During the last 11 decades of the existence of Konkani Tiatro, tiatrists in general have done yeomen services for the right cause at the right time. When Lucasinho Ribeiro from Assagao Bardez the initiator of Konkani Tiatro and his colleague Joao Agostinho Fernandes from Salcette embarked on this beautiful art they had great vision of bringing lot of changes in Goan society, that time society was suffering from lot of ills. Fighting for the right cause and justice was their motto. The early tiatrists were very active on this point and they have succeeded in revolutionizing the thinking of Goan masses and society as a whole. So much so, because of their revolutionary ideas which they propounded from Konkani Stage the aristocracy in Goa was afraid of Tiatro and Tiatrists. For this reason they brought indirect pressure on Portuguese Government of Goa to bring in Censorship of Tiatro. Because of Censorship those days tiatrists had to suffer a lot, less from the Government but more from the aristocrat village Regidores. In order to make their voice known and to expose the wrong deeds many of those days tiatrists migrated or fled to Bombay and from Bombay they expressed their views freely. When Alexinho de Candolim was prevented from airing his view on the crime committed on the son of his Parochial School Professor, Alexinho de Candolim fled to Bombay and from there he rendered his most memorable solo the echo of which was immediately started reverberating in Goa thereby creating fear into the minds and hearts of those who were shielding that heinous crime. Later on because of this song, Alexinho de Candolim was temporarily banned from re-entering Goa. During those days Tiatro and Tiatrists were feared by every unjust and crook person. Tiatro and Tiatrists could do anything to bring about justice in society and their voice was heard more loudly and more numerically.
During the time of Opinion Poll for the genuine Goans to express their campaign against the brute might of illegitimate Goans under the garb of MGP, the genuine Goans had no other source but to rely more on Tiatro and Tiatrists who did yeomen services in enlightening the Goans to oppose Goa�s merger with Maharastra. In this campaign I can still remember the first solo amongst the tiatrists rendered by late M. Dod de Verna who said that �zor ami Maharastran poddot zalear Maharastrian Nustem apun khatelet ani uxtteache boxentle kantte amkam khavoitolet� � this was something similar to what Shennoi Goembab openly once said in Bombay. Then other tiatirsts namely M. Boyer, Trio Kings Conception-Nelson-Anthony, another noted trio of Tomazinho Cardoso-His brother & Volley D�Mello and many others played their excellent roles to educate Goan voters about the ill effects of Goa�s merger with Maharastra. That time Goa had one English daily Nawhind Times and one Marathi Daily Gomantak, both gave their allegiance to MGP and to that Goa/Konkani Chor Bandodkar, Gomantak infact destroyed peace of Goa by communalizing Goan politics. Our Church could not do anything as It was totally afraid of antagonizing Bandodkar. Church that time thought that It�s role in life was only to look after the spiritual aspects of humanity. In fact elsewhere Roman Catholicsm including our current Pope has created major roles in world political arena.
Last year Tiatrist William de Curtorim was reprimanded by the Mapusa Police Station for singing political songs. When I got this news I wrote an article in Herald condemning Government�s action in summoning William from Mapusa Hanuman Tiatro Hall where he was showing his Tiatro. After reading this article some of the tiatrists accused me for supporting William de Curtorim. I told them it was not William de Curtorim but the ideology that counts. If today William de Curtorim then tomorrow it may be your turn. Then I said if at all I wrote that article in condemning Mapusa Police and Goa Government it was becaue you tiatrists failed to perform your duty of supporting your own colleague. Then I asked one of them �why did you turn out to be impotent? You have not guts to challenge Parrikar�s Government?�. When Christopher Leitao was wrongly diagnosed by Dr. J.J. Costa and because of which Leitao died in Bombay at Jaslokh Hospital, the tiatrist fraternity in Margao joined together and raised their voice so forcefully against Dr. J.J. Costa that the authority had no choice but to arrest the erred doctor. This was the might of tiatrirst to fight against injustice.
Coming back to Kuwait, sometime back Kuwait Tiatristanchi Sonvstha was formed. It was a very good idea to have such a Sonvstha. To form such an organization was the dream of Alexinho de Maxem which he proposed to us when we formed Novem Goem Pratisthan Kuwait Somiti in 1977 to raise funds for Konkani Daily Novem Goem. Alexinho de Maxem was then well known tiatrist and he was the member of NGPKS. He wanted me to take the lead in the formation of Kuwait Tiatristanchi Sonvstha as I formed NGPKS. I flatly but politely told Alexinho de Maxem in front of other members of NGPKS that I strongly object my association in forming KTS because I am not a tiatrist but I strongly support the idea of forming one such association for the good of Kuwait tiatrists and will help you or anyone coming forward but surely I will not be a part of it since I am not a tiatrist. Since the formation of KTS about 2 years back there is lot of animosity developed, this animosity developed because Kuwait Tiatristanchi Sonvstha propagates the formula �To Aslear Aum Nachona�. By using this �Rostad� formula initiated by Rostad tiatrists some of the great and shining tiatrists disappeared from the stage, some temporarily while others permanently thereby making Konkani Stage suffer a lot. By using such a revengeful formula, the late Chris Perry destroyed brightness in Lorna because of which even the propagation of Konkani suffered. Because of Lorna�s songs many people got attracted to Konkani. �Chris Perrychea mar Konkear�, Chris Perry promoted Konkani only to promote himself and make money at the cost of Konkani. Chris Perry never participated in any of the Konkani movements and morchas in Goa and never received any �lathi� from the policemen of Rane Government. Sucurrine was also a victim of such a formula which said �Tem aslear aum nachona�. While this formula was formulated, like silent spectators many of the tiatrists in Kuwait are just watching this episode as if it is immaterial. They cannot be partial, they are known to perform their roles on the stage against the injustice. In real life they must also show their guts and condemn and boycott those who are using the formula �To Aslear Aum Nachona�. Even the association promoting such a formula should be boycotted. I hope visiting tiatirsts will study this situation and raise their voice against the injustice committed on tiatrist by a group of tiatrists only who are addicted with nothing but madness. I only hope they survive in Kuwait on their jobs & residence permits otherwise if they receive God�s punishment for their arrogance and pride they may lose what they have in Kuwait and get themselves uprooted from Kuwait and dumped in Goa. Pride has its fall and God�s punishment need not necessarily come sprinting, it can also come lame footed. I have seen in my life many tiatrists who during their hey days did lot of pride and destroyed their own colleagues out of jealousy but later on they suffered a lot, not only they but even their children and family members and generations too. It is a shame to disclose here that some of the stalwarts who propagate the idea of �To Aslear Aum Nachona� are regular Church goers and also communion receivers. Are they worthy of this? The Church authority should know this that It is infested with some sinful elements who are spoiling the image of the Church. As I hve said earlier, our enemies are within ourselves. If Tiatro is suffering today and going on the edge of extinction it is not because of enemies of Tiatro but because of our own tiatrists who are number one enemies of tiatr and tiatrists. The enemy of tiatro and tiatrists is none other than those who propound the formula �To Aslear Aum Nachona� and those who support such formulae. Their names will remain in the history of Tiatro and Konkani as greatest enemies of Tiatro and Konkani.
A. Veronica Fernandes, Kuwait.
_________________________________________________________________
Protect your PC - get McAfee.com VirusScan Online http://clinic.mcafee.com/clinic/ibuy/campaign.asp?cid=3963
##########################################################################
# Send submissions for Goanet to [EMAIL PROTECTED] # # PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), and avoid top-posts #
# More details on Goanet at http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ # # Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to reflect respect to others #
##########################################################################
