From within a Goan context...........there were close to 30,000 Goans living
in Kuwait on August 2, 1990 and there must be many more living there now.
I'm surprised Goans are not represented on the ICC, Kuwait.
Wilson Coelho of Goa Welfare Society and his band of Goenkars co-ordinated
evacuation logistics for the Goan community looking to depart Kuwait. It was
an unprecedented effort that won the Govt of India a number of kudos.
Gaspar Almeida, Santos Gomes and many other Goans chose to stay behind in
Kuwait under Iraqi occupation until Kuwait's liberation on February 26,
1991. These were all part of a network of individuals that assisted each
other and total strangers during those 7 traumatic months in the lives of
many.
There are many more nameless Goan heroes who braved the Iraqi-imposed
conditions and chose to stay behind in Kuwait. I hope their stories are told
too.
To all of you Kuwaiti-Goenkars -- Mabrook el Id-al-Watani!!!
- Bosco
T.O
<The Indian Citizens Committee, Kuwait, one of the leading organisations
representing the vast Indian diaspora, was established on the dusty evening
of invasion of Kuwait by Iraq in 1990. Set by a core group of committed
Indians led by eminent persona of Mr. H S Vedi as its chairman, the ICC was
in the forefront in the evacuation of 1,65,000 Indians from Kuwait onward to
India.
Closely working with the community which lived under the dark shadow of
invasion, the ICC associated with Mr I. K. Gujral who was then the External
Affairs minister to help in the evacuation, a feat which was recognized by
the Indian Government.
Mr Vedi, alongwith prominent ICC members Abraham Mathew, Babji Rao, Prakash
Shaw, Andrew Thomas, Saifuddin Katubjiwala, Siddiqui Valiakath, Raman
Sharma, Madhu Warrier and others, opened channel of communication with the
Iraqi government to facilitate the onward journey of Indians. Not only
this, the ICC members helped organize food, medicine, security and provided
morale booster to the leaving Indian community and those who preferred to
stay behind.
During more than eight month of invasion, the ICC remained station in
Kuwait.>
