EDITORIAL
Many remarkable Goans born in and around 1925 teach us power of cultural rootedness
Today, October 3, marks the birthday of expatriate Goan writer Victor Rangel-Ribeiro. Born in 1925, he is one of the few inhabitants of our planet to venture into three digits, and is doing fine at his age. What makes it a birthday worth noting is not just the fact that he has contributed to this publication, or that he continues to be one of the respected writers of Goa writing in English, a genre that was hardly noticed till the 1980s. It is because, at his age, Rangel-Ribeiro continues to work, to write and to edit, to inspire and be part of writers’ groups both here and in New Jersey. He has been based in the United States since the 1950s.
There are important lessons here. Rangel-Ribeiro, marking the informality with which he likes to be called, shows us that despite being many oceans away, the expat can still contribute to his or her Goa in many different ways. More than that, he tells our greying society of Goa that determination can keep one going. Contributing actively with the skills we gained in our lifetimes can keep society productive—even at an age when many would have given up, to mainly rest on their laurels.
For some reason, incidentally, 1925 was a particularly productive year for our region, when quite a few prominent Goans were born. Ravindra Kelekar and the genteel Manohar Rai Sardesai would have been a hundred this year, had they been around. Noted architect Bruno Dias Souza sadly missed completing a century by just a few months. Freedom fighter and underground broadcaster Libia Lobo Sardesai is still very active. FN Souza and VS Gaitonde (both of whose paintings recently sold for almost Rs 67 crore apiece) completed this landmark last year. Men of journalism and letters, ex-Navprabha editor Laxmidas Borkar and Konkani editor Evágrio Francisco Jorge (both freedom fighters), were also born in this landmark year. So too were the men who shaped the world’s understanding of Goa through his sketches, Mário Miranda, top cinematographer K Vaikunth, and the Mangalorean Konkani writer VJP Saldanha. This list might not even be complete.
Indeed, the remarkable cohort of Goans born around 1925 teaches us the enduring power of creativity, resilience and cultural rootedness. Despite living through vastly changing times, they pursued excellence in their fields. In doing so, they often bridged local identity with global expression. Their lives highlight the importance of preserving language, art and heritage, while also actively engaging with modernity. They showed that vision, courage and commitment can leave legacies that transcend borders, geographies, generations and disciplines.
Even while celebrating their lives, Goa has lessons to glean. Rangel-Ribeiro picked up and completed his first novel, ‘Tivolem’, for which he is arguably best known, at least here, while he was in his 70s. He keeps mind and body busy at work, and this could make much younger folk envious—with good reason. His faith in building writers’ groups, and keeping these going despite challenges and the occasional ego clash, stems from his experiences in Bombay (now Mumbai) and the US, where such institutions sharpened the pen and skills of many, including some prominent Goan writers. His generosity in mentoring, and at times bluntly correcting what he sees as shoddy work, takes us back to an era when quality consciousness was not alien to our society.
In a word: a hundred may be just a number, but in celebrating it, we discover countless lessons from a life well-lived.
