Empathetic + excellent. Thanks, Fr. Anthony! On Sat, Jun 27, 2020 at 5:03 AM Goanet Reader <[email protected]> wrote:
> Fr Anthony Fernandes > [email protected] > > Seeing photos in the media of the 'Celebrity Infinity' cruise > ship docked at the Mormugao Port, Goa, on June 19, 2020, made > my eyes go moist. It brought back nostalgic memories of a > twelve-year-old rendezvous with it. > > It was the evening of May 27, 2007, when I boarded > the Celebrity Infinity at Vancouver, Canada, for > its Alaskan Cruise. It was my first official > assignment as a 'Cruise Ship Priest' or 'Catholic > Chaplain' for the cruise as a member of the > Apostleship of the Sea of the United States of > America (AOS-USA). > > AOS-USA is a professional association of Catholic maritime > ministers that offers ministry to the people of the sea. It > operates the Cruise Ship Priest Program for pastoral care > -- the sacramental, spiritual, counseling needs -- of cruise > ship passengers and crew. I had the blessing of being a > member of this association when I was in the US and had been > eagerly waiting for my first assignment till then. > > Coincidentally, this, my first assignment, was on the cruise > ship that had my own brother as one of its crew members. I > was also accompanied as my guest by another Goan priest, Fr > Peter Fernandes sfx, who was serving as a pastor in Chicago > at that time. > > This ministry to the seafarers was an experience that got > etched in my memory. I come from a seafarer family myself, > as both my father and grandfather were seafarers. So I owe > what I am today in a large measure to this sector. One often > recalls the supreme sacrifices of my seafarer father that > contributed to the relatively contented standard of living > and the opportunity of quality education for me and my > siblings. > > One always wanted to give back to this sector what it gave to > me and my family. So when the opportunity came knocking, to > be an AOS-USA member, through a priest colleague in the > parish I was serving in the USA, I welcomed it with both hands. > > Moreover, this ministry served as an opportunity for an > inside view of the 'seafarer industry' itself. It might be an > apt time to look back even as we have just celebrated the > International Day of the Seafarer. > > Some caveats before we proceed. By 'seafarers' we mean all > those working on any types of ships -- containers, bulk > carriers, tankers, passenger ships, etc. Seafarers are vital > to international trade and economy as 90% of the goods that > we use in our lives are transported by sea. > > It is estimated that India has more than 200,000 seafarers > directly employed in this sector. While the working > environment, professional challenges, personal struggles and > experiences of all types of seamen or seafarers (used > synonymously here though there is a nuance) are generally the > same, here I will restrict myself primarily to those working > on passenger ships, the cruise industry, in particular. > > THE GOAN SMILE > > Whenever a captain, the management or cruise > passengers spoke of our Goan seafarers, they > highlighted their commitment, hard work, skill, > competence, affability, honesty or integrity. I > too found them always warm, friendly and smiling as > they went about their daily chores. It is another > matter that their smiling faces hid their nearly 14 > hours of hard work, sacrifices, professional and > personal headaches. > > While counseling some of them, it was heart-rending to hear > about their personal stories of their struggles and pains, > both personal and professional. It needs to be mentioned > here that AOS-USA also works with the companies and maritime > organizations such as the International Maritime Organisation > et al to alleviate their lot and advocate for their welfare > and for just and humane working conditions. > > HOPE, AND THE PAIN > > This Cruise Ship Ministry gave me an opportunity to minister, > counsel and talk to many Goan seafarers and understand their > pains and struggles especially the pain of separation from > their kids and families and their yearning to return to them > at the earliest. > > This pain was accentuated by the nature of their work, > environment restricted by the haunting vast expanse of the > oceans and the seas with its fears and risks, cramped up in > their small claustrophobic cabins, the lack of time for any > meaningful camaraderie, and demands of excellence in their > service, among other aspects. > > My first assignment on the Infinity was particularly > nostalgic as it transported me back in time. Having > experienced a little of the life and struggles of the > seafarers gave me a renewed appreciation of the sacrifices of > my dad, grandfather and my brother right now. > > It transported me to my childhood, when I along with my > brothers used to long for the day when dad returned from > 'tarvar' (sea). There is no greater joy for a seafarer than > returning to his family and community and no greater relief > for the family than seeing him back hale and hearty. > > This mutual yearning, I guess, is best captured by the > Konkani song 'Dol Mhojea Bai' [1] from the famous Konkani movie > 'Nirmonn'. Remembering this childhood lullaby on the deck of > the ship was something else altogether, deeply emotional with > tears rolling down my cheeks now more because I was awakened > to the real meaning and import of it. > [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tYXt60A8rk > > It's lyrics, courtesy MangaloreMuzik, are as follows: > Lyrics :DOL MOJEA BAI > Dol moje bai, nind moje bai, pipit adtolo pai, > # Rock /swing my baby, sleep mum baby, father will bring sweets > (father works on the ship, who come back after about a year) > > Kavlo roddon, gharacher ghai, vinchari kitem zai, > # A crow was crowing over the house asking what (the baby) > wanted > > Kavlea baba, rekad dita, baiek usko zala, > # Crow sir/uncle, convey regards that the baby is missing him > (father) > > Baiechea pain, fottu vela, biskoot addunk gela , > # Baby's father took (baby's) photo, gone to bring biscuits > (to the baby) > > Bai mogachem, bai mojem dol, tukam ditelim boll, > # Baby dear, rock my baby, I will give you 'bol' (sweet round > bread that the morning baker used to bring) > > Sopnant utton, paisorxim chol, dakoi mogachem moll, > # wake up in (your) dreams, go to your father and show the > value/courage of love > > Chandni mama, kemkem dita, baien keli tata, > # Moon uncle, (who) gives banana, baby has (now) fallen > asleep > > Disu soron, ratui ieta, paicho ugdass ieta > # after the day, comes the night, reminding of father > (husband). > > Loneliness associated with prolonged absence from their kids > and spouses is very real and painful for the seafarer as well > as his family. Incidentally, just before I could go to > minister on the Celebrity Infinity cruise ship, I had > finished a course on 'Loss, Grief and Trauma' as part of my > studies. For the first time in my life, I now understood > that every goodbye to my Dad before he left for his many > voyages was a loss and a trauma that I never sufficiently > grieved or processed. > > It also made me understand the many losses and > traumas that our seafarers and their families > suffer, for the most part silently, resiliently. > Standing tearfully on the deck that night made me > poignantly realize that no amount of financial > security it brings to our Tarvotti families -- and > economic prosperity to our communities -- can hide > the immense psycho-social toll it has on both, the > seafarer families and the communities. > > This is true of all types of seafarers. In fact, it is true > of every Goemkar (Goan) who leaves his or her shore for > greener pastures to earn a living and feed the family. This > psycho-social effect on our diaspora population and their > families has, unfortunately, not been addressed sufficiently > by the State or the Church community in Goa. > > MOORED TO THEIR LAND AND CULTURE > > Despite all the struggles and vagaries of their profession, > one unmistakable facet of the Goan seafarer -- and other > non-resident Goans too -- is a palpable love for his or her > land and culture. > > It was a pure delight to hear "Boro mure?" ("All's okay?") on > the cruise ship. The Goan seafarers' undying love for their > mother tongue Konkani, their penchant for Goan cuisine, saw > one being surprised to be served sorpotel in a distant land > filled with snow. > > Their fondness for "mankulem Goem" (tiny Goa), and its > marinated Goencheo tajeo khobreo (fresh Goan news), > particularly its spicy politics, are all an integral part of > a Goan's life on board the ship. > > It was amply clear that a Goan seafarer's love for his land > and cultural identity knows no bounds. Part of this cultural > identity is their love for their faith. Their joy knew no > bounds when the word passed around that we were to have a > Konkani Mass for the first time on the cruise ship. > > Given their work responsibilities, we had to > schedule it for midnight, even though most in the F&B > section could still not make it. Even then, the > joy with which they went about preparing for it and > then participating in it with full gusto was to be > seen to be believed. It appeared it was more than > just a Mass for them. It was as if they were > celebrating themselves and their deepest identity. > > AMBASSADORS FOR GOA > > My experiences on the cruise ministry, and stay outside Goa, > underlined that there are no better ambassadors of Goa than > the diaspora, the Non-Resident Goans (NRGs) and the seafarers > in particular. > > The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic served to turn the focus on the > Diaspora stranded around the world for varied reasons but > particularly the seafarer community and revealed the unique > challenges that confront them. > > It is sad that India blatantly flouted the international > norms in the last few months. After the experience of the > SARS pandemic of 2003, the first of its kind in the > twenty-first century, member-nations of the World Health > Organisation (WHO), including India, agreed to the > International Health Regulations 2005 (IHR 2005). These were > meant to maintain a balance between a proportionate health > response to a global health emergency and to avoid undue > interference in international trade and traffic in such an > event. > > As per those regulations, no international > travellers (who are citizens or residents) can be > denied entry at the port-of-entry for health > reasons. Nor can they be charged for any health > related measures such as medical tests, quarantine > facilities, etc. > > Thus, the mandatory undertaking taken from stranded > Indians abroad before they board the so-called > 'Repatriation Flights' and the forcible extraction > of money from their companies, taking advantage of > their vulnerability, such as from the seafarer > companies, is a blatant violation of these > regulations by India, itself a solemn signatory. > > Despite their incalculable contribution to the economic and > psycho-social wellbeing of Goa through their families and > communities, we, Goans in general and the State in > particular, failed our diaspora, our non-resident Goans, > especially the seafarers, miserably. > > We failed to be sensitive and understand the angst of the > seafarers and their families. Worse still, we treated them > as outcasts, pariahs, untouchables, criminals. > > Barring a few honourable exceptions, both political and > non-political, it was sad that the intelligentsia at large in > Goa failed to speak up for the diaspora and particularly the > seafarer community, when it counted the most. We utterly > betrayed the ones who proudly call themselves Goenkar (Goans) > and effectively promote Goa and Goenkarponn (Goanity) to the > world in stark contrast to the futile official promotional > tours abroad. > > They deserve to be handsomely repaid by the State for being > its ardent and passionate ambassadors to the world. On the > contrary, the State shamelessly tried to feed off their > misery. Irrespective of any number of repatriations these > days, after extracting a bounty from them and their > companies, this wound created by the events of last few > months and the chasm of mistrust and betrayal between the > seafarer community (as also the other Goan diaspora) and the > State will take a long time to heal. > > What we do in the coming months will prove whether we have > any remorse and grace to make up for the body blow that we > have inflicted on this crucial component of our State and > society. Fortunately or unfortunately, this section will be > in Goa for a longer period this time than usual, offering a > golden chance for the healing process to complete, if we > desire it. > > On the tenth edition of the International Day of the > Seafarer, held this week, I bow to the seafarers -- those > presently working, those retired and those innumerable ones > who have gone by -- for their eternal and priceless > sacrifices, pains and travails that has contributed to making > Goans and Goa what it is today. > > May the indomitable seafarer community be blessed infinitely! > -- > Fernandes has majored in Pastoral Studies at the Loyola > University, Chicago, and is currently the Executive Secretary > of the Diocesan Pastoral Secretariat, Goa. > > Goanet Reader is compiled and edited by Frederick Noronha. > -- #2, Second Floor, Navelkar Trade Centre, Panjim, Goa Cellphone 9326140754
