Good memories Frederick. I remember the time every substantial piece of news, journalism and opinion was by-lined Mario Cabral e Sa.
So dominant was his presence in the media output from Goa, that his name was synonymous with with every major news-making event there. Then suddenly the name disappeared with no one mourning the absence. Perhaps a new crop had arrived to take over collectively what was virtually a one man band. Roland. Toronto. On Tue, Jun 20, 2023 at 11:48 AM Frederick Noronha < [email protected]> wrote: > In The Goan (June 20, 2023) > ******** > End of an Era: Remembering Mario Cabral > Frederick Noronha > > With some trepidation, I asked the question to the senior journalist, the > first whom I encountered in the Press Room at the old Adil Shahi Palace in > Panjim. "I've joined the Deccan Herald, and have just applied for my > accreditation. Is it okay if I enter here till the time I get it?" > > In those days, the small Press Room was empty for much of the day. Except > at the 4 pm tea break, and the morning peak hour. The media in Goa was yet > to expand as it later did. Outside it was the foreboding sign: "For > accredited journalists only." > > We had all heard of the reputation of Mario Cabral e Sa, who, news > trickling in on Monday evening, told us, had just passed away earlier that > morning in Bombay/Mumbai. He had been with his family there for many > years, after leaving the village and land he loved, the island of Divar. > > Mario thought for a second or two, and was quick with his repartee. "This > place is now like a second-class unreserved train compartment. One or two > passengers, more or less, won't make much of a difference," he told me. > > It took me a while to marvel at the intricacy of his reply. He had > managed to make his point without saying a rude 'no'. Nor had he said an > unequivocal 'yes', which one could have taken as a license! > > Over time, we became friends, even though we were almost a generation > apart, and, at times, writing for competing markets. Or even being on > different sides of the fence, quite often. > > * * * > > Mario kept pushing us to do better. He must have been in his 50s when we > were in our 20s. Yet, he was unflagging in his persistence and > determination. > > "What the bloody hell are you doing here?" he demanded of us, on the day > we heard of the killing at distant Varca in an encounter of an Alemao > brother. At his suggestion, we pooled our resources, and took a taxi to > Varca and the Margao Hospicio, to follow up on that story. > > In those times, journalism was still under-resourced, and we were happy to > wait for a story to fall in our lap. We made that trip, and learnt a lot. > > Later, we would hear of Mario's days (in the late 1960s and early 1970s) > when he lead a small publication called "The Goan Monitor". It was run by > the Sequeiras, Jack and his son Erasmo, then prominent Opposition > politicians. > > There, he managed to mentor some great journalists including the late Ivan > Fera (who died too early, at 36). Some of his mentees might have not > continued to see eye-to-eye with Mario, but that's part of the growth > process. It happens. > > One day, almost 14 years ago, the journalist Devika Sequeira felt that > that generation was fast moving on, probably even being forgotten. She > invited a few of us to lunch with the seniors. Among them, there were > journalists no longer with us -- Gurudas Singbal, too. Not sure if Jagdish > Wagh and Balaji Gaunekar from that first post-1961 generation were there as > well. > > As was one's wont, without thinking too much over it, I whipped out my > modest TheFlip camera and asked Mario to share with me a few > reminiscences. Those remain on YouTube, here http://t.ly/BZCU and here > http://t.ly/cSH- > > In these brief encounters, Mario Cabral e Sa explains about journalism in > his times, stretching back to the Portuguese days and how it changed > subsequently. These are episodic (and some may say, selective) > remembrances no doubt. But it also gives an insight into how an individual > encountered the dramatic changes. And his memories of the same. > > * * * > > Every one of the journalists of our time has his or her own "Mario > moment". As almost shy, young journalists we had a lot to learn from him. > > It must have been after 1989, when the Congress tasted defeat at the hands > of the JP Singh-led Janata Dal government, which replaced it. As was the > trend, the party continued to send in some 'observers' from New Delhi. In > Panjim, they were ensconced at the Mandovi Hotel, meeting local ruling > state politicians behind closed doors. Mediapersons were waiting long > hours for some word to emerge, or a press conference to be announced. > > One could only imagine what was happening. > > Mario took it upon himself to demand that the press get a chance to meet > the high command emissaries, and not be kept waiting indefinitely. As the > door opened, he took his opportunity to raise a ruckus. > > Hearing the noise, the then Congress leader Buta Singh came out. "Ah, Mr > Butsing (sic)," said Mario, telescoping two names together. If he was > taken aback, Mario was prompt to hide it. He proceeded to give a lecture > to the visiting politician from New Delhi as to how the Congress "had not > yet learnt its lesson in humility despite losing the elections" and so on. > > As the photographers were aiming their cameras, some security-man placed > his palm flat in front of a photographer's lens. "Daryl, you shoot," said > Mario. > > Buta Singh, who was probably more familiar with rustic Punjabi rather than > newsman's English, went on to give us all a lecture on how he was "not > afraid of dying". Those were the days just after the Khalistani movement; > but all that Mario was referring to was shooting a photograph! We all had a > good laugh. > > * * * > > Mario was outspoken and also a hard taskmaster. One day I had promised > him something. When I didn't deliver, he hand-wrote a note displayed it on > the press room notice board. It read: "Rico, you are not as good as your > word." By some coincidence, just a couple of days earlier, I was sharing > this story with someone who was my age then. > > His books -- on eminent Goans, and edited compilations on film and Goan > music, among many others -- find a prominent place in my collection. > > Mario had his critics, and probably deserved them. He was an articulate, > smart, a one-man army, and influenced how the rest of the world saw Goa by > his writings. While I was studying the Shyam Benegal film 'Trikaal' quite > closely, having known Mario, I found his influences there. (Mario also > worked on The Sea Wolves, another Hollywood top-starer of the early 1980s.) > > At times activists and environmentalists didn't like the stands that the > journalist-activist took. Once Mario shocked us all by saying, "Remember: > Mario has only one friend. That is Mario himself." But this does not > detract from the role Mario Cabral e Sa played during a crucial era of the > growth of the press in Goa. Perhaps collating his less-easily-available > works would be a good tribute to him. > > > -- > > FN * +91-9822122436 * 784 Saligao 403511 Bardez Goa > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Goa-Research-Net" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion on the web, visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-research-net/CAMCR53%2BgUAmSeMYKscaR8jAB5cnPFhruqkZLQw_uENkFnQ%3DjJA%40mail.gmail.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-research-net/CAMCR53%2BgUAmSeMYKscaR8jAB5cnPFhruqkZLQw_uENkFnQ%3DjJA%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > -- Roland Francis 416-453-3371 -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Goa-Research-Net" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. 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