When not saying Vande Mataram makes you anti- national – #Whatsapp chat #WTFnews

WHEN NOT SAYING VANDE MATARAM, MAKES YOU AN ANTI-NATIONAL, A PORTUGUESE NATIONAL FOR GOA’S JOURNALISTS

Vande Mataram (album) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In these times, when intolerance appears to be lurking around the corner and invisible in the shadow of glorified right wing ideology, the conversation below between some Goan journalists on a Whatsapp media group, just shows the levels of prejudice which exist amongst media professionals here.

In the conversation below a journalist (the reader may decide whether his being Catholic is incidental or essential to the conversation) is being heckled by a group of journalists (the reader may decide whether their being Hindu is incidental or essential to the conversation) for not saying Vande Mataram on a public forum. You can read how some journalists conclude that  not saying Vande Mataram is tantamount to being ‘Portuguese’, ‘anti-national’ and so on.

This is bizarre shit, which defies the otherwise relatively tolerant socio-religious template in Goa.

The conversation below is lengthy and stretches through many lines, but those who are interested in following news in Goa, ought best read it, because it goes a long way to reveal socio-religious prejudices in our professional workgroup in a naked, stark manner.

Feel free to draw your own conclusions.

(P.S. Reproducing a conversation from a WhatsApp group may not be the coolest thing to do, but this mindset needs to be laid bare before a much wider audience)

[10:01am, 26/03/2015] Vasant Katkar: Foreigners accepting Sanskrut as ancient language, & sm of our schools r opposing singing ‘vande mataram’ & ‘yoga’.

[10:13am, 26/03/2015] Glen: What is sanskrit got to do with vande matharam and yoga my learned friend?

[10:13am, 26/03/2015] Glen: From when didi the rss become a part of the fourth pillar?

[10:17am, 26/03/2015] ‪+91 95033 33922: Vande matharam means jya bhumin tu ravata tya bhumik pranam karap

[10:17am, 26/03/2015] Vasant Katkar: Pl read other newspapers too. Sm schools in India demanding that.

By the way, this is got nothing to do with Rss.

[10:18am, 26/03/2015] Glen: Really? This is the rss view too. That is such a coincidence. This is a media grp. Keep personal views, beliefs, affiliations out pls

[10:19am, 26/03/2015] Glen: Not our buisness who does yoga, or sings vande matharam or does nammaz or goes for mass or does martial arts or meditation

[10:20am, 26/03/2015] ‪+91 95033 33922: Lokachi vichyar sarni kenna badaltali konn zana

[10:20am, 26/03/2015] ‪+91 99234 97535: Sm pple have alergi of Hindu not rss

[10:20am, 26/03/2015] Vasant Katkar: So, whos wearing color glasses & having own view laid on others

[10:22am, 26/03/2015] Rupesh Samant: Yoga should be made compulsory. I agree with Vasant. Yoga also gives mental stability. Some section who oppose yoga would not have done that if they had yoga in school.

[10:22am, 26/03/2015] Vasant Katkar: We totally respect ur freedom of speech, but not ur view. This is called free Press

[10:23am, 26/03/2015] Rupesh Samant: And what you raised Vasant is valid issue. Media should create awareness.

[10:23am, 26/03/2015] ‪+91 99234 97535: Portuguese passport

[10:23am, 26/03/2015] Sarvesh: I agree rupesh n katkar sir

[10:24am, 26/03/2015] ‪+91 95033 33922: Desh bhakti manan  aslyar aslye vichar yenat

[10:24am, 26/03/2015] Vasant Katkar: Ha ha, sham