The whole question rests on the context of being 'susegad'. The stereotype of being susegad applies to Goans being content with their surroundings and to living a full life, eating and drinking well and enjoying oneself.
In spite of this sometimes negatively taken appellation, a quick glance at history indicates that Goans have excelled far beyond the expectation of such a small portion of the population
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_from_Goa
Goa had trade links and was an established port trading with the Arabs long before the western influences reached Goa. In spite of the tyranny of the rulers and clergy, Goans soon earned the respect of the Portuguese through their brilliance and Industry. As early as 1757, the Prime Minister Marquês de Pombal and the King of Portugal, D.José I, signed a Royal decree granting all Portuguese Indians (Goa, Damão and Diu) Portuguese citizenship and equal status and rights under the law with the Metropolitan Portuguese. Neither the British, nor French, nor Dutch, had ever granted such a status to their Asian subjects. Goans went still further and shone in the major cities of Europe in all spheres of life.
Even while this was happening, they developed dance forms, music, social gatherings, festivals and lifestyles that allowed their souls to enjoy what the sweat of their brow had earned.
In a lot of other cultures in India such was not the case. Life stems around just work and any form of enjoyment is seen as something sinful and indicative of a susegad nature. Today, even in many MNC’s, people who work late and spend long hours at work (often for want of an alternative) are seen as most desirable employees.
If to work hard and party harder, makes me susegad, so be it! I am proud of it!
A lot of things are going wrong in Goa but this is more because of a decline in our value system and an indifference to our cultural identity. For many sad Goans, eating and drinking is the ethos of being Goan. Others like to be slaves to pseudo patriotism that is limited to lip service and watching war movies of soldiers defending boundaries. Still others are keenly involved in trying to bring down others who might be doing good but who do not suit their expectations or whose virtues arouse jealous sentiments in them. There is a rush to form fragmented groups and in this division we fall as is evidenced by the political scene in Goa. This has little to do with the susegad nature and is quite another story…………
I read a nice story a few days back which captures the sentiment of being susegad. Happy Reading
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A boat docked in a tiny fishing village.
A tourist complimented the local fishermen on the quality of their fish and asked how long it took him to catch them.
"Not very long." they answered in unison.
"Why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?"
The fishermen explained that their small catches were sufficient to meet their needs and those of their families.
"But what do you do with the rest of your time?"
"We sleep late, fish a little, play with our children, and take siestas with our wives. In the evenings, we go into the village to see our friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few songs. We have a full life."
The tourist interrupted, "I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you! You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat."
"And after that?"
"With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middle man, you can then negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to the City ! From there you can direct your huge new enterprise."
"How long would that take?"
"Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years." replied the tourist.
"And after that?"
"Afterwards? Well my friend, that's when it gets really interesting, " answered the tourist, laughing. "When your business gets really big, you can start buying and selling stocks and make millions!"
"Millions? Really? And after that?" asked the fishermen.
"After that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a siesta with your wife and spend your evenings drinking and enjoying your friends."
"With all due respect sir, but that's exactly what we are doing now. So what's the point wasting twenty-five years?" asked the fisherman
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