Monday, 10 January 2011
EDUCATED GOANS SAVE GOA JUST AS EDUCATED UNITED GOAN LEADERS SAVED GOA FROM
MERGER By Bebdo
The other day I had a heated discussion with an educated friend of mine who has
a very pessimistic view about Goa and its future. He agrees that Goa is gone to
the dogs and it is now beyond redemption. He also argued that it is beyond
anyone’s capabilities to stop the influx of ghanttis into Goa and stop selling
of land and properties to non-Goans. His refrain was Goans will not be able to
do anything because we have illiterate goonda politicians who are all out to
loot Goa and make a fortune for their families and their next 10 generations.
When I asked him when was the last time did he voted, he replied that he
neither casts his vote nor does he speaks against the stinking political decay
in Goa. The reason he said was because almost all the politicians are
illiterate goondas and he doesn’t want to cast his vote to any of them.
He is not the only educated Goan voter who feels this way and as such does not
vote.
Our educated Goans with their lackadaisical attitude are to a large extent
responsible for electing the illiterate goonda politicians time and again. Our
educated Goans, be they teachers, lawyers, doctors, engineers, and other
professionals have within them to change the political system by speaking out
against the illiterate goonda politicians instead of complaining that Goa is
gone to the dogs and nothing can be done now.
The middle class should not suffer silently and say que sera sera. The middle
class besides being the catalyst for change also provides the spark to start
any revolution, and history is a witness to that. Forget about the French
Revolution, the Orange Revolution and the Philippines People’s Power Revolution
to oust Ferdinand Marcos; in our very own Goa the educated middle class in the
1960s saved us from the Maharastrawadis and merger by fighting unitedly for a
common cause to save Goa for the Goans. Just imagine if we had the present set
of politicians then in 1960’s, today Goa would have been a part of Maharashtra.
In the first general election to the Goa legislative assembly, which had 30
seats, the United Goans under the leadership of Dr Jack de Sequeira won 12
seats (MGP won 16 seats, and independents in Daman and Diu). Among the 12 MLAs
elected on the United Goans party symbol, there were five doctors. They were
Dr. Jack de Sequeira elected from Panjim, Dr. Luis Proto Barbosa (Cortalim), Dr
Alvaro de Loyala Furtado (Navelim), Dr Maurilio Furtado (Benaulim) and Dr.
Sebastiao Mazarello (Cuncolim).
The remaining seven MLAs, J.M. D’Souza (Calangute), Orlando Sequeira Lobo
(Aldona), J.L. Araujo (Santa Cruz), Teotonio Pereira (Santa Andre), Urminda
Lima Leitao (Mormugao), Enio Pimenta (Curtorim) and Vassudev Sarmalkar (Margao)
were either professionals or established businessmen.
None of them were corrupt and they sacrificed everything for a cause. I
personally know the children of many of them and they all say that their
fathers did not keep them any wealth, except for their ancestral houses or
properties. Some of them were staying in rented houses in Panjim. Most of them
still comprise the middle class and have taken up professions such as teaching,
banking and medicine.
If those United Goans politicians were like those of today’s politicians, then
their children would have been living a lavish lifestyle. During the merger
issue, many of them were indeed offered bribes and positions of power by the
politicians from Maharashtra and Delhi, but they turned them down because of
their love for Goa and Goans. They were men and women of principles and never
believed in self-aggrandisement.
I have seen first hand what a man of principle Dr Jack de Sequeira was. A year
before he died, I was a teenager and a friend of his grandson Anil, who is in
the UK now. I was visiting his place and when Dr Jack de Sequeira entered, it
appeared as if he had a halo surrounding him. With his white beard, and white
clothes he was radiating power. He enquired about our studies and about Anil
who was studying in the XIth science class in Dhempe College. I then mustered
enough courage and asked him only one question on politics which haunts me even
today. The question was: “Papa, why did you leave politics and why are you not
contesting elections now?” He replied: “My son, I am a politician as long as
the people want me to lead them. The people have rejected me and I have no
right to impose myself on them. As such I have left politics.”
For those who don’t know, Dr. Jack de Sequeira quit politics the day he lost
the Santa Cruz constituency seat to Michael Fernandes. Will any of our present
day politicians do such a thing?
The principles and values to govern Goa and change Goa into a better place can
only come from those who are passionate about their love for Goa and Goan
identity. The educated middle class has the passion and love for Goa. They only
need to be woken up from their deep slumber.
Wake up my dear Goan educated middle class and spread the message of a Goan
revolution. Let us join hands and kick out the illiterate goonda politicians
out of Goa.
They don’t deserve to rule us.
Viva Goa, Viva Niz Goenkar, Goa for Goans!
