Democracy is what everyone speaks of and fair enough, most enjoy and appreciate it. But mindsets of people especially towards Christians is still the same but at a much lesser extent as compared to what and how it dated 450 years ago and to be specific during the time of inquisition. The way most orthodox look down upon the muslim and hindu- inter religious marriage, so do even the educated class and to be specific the ‘Brahmins’ of Goa look down upon Christians. I had personal experiences of the same.

St. Francis Xavier is the saint to our land- Goa and to many devotees round the country and globe at large. But I have people in my neighbourhood itself who hate St. Francis Xavier mainly because he converted the Hindu community to Christianity. And when asked, he replied, “Tannem amkam bataile.” These people do not go to pay any visit to the saint nor celebrate the feast of the saint. The same person, I mentioned, is married to a Christian lady, and continues this hatred. A total misbelief. Another personal experience came to me when I was preparing myself to answer a competitive examination. My competitive examination mentor, on the very first day of teaching, asked a few questions related to the subject. I was unable to answer and because I could not answer, asked me how I study otherwise and about my family background. I converse in English to my mother and use Konkani and English while I speak to my father and the rest of the community. And little did he know that my parents have had an inter- religious marriage. He insultingly said to me, “Tum konkanitlean kiteak xinkop korta. Tum English uloita nhoi? Ani xinkop korta zalear koxem korta, Konkannitlean vachta ani englishintlean chintta?” these words were very demotivating to me mainly because I looked up to that mentor.

I’m very confident that most Christians have experienced similar and many other situations where we were either humiliated or may be insulted by many, only because we are Christians. Even there have been situations in Goa, that Christian and other religion students who are categorised as minority are humiliated and offended even in the peer groups if they get in any institution because of their reservations provided by some educational institution. Such experiences either make or break humans. In my strong opinion, the educated class should first do away with such mentality. If this is done, then only will we be able to educate the un-educated group of people to have and live-in communal harmony. We are still judged and looked down upon as a foreigner in our own country too although most of us- youth to be specific are citizens of our country-India.

-Rhea U. Bangalorkar