R.
I. P. GOAN GREATNESS
About
a week after Portuguese was forced out of Goa by the unwanted Indian
Military
might sent by the Government of India headed by irresponsible
Nehru’s
Congress, all the Government employees earlier working for the
Government
of Goa – India Portuguesa - were called by the Military
Government
of Goa at Panjim. They were called for briefing on the next
course
of action. My brother being a Government employee at Policia de Goa
while
attending this meeting removed his Raybun Sun Glasses and put it in
the
pocket of his shirt and its case in the right side back pocket of his
Trousers.
To his surprise after the meeting when he went to put his Raybun
in
its Case, he found it missing because “it was robbed” by somebody without
he
coming to know anything of it. Among the people who attended that
meeting
were also Ghantis from Maharastra, Malyalis from Kerala and Chor
Babus
from Delhi. My brother when he attended that meeting was still under
his
innocent frame of mind formed during the pre-19th December 1961 period
that
means “nothing to worry – nobody will touch your property" – this
period
was like a golden period of Goa as far as many attributes of Goa are
concerned
one of them is non-rampant robberies as we witnessed in post 19th
December
1961 era. Pre-19th Dec. 1961 period Goa and Goans will never get
again,
it was like a dream and only those who were witnesses to this period
will
know the reality of the fact.
The
incident of my brother was the beginning of the events to come and
infact
those events really dawned on Goa. During the Portuguese era I don’t
say
there were no robberies but surely not the way they are now after
19.12.61.
During Portuguese era robberies were committed mainly for
survival
but in post 19.12.61 robberies are committed as business and as
such
it is become as profession. During Portuguese time to talk of
robberies
was a sin but since 19.12.61 institutions started to train robbers
how
to rob. See the dirty and disgraceful culture Goa became part of when
Portuguese
was forced out of Goa on 19.12.61. During Portuguese era robbers
were
downcast and boycotted but in post 19.12.61 period they are respected
and
adored because Goa joined with the corrupt society of India. I remember
during
hot summer months of April and May as a young boy I was sleeping
outside
of my house under the Tree called “Chinch” to enjoy the fresh air
keeping
our doors and windows open without fear of robberies taking place.
During
the day time we used to go out by keeping our doors and windows open
and
yet there was no fear of any robbers to come and rob our houses. During
those
glorious days of peaceful life Grill Windows were not even known to
most
of us. Even our “Sunnim & Mazram” were faithfuls and reluctant to rob
even
the “Uxttem” that was actually meant for them if we are not at home.
But
after 19.12.61 the “Chor” started pouring in from the States of “Chor”
who
went not only on robbing spree but also on crime committing spree.
During
the Portuguese era one Portuguese “Paklo” with a revolver in his hand
would
easily control “Mattou”-full of Tiatro watchers but now a batallion of
“Danddi”
wielding Police are made fools by the rowdies. During the
Portuguese
era some of the finest “Chor” were those who called themselves
Freedom
Fighters who in the name of Freedom Movement not only were robbing
innocent
Goans but also killing innocent Goans. After 19.12.61, robbers and
“krimidors”
poured in Goa. The first Krimidor Kumar (real name Peter) who
committed
triple murder at Taleigao and later on was hanged at Aguada which
was
the first hanging in the history of Goa was from Kerala. Likewise many
of
the Kumars who destroyed Goan peaceful and “susegad” life had come from
Indian
States. We the genuine Goans had no choice but to suffer this gory
of
crimes and robberies from the hands of outsiders because our freedoms
fighters
had no plan to think of future of Goa after driving out Portuguese.
Like
ignorant they put pressure on Indian Government to force Portuguese
out
of Goa but they never applied their minds about the future of Goa – what
to
do of Goa after Portuguese. By neglecting this very factor they acted
very
foolishly. Some of these very freedom fighters who claimed to be the
topmost
intellectuals are now confessing their guilt of participating in
freedom
movement and they also regret for being Freedom Fighters. Though I
admire
their guts to confess their guilt but I would admire them still more
if
they had to commit suicide like Judas by returning back their Tamrapatras
and
surrendering their pensions. By accepting the monetary benefits they
have
also sold the value of their work. The pensions they receive is like
commercial
value of their work and this is what they wanted it looks to
many.
During
the Governadorship of Vassalo e Silva Goa was just entering into a
golden
period. Vassalo e Silva was a great democrat, in fact internally he
was
anti Salazarist, some of his family members were known to be against
Salazar
policies and regime. In fact one sister of his had to flee Portugal
for
being anti-Salazarist and anti-Dictatorship. Even the posting of
Vassalo
e Silva to Goa had ulterior motive into the mind of Salazar. In
order
to stop him from being anti-Salazarist in Portugal, Vassalo e Silva
was
sent to Goa as Governador, he was a nuisance value for Salazar in
Portugal.
In fact Vassalo Silva had great wish to do good for Goans.
Somewhere
in 1960 he gave a call to expatriate Goans to volunteer to return
to
Goa and run the future of their land. In response to this call some
Goans
working at Qatar in the Oil Company holding lucrative jobs immediately
applied
for jobs in Goa, one of them is still alive at Siolim. They were
immediately
sent letters of appointment thru Governor’s office offering jobs
at
Chowgule Mines. According to one source Vassalo e Silva had great plans
to
create enormous job opportunities for Goans and if Indian Millitary had
not
to march over Goa in December 1961 Goans would not be needing to migrate
to
Gulf and Portuguese colonies and not even to “Choranchea Rajan” to learn
and
acquire “Chorpon & Goondapon”. To prepare Goans to fit in his plan he
introduced
compulsory Portuguese education at Primary level for all Goan
children
attaining the age of 6 otherwise Rs. 250/- fine was imposed on every
defaulting
child. I was till that time an English School student and as part
time
of Escola Parochial. Immediately my parents transferred me and my
sisters
to Portuguese School. In order to get employment in Goa then
especially
for Government Jobs, Segundograu was very essential, even to
acquire
driving licence Primary Portuguese education was a must. Hence
Portuguese
education became essential for anything and everything. For this
reason
Governador Vassalo e Silva was preparing Goans to face their life and
future
in Goa only. But came Indian Raj and killed the prospects of many of
the
Goans. The Indian crooks were so smart that they realized if they do not
drive
Portuguese out of Goa at that particular time then Goa would be like
heaven
for many of the Goans to live in and enjoy life. In such
circumstances
Goans would not prefer Indian interference in their homeland
and
also would not allow Indians to rule over Goans. Secondly Malyali
Krishna
Menon (the then defense Minister of India) after whom some people
named
their “Dukors” in my village, wanted to create a new job market for
plenty
of English educated jobless Malyalis from Kerala and for this reason
he
was keeping his eye on Goa and exactly he did what he wanted even by
fooling
Nehru at the last minute when Nehru advised him to halt Military
march
over Goa to give diplomacy a last minute opportunity on the advice of
President
John F. Kenney. With the advent of Indian Raj knowledge of good
English
and Marathi education became essential and since Goa lacked in
having
manpower of this educational background innumerable workers came
from
neighboring States who not only occupied lucrative jobs in Goa but
they
also kicked Goans from employment market of Goa of course with the help
of
Dayananda Bandodkar and his followers. What a pity it is, a Goan had to
migrate
to other countries in search of jobs when he was denied job
opportunities
in his own homeland. These non Goans not only occupied vacant
posts
in Goa but gradually they brought in their relatives and even
neighbours
and got them employed in Goa. Today Goans are not having job
facilities,
even for an ordinary job a Goan has to bribe to the tune of
lakhs
of rupees. This art of bribery was introduced in Goa only after the
exit
of Portuguese and it was inducted in Goa by the “Chor” staff coming
from
Maharastra – Kerala – Delhi and other places in India. And now Goans
have
acquired such a mastery over this art that they are become topmost
expert
in this art because Goans are good perfectionists and best
imitationists.
During Portuguese time if a Goan girl approached a higher-up
for
a job he would shamelessly not demand sexual favor from her the way
currently
some of our Ministers are doing like “I will do your job but
tonight
you will have to do my job”. To do such disgraceful, dirty and
inhuman
jobs – a la Sunita scandal – these Ministers have acquired special
Flats
and Bungalows free of charge as bribe from the builders. During
Portuguese
time bribery of the type we have now was non existent. Even for
a
big favour done by a Portuguese Paklo or Portuguese official he would not
ask
any bribe, as a gratitude he would accept if persisted only a glass of
Serveja
St Pauli Girl – German Beer - and that too with an “Obrigado”.
Governador
Vassalo e Silva was very generous, he wanted to revolutionize
Goan
life for their improvement and betterment.
He was a true secularist
and
not the traitor like the current political leaders are, they are fake
secularits.
He was a great lover of poor and downtrodden.
He wanted to
uplift
the standard of lower strata of Goan populace.
One day while coming
from
Aguada Jail at about 8.00 in the morning, he stopped at our Escola
Primaria.
When he entered our classroom he straightway walked to the front
bench
where I was seating and asked me gently “Do you have a bag?”
I
replied
no. Then he gave me one.
Likewise he gave such school bags to few
more
students and departed. A few meters
away from our School, Marathi
Xalla
was there where he also stopped and in a similar fashion gifted some
school
bags to the poor Hindu students. In
this way he proved to everyone
that
he did not believe in religious discriminations. Immediately this news
flared
at our Tinto and majority of Hindus applauded this kind gesture of
Governador
and said he is a real secularist, we love him.
But incidentally
after
19.12.61 these same Hindus turned out to be top communalists because
they
were misguided by the fake Bahujan Samaz headed by communalist
Dayananda
Bandodkar. Governador Vassalo e Silva had great wish to
revolutionise
Goan agriculture so that Goa becomes self sufficient in
agricultural
products. In 1961 during the heavy
monsoon the big “khavttem”
appeared
opposite Candolim Church and the entire crop near the Church got
spoiled
due to the inflow of Saline Water. When
this news went to
Governador’s
office thru local Communidade, Governador himself came running
from
Panjim, conducted full survey of the devasted crop and ordered his men
to
supply free of charge to the local “Xetkars”
with Trucks full of
“Batacheo
Pennio” for grafting. Not only
that when he came to know that
Caju
plantation in Candolim was not done properly in the areas leased by the
Communinades
– we were one of the tenants of such Caju Plantations –
Governador
personally came to see and instruct the tenants to apply the new
methods
of high yield. After 19.12.61
agricultural land in Goa is not only
neglected
due to lop sided policies of Bandodkar and subsequent Governments
but
also robbed by the “Chor” Ministers and still robbing.
During
the Portuguese rule though Goa lacked many of the present day
facilities
and developments yet there was peace and serenity and life
security.
In the name of freedom, liberation and unplanned development Goa
is
totally destroyed by the Indian Raj and those who applied Indian
administrative
tools which comprise nothing but all bull-shit. In the name
of
freedom and liberation Goans are denied so many facilities which are
otherwise
meant only for Goans. In the name
of political liberty and
liberation
from foreign domination Goans are made to accept the imposition
of
another kind of dictatorship where might is become right and that too in
the
name of democrary. During
Portuguese time Goa did not have gang wars as
we
have now. During Portuguese time
Goa did not have extra constitutional
militant
groups to settle disputes thru bribery but only the real Government
and
its constitutional authority to settle even worst type of disputes.
After
Portuguese rule ended in Goa we are now made to accept against our
wishes
authority of militant groups who are more powerful than the
Government.
In
one way Goa since 19.12.61 is not what it was, the current Goa after the
advent
of Indian Raj is not the dream of genuine Goans and genuine Goa
lovers.
Many of the Goans who saw the greatness of Goa before 19.12.61 are
exiting
from this planet, few of them like me are only barking from here and
there.
The present generation and the generation that was born after 1961
December
19th should rise and rise forcefully to bring about total change in
Goa
if they want Goa to be the dreamland of their fathers and grand fathers.
The present generation of Goans in Goa is a frustrated due to denial of
due
opportunities to them and I have a feeling due to this frustration they
will
turn out to be militantly violent in due course of time.
The Church
in
Goa is not doing much to stress on the illness of Goa’s disaster.
Church
can
do lot, even after Dec. 19, 1961 when Christians were falsely accused of
being
pro-Portuguese by the communalists MGP Church remained silent
spectator.
It is a time now for Church to directly and openly preach the
gospel
of justice, clean administration and egalitarian form of society – in
conformity
with Christian doctrine - in Goa and since Church is in better
position
to take up this issue more widely I think Church should take up
this
issue immediately. If Church
refrain from doing this then I think
there
is no one in better position to do the same.
In the past Church has
done
good work in the protection of Goa and its identity. Hence Church role
now
is imperative.
While
concluding no one should think that I am the lover of Portuguese rule
in
Goa, diffinetely not. Portuguese
had to leave from Goa otherwise I
would
fight to make them leave from Goa While
fighting to drive them from
Goa
I would not invite another Portuguese on my beloved Goa.
I am a Goan
first
and proud to be so.
A.
Veronica Fernandes.