I loved my few interactions on Goanet with Prof Adolfo, jousting with him in a humorous way. He was either mildly eccentric or that was just the way he liked to present himself.
He had a love for Quepem in particular and Goa in general undiminished by the years he spent in Tanzania or perhaps a part of his personality that never germinated until his final years. I have met many men like that, with a touch of madness mixed with genius. He was exactly what Shakespeare imagined “All the world is a stage and the men and women in it merely players”. Adolf was definitely a player. Roland Francis 416-453-3371 On Sat, Dec 21, 2024 at 8:51 PM Goanet Reader <[email protected]> wrote: > Prof Adolfo Mascarenhas passed away on Dec 18, 2024, > news coming in from Tanzania said. He was a long-time > Goanetter, and we'd like to remember the professor via > an article he shared via this network some 17 years ago. > He was husband to the late Professor Ophelia Mascarenhas, > father to Angelo and Chris, father-in-law to Mitzi, grandpa > to Ava, Aaron, Anna. He traced his roots to Quepem, Goa, a > land he cared for, often visited and kept in touch with. > > Goans in East Africa ... Tanzania: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow > > Goans in Dar es Salaam (and other towns) owned > bars, bakeries many clothes and tailoring shops, > music stores, butcheries 'soda factories', a > shoemaker or two provision stores that had small > roasters and mills for processing coffee. Yes, for > some reasons Goans contributed significantly in the > photography business. The De Lords, Gomes, P.Victor > and Pereira left their imprint. Late in the 19th > Century, French photographers working in Zanzibar > remarked on the quality of the work by Goans. > > By Adolfo Mascarenhas > mascar at ud.co.tz > > Let me say how honoured I am to address this issue. About 50 > years ago, as the first Tanganyikan to be offered a chance to > pursue an honours degree in Geography, I toyed with the idea > of doing a research paper on the impact of Goa on the Arabian > Sea and Africa and beyond. > > Over the last few years in my retirement, I have began to > take a greater interest in Poverty, Knowledge and > Development. How are these two episodes linked? > > Very simply in 2003 when I saw the ruins of St Augustine's > Church at Old Goa, I came to the conclusion that the > Portuguese could not have left such an impact on their own. > They needed the help of the Goans; there was no way that a > few hundred Portuguese could hold sway over the Eastern > Hemisphere extending from Lobito to Osaka from their Asian > outpost of Goa. > > A few days later, in the new year of 2004, I spent time in > Chandor and, further south, saw the Mahadeva Temple at Tambdi > Surla in interior Goa. Dating back to the thirteenth century, > or nearly two hundred years before the arrival of the > Portuguese, it was simply an awesome historical reality. It > is built on solid basalt with intricate carving on rock, and > convinced me even more that I was on the right path. > > Personally, there are many reasons why I am honoured to be > here (in Goa), including the fact that I am a Mugoa. > Tribally, this means that I have my ancestral roots in Goa. > > THE LARGER CONTEXT > > Any person interested in development today must put things in > a bigger picture or in a global context. > > Despite the anti-colonial struggles and the over threefold > increase in the number of nations since World War II, western > ethnocentrism still dominates our world. International > financial institutions have pushed for the neo-liberal agenda > and to a major degree have and will be responsible for the > vulnerability of many Third World countries, especially in Africa. > > More and more, the agenda is being sweetened by the promise > of aid without paying attention to the devastating distortion > that this aid has on development. Have we paid attention to > who are the producers, who profits and accumulates and how is > the surplus used? > > The bottom line is that we are living in an extremely unequal > world and we should be very conscious of this if we are > interested in our development. The differences between rich > and poor are staggering. The logical conclusion should make > all thinking people to start rethinking and taking a stand. > > SKEWED WEALTH DISTRIBUTION > > A United Nations study in 1990 reported that 225 richest > people in the world had a combined wealth of more than $1 > trillion. This was equal to the income of 47 per cent of the > world's population, or 2.5 billion people. > > More recently, according to the BBC (2001), some 50 million > households or 1% of the richest people earn more than the 2.7 > billion people or 60% of households at the bottom of the > income distribution > > Three richest men on the planet had assets that exceeded the > GDP of 48 least developed countries (Peacock 2002:7) > > In the US, inequalities between the rich and poor has > increased enormously. The richest 10% of Americans own 70% of > assets while the bottom 50% of people own only 2.5 % of the > assets. > > Between 1966 and 2001, median wage in the US remained almost > the same while the income of the top 10% increased by 58%. > > Among the rich a new class developed -- the super rich. They > have become even richer. The income of the top 0.1% increased > by 121% while the income of the richest 0.01% increased by > 617 per cent (Durnberg and Irvin (2007)). > > How is all this relevant to the India and Goa? > > GOAN PERSPECTIVE, WORLD CONTEXT > > Goa is a mini State within the Indian subcontinent. It is > minuscule in size and population. For every Goan there are > over 730 Indian nationals. On the world scene for every Goan > there are over 4,333 other world citizens. > > But size is not the only factor. Its GDP is twice more than > the national average. Three of the worlds main religions > co-exist. The participation of women in education, in the > professions, in trade and rights sets it apart. > > But then we should not forget that India is not xenophobic: A > head of the main political party is Italian-born, the country > had a woman prime minister long before Britain had Prime > Minister Thatcher. The current President of India is a woman. > The head of the nuclear programme and former President of > India, Dr Abdul Kalam is Moslem. The democratic tradition in > India is strong and indeed very strong. Goans must capitalize > on all these comparative advantages. > > SECOND OPPORTUNITY > > Institutions like the Xaviers Centre of Historical Research > have a challenge. Members could research the first > involvement of Goans in East Africa before the 1820's. > > In the decades that followed there was intense competition > between Western European nations -- especially Great Britain, > Germany, France and Italy -- to lay claims in the Greater > East African Region. This competition was rationalized and > culminated in the Berlin Treaty of the 1880's which carved > most of Africa and apportioned it to a European nation. > > The People from Goa have been on the East African Coast for a > fairly long time. By the 1850's there is mention of them by > some of the explorers. > > This started the second opportunity for Goans to be > involved in East Africa. The British linguist and > explorer Burton, took leave from Zanzibar, traveled > to Afghanistan, lived in Goa and wrote a scathing > account of life in Goa compared to the distance > kept from the natives by the British in India! > Burton seems to have had two Goans who trekked with > him all the way to Lake Victoria, the source of the > Nile. > > Our forefathers were pioneers, adventurers and pushed in the > interior of East Africa with the British Raj. The Goans, like > other Asians took a very distinctive community characteristics. > > Some of the early Indian groups to move from the continent > were indentured labourers who helped to build the > Kenya-Uganda railway. Many succumbed to disease and only a > few remained in Kenya. A few of the labourers were devoured > by lions and this incidence is celebrated in the Man Eater of Tsavo. > > There is no record of Goans belonging to the indentured > labourer group but there are accounts of a Goan hunter > destroying the marauders -- did he really kill the Man Eater? > Or was it really Patterson? Why not a historical novel? > > Another outstanding Goan was John Francis Ledger > Gracias (1888-1969) who contributed significantly > in the construction of the Kenya-Uganda Railway to > be decorated with an MBE, by Edward VIII during his > short reign. > > While I am giving a Goan perspective let me hasten to add > that the other communities also had their distinctive > contribution. For instance, the Ismialia Khojas under the Aga > Khan, (industries, tourism, health, media) the Sikhs in the > police, railways, transport and their remarkable set up to > help disaster victims are still intact. > > The Hindu Mandal as an institution tried not only to keep the > community together but fostered understanding between people. > The people from the Indian subcontinent left their greatest > mark as traders, service providers and professionals. Their > thrift and business acumen opened much of East Africa to > trade and commerce. > > The Indian 'duka' served both as a home and a workplace. A > variety of grains, cotton, gum Arabic, coffee in Uganda -- in > Kenya Africans were prohibited from growing coffee for a long > time! -- hides and skins, ivory were purchased or exchanged > for fabrics, shoes, and basic consumer goods. > > The small 'duka' became the stepping stone to large > stores and merchant houses and further diversified > into small and medium sized industries. But we > should also recognize that there were > professionals: doctors, teachers, lawyers, middle > level administrators, police officers mechanics > etc. Remarkably too Indian nationalism and trade > unionism crossed to Africa and encouraged Africans > in their pursuit of Independence but only brought a > degree of solidarity. > > Once again Goans played a slightly different role. Most of > the cooks, barmen, and waiters were Goans. There was a > disproportionate number of Goans who were clerks and > accountants, typist working in the civil service. > > There was hardly a bank which did not have several Goans who > were actually the backbone of the bank, even if the managers > were Whites. > > In the socio-political field, there were three remarkable > contributions. Pio Gama Pinto was a remarkable > internationalist who fought in Kenya for what we now call > Human Rights. As a firebrand he had to be eliminated -- and > was assassinated. > > His colleague who became Kenya's first Vice > President was part Goan and his mother a Maasai. He > spent time in Goa and was a noted art collector. > Both Pio and Marumbi have graves which are adjacent > -- remarkable because despite their contribution > they are hardly commemorated! Pereira from Kisumu, > Fritz De Souza, Dr Rebello all deserve to be mentioned. > > There were very few Goans who owned 'dukkas'. Because the > overwhelming majority of Goans in Africa were Roman Catholics > and therefore had no restrictions to dealing with meat, fish > or alcohol, they tended to own 'provision stores', bakeries > and bars, tailors and outfitters. > > In the big towns there were Goan clubs and this meant sports, > music and dance. In the 1940's there were orchestras and by > the 1950's in the big towns the first Goan bands by young > Goans appeared in Dar es Salaam, Nairobi, Kampala, Tanga, > Moshi and Zanzibar. A couple moved to Britain as > professionals groups. > > GOANS IN GERMAN EAST AFRICA > > Under the Germans, Goans had a special place in German East > Africa. They were allowed to build permanent homes on titled > land. Several stayed and owned homes on what became the main > street Acacia Avenue (See Almeida's Light House), they could > be treated at the 'European Hospital'. > > This was the case until Sewa Haji went to the German governor > and told him, "Our people also get sick." > > The only concession that was made was that the Germans > allocated land close to what was the Goan Guest House and a > great philanthropist footed the bill. In 1956, when the > British replaced the Sewa Haji Hospital with a modern > structure and which subsequently became the National Referral > Hospital, one wing was named after the philanthropist > merchant. > > Goans in Dar es Salaam (and other towns) owned > bars, bakeries many clothes and tailoring shops, > music stores, butcheries 'soda factories', a > shoemaker or two provision stores that had small > roasters and mills for processing coffee. Yes, for > some reasons Goans contributed significantly in the > photography business. The De Lords, Gomes, P.Victor > and Pereira left their imprint. Late in the 19th > Century, French photographers working in Zanzibar > remarked on the quality of the work by Goans. > > There were Goan 'compounder' -- we now call them pharmacist! > > There were doctors especially Dr. Lawrence who took his > Hippocratic Oath seriously. His clinic was open to all > including Africans who could not pay. The list of doctors is > long: Albuquerque was decorated by the Sultan of Zanzibar for > containing the plague. > > GOANS IN TANZANIA TODAY > > Out of the 7,000 Goans in Tanganyika independence in 1961, > about 15% still remain in Tanzania, mostly in Dar es Salaam, > Zanzibar, Tanga, Arusha and Mwanza. > > The majority returned to India, many from Zanzibar moved to > the Gulf but a significant number went to the Canada , UK, > USA, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden and elsewhere. > > Those Goans who were inclined to regarded > themselves as more Portuguese than Indians, they > ended up carrying an unnecessary identity not > compatible with the liberation struggle in > Mozambique, Angola and above all the apartheid > regimes in the south. In a sense they were an > embarrassment. > > With the diminishing numbers of Goans, they also have come to > play a very different role. Recruitment in the Civil Service > became difficult. Adrian Fernandes was probably the most > senior administrator but he too armed with a postgraduate > degree joined an international organization. > > Many Goans continued to work in foreign commercial banks but > when these were nationalized by President Julius Nyerere, > most of the Goans offered 'stalwart services', topped by Mr > Ignitous Pereira. There were Goan managers in para-statal > such as the power industries, in the import business. > > Professionally, Anthony Almeida, architect (and cartoonist) > broke the racial divide and was offered contracts for many > prestigious buildings for the East African community and a > few para-statal, notably the National Insurance Company. His > contribution in the design of the 'G' shaped Goan Institute > in a prestigious location is a stroke of a genius. Many of > the churches and other institutional building have his unique > trade mark. Anthony Almeida, RIBA and a chartered architect, > has been recognized as the foremost national architect in > Africa and was winner of a prestigious prize. > > With the banks nationalized, the civil service not really > viable more and more Goans moved into the private sector. > Several Goans are managers in firms and the crop in IT is > strong and growing. Remarkably, those trained in India have > captured an important market. Tourism is yet another growing > field as is transportation particularly in Arusha. Because of > their ease with English several Goans also work in embassies > and international organizations. > > In Zanzibar, Wolfgang 'Wolf' Dourado became the Attorney > General and Judge. There were several ups and downs but he > stood his ground and will go down in history for the > positions he took. See > [http://www.ippmedia.com/ipp/guardian/2007/05/29/91409.html] > > In the academic world, two husband and wife teams have also > left their marks. In the medical field Professor Carneiro is > a Pediatrician and his spouse Dr Lorna Carneiro is a dentist. > The latter has two siblings who are both medical doctors. > > Others in the University are Dr Brenda Rebello an O&G and Dr > Noronha works in the Cancer Research Institute. At the > National University, Professor Ophelia was Director of > Library Services and is now an author and leading consultant > in Gender and children's issues. > > But one of the most legendary Goans was a tailor called Mr > Manuel de Souza. One of his hobbies was exploring for > precious stone. In October 1967, he went to the Meralani > Hills with two other Tanzanian Africans. When Manuel saw the > rocks he thought they were peridot. The Gemological Institute > of America identified it as a zoisite. > > Tiffany, the leading jewelers called it Tanzanite and this > name has stuck. This very precious stone, rarer than diamond > is found only in Tanzania. > From Manuel de Souza's claim, we learn that over 80% of the > finds were stolen. In 1969, Manuel met with a fatal road > accident and died shortly after. The main mine is owned by a > group of investors who raised their capital in London Stock > Market. The world wide trade is well over $800 million. The > irony is that Tanzania actually gets less than $20 million > per annum. There are many lessons that one can learn from all > this. See [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanzanite] > > DEVELOPMENT, TRICKY BUSINESS > > The post World War II formulas preached, imposed and arm > twisted by the IFIs (international financial institutions) > and the rich countries need to be re-examined in the context > of Human Rights. Human Rights dignify rather than victimize > or patronize people, plus they make people more powerful as > claimants. According to the UN Charter and the Universal > Declaration of Human Rights, all basic needs should be > recognized as Human Rights. But not all needs are rights. > Basic needs are about having while Human Rights are about > being. > > The strongest argument for the universality of Human Rights > has been the idea of non-ethnocentric global ethics, > including a set of moral minima and this could be safeguarded > by codifying them into Human Rights instruments or covenants. > > But moral standards change over time; they are made by people > for people. Human rights reflect shared values in a given > era, as the revulsion over the death and the aftermath of > 15-year-old British tourist Scarlett Keeling. > > Should these be determined by the elites, politicians, > clerics? Human Rights means sharing moral indignation about > the injustices in the world. > > The Right to Development is a right to a particular process > of development in which all Human Rights can be progressively > realized. The Right to Development is a right to a process, > but it is also a right to the outcome of the process. It is > not an either/or, it is both. (Jonsson 2004). > > TANZANIA AND DEVELOPMENT > From a socialist state Tanzania has been transformed to a > market economy. It is still one of the five poorest > countries in the world, despite all the reforms. > > It has qualified for being among the HIPC (Heavily Indebted > Poor Countries) and the MCA (Millennium Challenge Account). > Yet many thinking people feel uneasy. > > Who controls the Tanzanian economy and development? One gets > an idea from understanding the overview of the new city of > Dar es Salaam. > > So how can the Goans help? These are the challenges we should > be thinking of.... > > --------------------- > > FOOTNOTE: This is the lightly-edited text of a talk delivered > during the History Hour held at the Xaviers Centre of > Historical Research on April 30, 2008, and is reproduced here > with the permission of the speaker. Email: mascar at ud.co.tz > > Prof Adolfo Mascarenhas BA Hons. (London) MA Ph D (UCLA) Dip > Ed, is a Tanzanian Goan. Started his University career as a > Teaching Assistant in California. Offered a full time > employment in the East African Universities -- he chose the > University of Dar-es-Salaam; shifted to the Bureau and then > the founder Director of the Institute of Resource Assessment > and eventually Director of Postgraduate Studies. He has held > various positions in Tanzania and Internationally. Main > interest: Development, Environment, Hunger, Urbanization and > IK. He became the founder director of a multidisciplinary > Institute of Resource Assessment, and linked academia with > development issues. He was one of the three professors > singled out for his services to the nation, by President > 'Mwalimu' (Teacher) Julius Nyerere. > > -- > 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, visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-research-net/CAE%3D_FskUNi52Bw8kLTuuECjr1_sM4Hajz7q%3DzXb5uci2hi-Nzg%40mail.gmail.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-research-net/CAE%3D_FskUNi52Bw8kLTuuECjr1_sM4Hajz7q%3DzXb5uci2hi-Nzg%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Goa-Research-Net" group. 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