Hi! This might be of interest. : A related report by Vincent D'Souza in* The Times of India* ( dt. 1st Dec. 2010)
"*Jingle Bells Go Silent at Goan Club*". *LINK to Vincent D'Souza's article in TOI, given below.* best wishes, Praba Mahajan Researcher-Writer Mumbai. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hubballi/Jingle-bells-go-silent-at-Goan-Club/articleshow/7141097.cms On Fri, Jun 26, 2020 at 4:48 AM Goanet Reader <[email protected]> wrote: > ROCQUE FERNANDEZ > [email protected] > > It used to be Hubli, today it is Hubballi. What was Diamond > Valley, Chocolate Street, is now a different place. Its > current address reads as Keshwapur. Yet, from 1901, almost a > hundred and twenty years ago, this has been home to a tiny > pocket of Goa. > > Dating back to 1901, in the prime location of > Diamond Valley, Chocolate Street, Hubli, a > determined effort by the Goans of the day brought > into existence what was then known 'Portuguese Club'. > > Andrew Fernandes, better known as Master Fernandes, > Lawerance Francis Braganza and Leopold Braganza > were the backbone and founders, among others, who > got going the idea of a club for the Goans of Hubli. > > The plot on which it was located sprawled across > approximately 12,000 square feet of land, and was donated by > the Kategrie brothers. Surprising but true, the strong old > Club building has been maintained without much modifications > to retain its original looks. > > Its walls have been recently plastered with cement and sand. > The roofing has Mangalore tiles fitted on wooden beams. > However, the wooden flooring once danced upon has been > replaced with Shahabad flooring tiles. The walls have pigeon > holes spaced apart, perhaps for better ventilation, when the > doors and windows were closed to contain loud music during > party time. > > Over the years the Diamond Valley lost its precious glitter > as well as its name, but now this area of Keshwapur is still > considered as one of the most prominent locations in the city > which has been later named Hubballi. Presently, it is the > second-biggest city in the State of Karnataka in India. > > Being a Railway Junction equipped with a regional > Railway workshop, Goans and Anglo Indians were the > preferential choice in the Railways because of > their fluency in English which was then a vital > qualification requirement. > > The Anglo Indians made use of the Railway Institute whilst > the Goans had their own Portuguese Club for their social, > recreational and cultural activities. > > During its prime days, the Institute was well attended for > all its activities and programs. Wedding receptions, > birthday and anniversary parties were among the common > celebrations conducted at the club. > > During Christmas, weeklong programs were organized with fancy > dress, singing competitions, Christmas tea and a sports day, > housie, etc. A May Queen Ball was organized during the month > of May with a May Queen of the night competition, who was > selected from among those shortlisted by a jury. It was a > matter of pride for young women to feature on this list. > > Every weekend the seniors joined in for games of > rummy. This apart, a library was maintained and > members visited the club to update themselves > reading magazines and the daily newspapers that > were made available to members. Youth, for their > part, were more interested playing table tennis and > carom. Occasionally competitions were also conducted. > > A volleyball/throwball court was prepared for outdoor > sports. Thus, the Goans of Hubli had been bestowed a > valuable legacy by our pioneering ancestors more than a > century and twenty years ago. > > The Portuguese Club was later re-christened to what is today, > the Portuguese Goan Institute. > > Unfortunately, over the years, the institute has rapidly > turned inactive and disintegrated mainly due to the fact that > our younger generation, after their education, were compelled > to leave Hubballi to seek gainful employment in the larger > cities of India and abroad. > > In addition, membership declined, resulting in a > paucity of funds to maintain the Institute. This > has rendered our invaluable inheritance in a prime > location, desolate, unsightly and in ruins -- a > grave injustice and shame to our departed ancestors. > > The past two decades have seen a further deterioration with a > skeleton managing committee barely attending monthly > meetings. Social and recreational activities gradually died > down because of poor response and attendance. > > The last major event was celebrating the centenary year of > the Portuguese Goan Institute, in 2002. It was held on the > open campus of the premises and was well attended. The > managing committee used this opportunity to once again appeal > for the reviving and restoration of the institute, at least > for the future welfare and enjoyment of our seniors, > ourselves and our youth to avail of social and recreational > activities. > > Unfortunately, no significant progress was made thereafter. > > There was a time when some felt, and wrongly so in one's > opinion, that it was preferable to hand over the property to > the Church authorities or to our Catholic religious > institutions, who had been eyeing the premises and had made > many an enquiry. > > Another suggestion was to lease it to run a nursery school. > > These were outrightly rejected by a majority of the > committee members. There still is a hope that sometime, > someday, a future generation of Goans would realize the value > and importance of this initiative, and accordingly take the > initiative of investing and bringing back glory to what it > was once. In view of this, the property has been protected > from any take-over or external interference. > > During the last decade, the institute’s activities > have come to a standstill. It was left to lone > committee members who shouldered the task of > administering and looking after the basic > necessities and requirements to keep it on the map. > > To retain it, the premises and hall were given on hire for > weddings, parties, conferences and prayer meetings. The income > from these hirings took care of maintenance and settling of > monthly water, electricity bills and taxes. Occasionally > housie was organized as the sole activity for members. > > Several attempts were thereafter made for a revival, but have > failed. The city of Hubballi has grown enormously in size > during the past century with its borders extended far beyond. > > From once having a single parish, five parishes are now > functioning. Many Goans have been scattered far and away > from the vicinity of the Goan Institute at Keshwapur, thus > making it difficult for regular participation or involvement > increasing the challenges it faces. > > Presently the Goan Institute has an elected managing > committee which is facing the urgent need of funds to get the > roofing restored, costing approximately Rs150,000 to 200,000. > > Once restored and repaired, the institute can plan > activities and make efforts to relive the > activities of the past as envisaged by our > ancestors. But time is running out and so is the > enthusiasm to get going. > > One could rightly suggest a bank loan, but who is going to > bell the cat? Perhaps Goans from abroad who have their links > in Hubli can step forward. The President, Dexter Braganza > can be contacted on +919611101324 for further details. > > One has every reason to believe that with a readymade prime > property available, the Goans of Hubballi will one day see > reason and get to seriously utilising the Goan Institute in > the future. I have -- fortunately or unfortunately -- been a > managing committee member for almost four decades with > nothing much to boast about, and in fact partly responsible > for the present state of affairs. > > -- > Rocque Fernandez recently resettled in Nachinola, Bardez, > after being in Hubli for a generation and more. He is married > to Sharbelle (nee Aguiar) who is currently working on a book > on her late father, the radio-announcer in Goa, Roderigo > (Roddy) Aguiar. > > Goanet Reader is editor and compiled by Frederick Noronha. >
