REPLY TO THE CRITICS OF OPINION POLL ON JACK SEQUEIRA
First I want to comment on one “opinion” today in a section of the press that rambled a lot. The writer seems to be against the Opinion Poll celebrations because Goa has not developed as much as it should have or has lost its identity. He says firstly that India was integrated into the Indian Union without allowing self-determination. This has got nothing to do with the Opinion Poll. By the time of the Opinion Poll India had already been integrated for 6 years. The question at the time of the Opinion Poll was whether it should be part of Maharashtra or separate. Then the writer says Goa should have been given special status and he blames everyone past and present for not working towards this. Once again – how is this related to the Opinion Poll? People were doing their best to save Goan identity. After the Opinion Poll, Bandodkar the former CM was in power again. It’s not like the anti-merger group had power. As for later politicians failing Goa, everyone knows that. Why take away from the Opinion Poll activists? He says even without the merger with Maharashtra Goa has been destroyed and that Bandodkar had the foresight to see that some parts of Goa like Tiracol and Mopa would be marginalized if the merger was not done. Does he realize that if Goa had been merged with Maharastra it would have been one district of Maharastra? Maybe he should go to some of the rural districts of Maharashtra and see how ‘advanced’ they are. All in all, I don’t know what point he was trying to make so the less said the better. As a youth of about 21-22 in 1966 I recall the Opinion Poll. Bandodkar had many supporters Ponda side. There was a meeting planned by the pro-merger group supporters near the Mardol ground. Pro-merger supporters were coming from Ponda, Banastarim, Marcaim, Shiroda, etc for a show of strength. We youth from Panjim also wanted to attend to show that the anti-merger front also had supporters and we approached Dr. Jack Sequeira. He told the Bar Barreto proprietor to give us money for petrol and food etc. We went to the meeting and it became a big fight. Looking back now, of course, the fight resolved nothing. I’m just recounting this because I remember how accessible and helpful Dr. Jack Sequeira was and that brings me to my second point. Today when people are insulting Jack Sequeira’s memory I feel very frustrated. A few significant Goan writers tend to conveniently ignore his yeoman contributions for the conduct of the Opinion Poll. To gauge his contributions it would be pertinent to ask -- if you remove Jack de Sequeira from the scene as the then Leader of the Opposition, would the Opinion Poll even be held in Goa? Dayanand Bandodkar who was the Chief Minister of Goa at that time and had greater support, wanted the Assembly to decide that Goa be merged with Maharashtra. It was Dr. Jack de Sequeira who played a major role in convincing the Centre to hold the Opinion Poll. We should desist from having the crab mentality and agree that Jack de Sequeira did his utmost to save Goa, Daman and Diu and to maintain its unique identity. Why do certain writers blame Jack de Sequeira, when he in his lifetime did a great favour for the Goans? Why do you not blame the later crop of politicians for having indulged in the dilution of the Goan identity by the rampant sale of land especially to the real estate corporations and the corporate sector who acquired Goan land for 5-star and 7-star hotels in Goa? I would like living stalwarts of the Opinion Poll to come forward together and decide without fear or favour about the issue of giving credit as to who should be named the Father of the Opinion Poll. Several artists, politicians and other leaders in freedom struggles across the world have been given major support and the central figure took all the credit, otherwise, no country would have a Father of their freedom movement. Several major contenders quietly faded and merged into the background, an honourable thing to do, but none the less their contributions was truly their own and they received their proportionate credit, truly deserving it all. A prudent assessment by our elder statesmen who are still alive and who worked for the Opinion Poll would be acceptable. Let the matter be resolved without rancour by those wise men who have supported the burden of the Opinion Poll and whose collective wisdom should take precedence so as to resolve the issue in a principled manner. Stephen Dias Dona Paula Mob: 9422443110 Date: Sunday 21.1.2018
