Goa’s in such good shape that the honourable leader of the opposition has had time to table and get through a motion banning the use of religious names eg Shiva, Jesus for bars and restaurants. A noble undertaking on the face of it, as the use of such names could be inappropriate for what some people here clearly regard as ‘dens of iniquity’.
The new law came into force on 29 June and guess what. It’s already in trouble. You see, Indian parents routinely name their offspring after religious figures. We personally know people called Shiva, Jesus, Maruti and Pavarti. And as for the many Peters, Pauls and Johns, not to mention more intriguing Goan-specific offerings eg Nazareth, Ignatius, Halleluia, Milagres (Miracle); well it’s easier to spot the people who don’t have religious-oriented names. No surprises also to find that Goans do name their bars and restaurants after members of their family – ‘yes, my mother really is called Shantadurga’.
‘We know the bar’s called Jesus – but that refers to Jesus Gonsalves my grandfather, not the son of man.’
What to do? as they say here. Still if anyone decides to fight the closure of their bar through the courts, they’ve got at least 10 more years of operation given the state of India’s judicial system.
