it in the story given here. A Parable of the Fish in the SeaOnce a Jesuit priest preached a sermon, I think in a village mission station. He compared the human beings on this planet, to fish in a glass bowl. He said, there are different levels in the glass bowl, with perforated filters - the top layer is inhabited by the big fish, and there are about five or six of them in that layer. The big fish can not go into the lower layer, as the perforation is small for them. Below this layer are fish who are a bit smaller and the too can not go below, but try to rise into the upper. At the bottom the area is very large, and inhabited by plenty of small fish. The Lord the Bowl, pours food into the bowl thrice a day, from the top opening of the Bowl. The big fish eat most of it, and what they can not finish, filters down to the lower level, where the fish grab as much as they can. Left-overs flow into the bottom layer, and that has to be shared with the large mass of the small fish. The hungry small fish are perpetually hungry and try to swim into the upper chamber, but only the smart ones survive and the less smart are devoured by the larger fish. Fish in the middle layer get fed up of eating the crumbs, and get jealous of the big fish, and try to climb into their realm, but hardly they enter, they are totally gone, right into the belly of the big fish.
What do you think of this parable? The glass bowl is our world. The day the Lord of the Bowl will act is when the bigger fish do not learn to share, and will smash the whole bowl, and dump them into the sea.
Have a peek at the district from where Mangaloreans comeThough Mangalore is a part of the district, people who speak Konkani will call themselves Mangaloreans. Then the next question they would ask, "from which part of the district do you hail?" - and then the matter is put to rest. However, in the present environment Indians mingle and mix with people from all regions, and inter-marry between people of different communities. "Mangaloreans" themselves have become a large melting pot, and younger people do not care from where their friends come. Our children classify themselves as Mangis for Mangaloreans, 'Macapaus' for Goans, etc. In Konkani prayers we say: "Somiya Maca Pau" - which means Lord Have Mercy, and may be our youngsters twisted it to give a nickname for the Community. It is because of the lack of knowledge of their rich historic heritage, that they tend to do this Have a peek into this heritage 1784 The Christians in CaptivityMany older Mangaloreans remember how their ancestors fell victim to the political machinations of the then rulers. With the change of fortunes of the Rulers, the lives of Christians went into a spin. Read More Bangalore - the second home of MangaloreansBangalore, the last of the Memories captured for all time, before they vanish forever into time. India Hello, Bangalore Walla Namaskara, is the only 'Bangalore Home Page' from Bangalore that gives you Bangalore as it was 100 years ago.. Read...MORE on Mr. Ronnie Johnson's website.
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