Remembering Historian Sharon Jacqueline D'cruz on her 10th death anniversary
I knew Sharon D'cruz from 1995 till her death in 2013 due to brain tumor. She was my close friend and was active in various social and environmental struggles with me while I was attached to GOA DESC in Mapusa in mid 1990s. She completed her Ph.d from Goa University and post doctoral studies from Bangalore University. During her graduation she was a State ranker from St. Xavier's College, Mapusa. And at Post Graduation she topped Goa University in History and her name appears on the wall list of the rankers in History Department. When I was active with GAKUVED in 2004 to 2010 and was slammed by Mining companies she was my supporter through phone calls in solidarity. Just before her death she was working on paper about Dhangars of Goa and had shared draft with me but death took her away. We remember and pray for her soul. I know her colleague Avinash Raikar too. He also teaches at Cuncolim College where Sharon used to teach. They combined well academically and worked on Fisher people paper and then on communidades as common property resource in EPW. When she visited Delhi in JNU for refresher course she phoned me and we met at JNU campus for an hour. I was working at CACIM in New Delhi that time in 2005. I never knew she would bid good bye to us so suddenly that too on historical day so significant to Cuncolim and Goa: July 25. Historian that she was died on historical day. Fr. Victor Ferrao preached on her funeral mass and her body is buried at Tropa cemetery in Siolim where she was married though her house is in Thivim. Fr. Ferrao had reminded about her research interest in Church history particularly of the Fransiscans. She was shy and timid personality yet genius in studies. Those close to her also got glimpse into her jovial character and I was one amongst them. She was an excellent basketball player too and represented St. Xavier's college basketball team. She tought at Naval Academy, Sankhelim College and Finally at Cuncolim college. Her enemies prevented her from joining St. Xavier's college, Mapusa and Department of History, Goa University as faculty through political maneuvering. She had kept me informed about these nasty happenings. Sharon used to contribute her brilliant analytical articles to the St. Christopher's Church magazine while Fr. Evaristo Gama was parish priest there while she was college student. It was Fr. Evaristo Gama who got her involved in Social Justice movement in 1995. Sharon was one of the brightest students that got Justice orientation by choice through youth camp in Bastora animated by Roland Martins and Fr. Prakash Lohale O.P. on the theme "Role of Youth in the service of the Church and Goan Sociey" I was too shocked at her death message that got conveyed to me and could not muster courage to write a tribute to her after death. I had interacted with her few weeks before at Goa University just before Romila Thapar guest lecture. Today I remember her on her 10th death anniversary and express these few lines on memorable life of Sharon D'Cruz. Sharon carried towering physical height on campus of St. Xavier's College Mapusa and on college basketball ball ground. She was tallest student of her batch and tallest academic of her times. She went for great collaborations even beyond academics. The book she authored with Rajan Narayan is a testimony to her towering talent. Most important in her life was her ethical integrity. She never compromised on this front. She was unlike any history scholar of her times. Unethical practices normally galore amongst historians. History is currently being practiced as slaughter house of memory. Prajal Sakhardande's book Goa Gold Goa Silver...Chapter on mining protests in Goa has omitted my name. I questioned him at the wedding reception of Mariano Ferrao's son few years ago and he replied after few minutes of silence that it was typing mistake! This is one example of how hypocrisy is being practiced in history and the evidence as to how history has been transformed into a slaughter house of epistemology. Sharon D'cruz had close connection with Lisbon and she did visit. In fact when she expressed disappointment over my engagement with Jharkand she had peculiar way to do so "Oh it's so far!" When I drew her attention to mathematics of distance to point out that Jharkhand was closer than Lisbon she simply blushed "Lisbon is close by". I learnt that distance is less about mathematics and more about attachments to places. More attached one to the place, closer it is and vice versa. Mathematics doesn't matter. What matters is the calling and passion of one's heart. Sharon's heart was full of love for history. This genre of love left no place for any other genre to occupy her passion. While we remember Sharon today on her 10th death anniversary we can't afford to overlook her history teacher at St. Xavier's college: Prof. Daniel D'souza whose each lecture in history classroom was history by itself and Sharon lived through those historical moments. I was privileged to interact closely with Sharon on numerous occasions right from her college days. Beautiful memories of her company enriched my life certainly. Not sure what caused tumors in her brain so silently but we must learn one lesson from her death: never to keep mobile phone close to the ear and always to avoid very long mobile phone conversations. While Sharon lived the knowledge of mobile phone radiation was scanty but currently this information is accessible and radiation impacts causing brain tumor is available. May God Grant Eternal Rest to Sharon. Sebastian Rodrigues
