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From: Valmiki Faleiro <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: "Goa's premiere mailing list, estb. 1994!" <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Subject: [Goanet] WHAT A MONUMENTAL SHAME! (Valmiki Faleiro)
Date: Sat, 14 Jan 2006 23:00:56 -0500
Mr. Valmiki Faleiro's above article on 14th of this month was just an
excellent piece of his genius mind in depicting a rare historical incident
towards the protection of the identity of Goa and Goans. Even earlier
articles of Valmiki Faleiro were very good and I am happy that such a great
writer is existing amongst us in Goa. I hope more of Valmiki Faleiros will
appear in Goa and Goan scene to advise, to guide and to direct Goans to take
more interest and more care in the promotion and protection of Goan
interest.
I am not sad that Goa was conquered by Bharat with the strenght of its
superior millitary power but I am sad that such a mighty military force was
used to conquer Goa by the Bharati Government of Nehru. I am sad and
extremely sad that Goa thru its conquest became a part of the rotten system
which is totally foreign to Goa. Good that the Opinion Poll was held in Goa
to decide its future otherwise Goa would be, as Goa, totally liquidated from
the planet and all this would happen only because my half brothers showed
their total allegiance to those who tried to liquidate Goa from beyond the
boundaries of Goa. The margin of victory in the Opinion Poll was not very
big but big enough to kick the Maharastrawadi sword hanging over our heads.
I was at that time an student of St. Joseph's High School Arpora, during the
first two days the counting showed mergerists gaining heavy lead coming
mainly from the North side where greater part of "zalach Pahije" was
residing. Besides all the deputationists, many Malyalis and all the Marathi
teachers and Government servants working in Goa with the blessings of
Bahusaib Bandodkar voting for merger were applauding every count in favour
of "Fulwalas" (Flower symbol was for mergerists and don Panam - 2 leaves
for antimergerists). In my village at Tinto mergerists were firing crackers
and shouting at the top of their voices when they realised the lead that
they were getting is going to sustain. Mergerists from the surrounding
villages were taking procession in Cars, Cycles and Motorcycles and when
they reached Candolim Tinto they started showing their Dadagiri with big
talks. Some said you all Christians will have to go to Portugal and those
who voted for "Don Panam" would be burnt alive. On the third day of
counting if I can remember very well, one classmate of mine Rego by name
brought in the class his Radio Set and hid it in his Desk. Prof. Rafael was
taking the Maths Class, he was very strict and would not tolerate any
indiscipline in Class. While Rego and me were listening to the news
bulletin of the counting, absent mindedly Rego increased the Radio volume
which Prof. Rafael heard and angrily turned his back from the Blackboard
where he was showing us one calculation. That particular moment the radio
gave details of the counting from Saligao where Prof. Rafael voted and
listening to this even he fell prey to the news and indisciplined boy Rego
in the classroom abruptly turned out to be a hero when everyone in the class
glued to his Radio set including strict disciplinarian Prof. Rafael. Such
was the interest in us on the results of Opion Poll.
On the day of the voting for Opinion Poll, my mother gave me two rupees to
buy something. I was along with others helping the people to bring them and
assist them in voting. I was in all my totality an anti-mergerist. From
the roll I saw one sure supporter of ours was absent and he was our local
Grave Digger popularly known in our Church and Village as "Bengalo". A few
days before the voting he went to substitute his relative in the similar
work at Aldona Church. I immediately in the afternoon pedalled my cycle to
Aldona Church, spoke to Pe. Vigar, got his permission and brought Bengalo to
Candolim by giving him 2 rupees that my mother gave me to buy something and
in the bargain I cheated my mother of 2 rupees shopping. The 2 ruipees
Bengalo would spend like this: 50 paise travelling from Aldona to Mapusa and
50 paise from Mapusa to Candolim and the remaining one rupee for his return.
Poor Bengalo did not even ask a single paisa more at least for a cup of
tea. If it is now, I am sure Bengalo would ask me special taxi and even 100
rupees minimum. But Bengalo of that time was the real son of his real Goan
father however poor he may be. Because he was sincere and genuine Goan he
died a poor death. May his soul rest in peace.
While the counting was going on my poor mother was lighting the candles at
my home family Altar and praying constantly. Radio was constantly on and so
the like minded neighbours flooding to my place to listen to the news
bulletin. Gradually the count from Saligao, Calangute and Candolim showed
surge in favour of Don Panam and when it reached to Cortalim, "Full" was
trampled under the solid foot of genuine Goan "Don Panam" and the remaining
was history. The official declaration of the result was kept in abeyance
for a while but for all probaility it was deduced that mergerist lost the
battle to the genuine sons and genuine daughters of Goa. Many of the
genuine and true Goans came from Bombay to participate in this Opion Poll,
so also few from Kuwait and as a matter of interest some funds was also
collected from Kuwait for the campaign of Opinion Poll, this was done by few
Goa fanatic Goans in their individual capacity, one of them involved in this
was Diogo A. D'Souza from Tivim who died 4 years back. On the last day of
counting, it was around 2 in the noon my brother working for Goa Police in
Panjim came home with a big bundle of Fire Crackers and for almost 20
minutes firework was going on at my place. A person who was lighting the
crackers at my place was one Shivram our neighbour who was a staunch
mergerist but the moment he got the news that mergerists lost the battle he
turned his side towards us and became a part of our celebration. While
counting was going on in Panjim, during the initial stages supporters of
mergerist were mocking at the supporters of anti-mergerists and even abusing
the ant-imergerists. They were also devising ways how to hammer and assault
the anti-mergerist once the final result was declared. However when the
counting took different turn in favour of ant-imergerists, many of the
mergerists mocking at genuine Goans earlier fled from the scene, not only
from counting place but from Panjim itself. Governement machinery and its
officials sensed the fierce mood of the people in both the camps and in
order to avoid clashes between mergerists and anti-mergerists, Justice
Jetley passed a verdict introducing Section 144 which means "No Association
of more than 5 persons". This killed the spirit of anti-mergerist of
venting their feeling of satisfaction by celebrating the victory, they were
denied the way to celebrate their hard fought victory. Within 48 hours
Nawhind Times in its bold editorial written by Menon, asked the authoritires
to lift the section 144 so that worthy people are allowed to celebrate their
victory. By that time the mood of celebration was dampened but we at our
place by firing crackers celebrated the victory, so the innumerable genuine
Goans. In Bombay especially at Dhobitalao and Chandanwaddi, genuine Goans
and their sons danced on the open road with their breast open some of them
of course dead drunk with liquour from Goan Unties. Immediately the
tiatrists showed their happiness by singing best of songs in praise of Opion
Poll Victory. Unfortunately Robin Vas was denied the previllege to stage his
Tiatto "Opinion Poll" in Goa by Bandodkar Government with a false excuse
that it would excite the people in Goa and create law and order situation.
This is the might of Tiatro then. Their campaign created the required
results. Young Stars of Goa troupe under Conception - Nelson - Anthony
deserve highest praises to awaken the masses from the stage. From Bombay,
Dr. Simon Fernandes thru his Goan Tribune and Goa Times Weeklies created
heavy impact in support of anti-merger. Church leaders and priests also
worked hard in our side though silently and clandestinely. I dont know why
they had to be afraid of mergerists and Bahusaid Bandodkar. Church should
be direct and open in speaking out its conscience towards right direction.
While concluding I salute everyone from the point of Landlord and
Businessman Dr. Jack de Sequeira to poor Grave Digger "Bengalo" who all
fought and worked for the success of Opinion Poll.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
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