R. I. P. GOAN GREATNESS by A. Veronica Fernandes, Kuwait

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.