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Ancient Goan Catholic Institution Under Threat By Fr. Desmond de Sousa CSsR, SAR NEWS PANAJI, Goa (SAR NEWS) -- Registering Goan clubs or kudds, as they are popularly known, as charitable trusts under the Societies Registration Act 1860 in Mumbai, is the first step towards safeguarding the existence of these unique, more than 150-year-old institutions, according to the public-spirited duo Jose D'Costa and Thomas Sequeira. Otherwise, this quintessential Goan, Catholic institution set up by their forefathers over 150 years ago in Mumbai and the revenue they can earn, will be lost forever. Sequeira, a former kudd manager and retired deputy general manager of the Band of India and national vice-president of the All India Catholic Union (AICU), along with D'Costa, held meetings in Goa last Sunday January 25 at the church premises of the villages of Navellin in the south and Mapuca in the north of Goa. They are members of the core group tentatively called the Federation of Goan clubs in Mumbai. "Registration of individual clubs has to be done on a priority basis so that the fight for our rights collectively will be taken up," they opine. These clubs were the result of the foresight of our forefathers who acquired these properties on a rent basis decades ago. They were well looked after till some 10 years ago but are now neglected and used only by a few. Big land sharks are out to grab the clubs, while the land owners are not interested in transferring the ownership to the clubs, observes Sequeira. Once the ownership rights are transferred to the clubs, the federation plans to take a soft loan from the Goa government to renovate them and offer better facilities to Goans travelling to Mumbai for a short stay. The revenue generated will meet the clubs' self-sustaining needs. Around 341 clubs were set up in the metropolis but only 210 have been found to exist. The 210-odd clubs occupy more than 240 lakh square feet of carpet area in Mumbai. A new law to be passed envisages demolition of these buildings. If the clubs have their title documents ready, they should demand a say in the future planning process. Origins of Goan clubs In his 1927 study of the Indian Christian community in Bombay (now Mumbai), M.M. D'Souza traces the origins of the clubs to the migration of Goans. "The Portuguese missionaries propagating the Christian faith in Bombay were later joined by Goan priests supporting their mission. This started the migration in the 16th and 17th centuries. But it was the British presence in the 18th century and their preference for Goans in employment that is believed to have spurred the migration." D'Souza observes, "The British found Goans with their mode of Western dress, food, drinks, social customs, just the sort of people they wanted to work for them. This opened huge avenues for Goans to migrate to various cities of India, and clubs were started wherever Goans settled. The setting-up of clubs followed Goan migration to Bombay, Calcutta, Pune, Ahmedabad, Karachi and even east Africa." While Goan priests took with them cooks, others who followed later were waiters, musicians, bakers, tailors, carpenters and domestic servants. "The spread of education in Goa, the oppression of the mundkars (tenants) by landlords and the lack of opportunities spurred the migration," D'Souza adds. The Mumbai clubs There are more than 200 Goan clubs in Mumbai, spreading across Dhobi Talao, Chira Bazaar, Crawford Market, Dockyard, Mazagaon and Dadar. They were set up in the 1920s when Goans started coming to the city in search of livelihood. They mostly took up jobs in hotels or as seamen and were charged a nominal membership fee of Rs 40 a month for lodging. Each village from Goa has its own club. Some villages have more than one club depending on how many vaddos (zones) it has. Most members are male and when they are new in the city, they take refuge in their respective village clubs. A painting or statue of the village patron saint occupies pride of place at the altar and his or her feast is celebrated annually. Some of Mumbai's better known clubs are in Jer Mahal Estate, Dhobitalao, only a stone's throw from Metro cinema and St. Xavier's College. The club system in Jer Mahal does not have gyms and swimming pools, but the easy-going Goan spirit and the Konkani language rule the club. Each club has its own kitchen and a block of bathrooms and toilets that may or may not be attached. Cruz D'Costa came to Mumbai when he was 19. He has lived in the Majorda club for three decades. It is his second home – "a home away from home," he says. "Getting admission into a club is simple", he explains. "You need to be Goan, catholic and have some identification from your village." The flavour of Goa fills your senses – music, cooking, language, everything. You can take a Goan out of Goa, but you can't take Goa out of a Goan!