It was extremely saddening to learn about the demise of Tony Correia Afonso,
all the more so because he was younger.
I came to know Tony in the late forties when his father came to Belgaum as the
Principal of newly opened Rani Parvatidevi College and we being doubly related
(Tony's father's and mother's side), I was a frequent visitor and Tony and I
engaged in long political and other discussions.
Unfortunately, due to my "wandering" life thereafter and absence from India for
the past almost fifty years, we lost touch.
Tony was gracious enough to resume contact when I contributed some articles to
GOANET in 2006 and he was very appreciative thereon.
>From his writings that I had the opportunity to come across I was glad and
>proud that, like some others of us, he was a great lover of his country, GOA,
>and railed against current abuses there. GOA will sorely miss one of its
>ardent defenders.
To Marina & family, whom unfortunately I did not have the pleasure of knowing,
my sincere and truly heartfelt condolences. His legacy will continue
untarnished.
I am reminding in this connection of some lines I came across a while back,
which seem apt in this case and which I therefore reproduce below:
Near shady wall a rose once grew,
Budded and blossomed
in GOD's free light
Watered and fed by morning dew
Shedding the sweetness day and night
As it grew and blossomed fair and tall
Slowly rising to loftier height,
It came to a crevice in the wall
Through which there shone
A beam of light.
Onward it crept with added strength
With never a thought of fear or pride
it followed the light,
through the crevice length
And unfolded itself on the other side.
The light, the dew, the broadening view
Were found the same
as they were before:
It was indeed saddening to learn about the demise of Tony, all the more because
he was younger..
I came to know Tony in the late forties when his father came to Belgaum as
Principal of newly opened Ranee Parvatidevi College and, he being a fairly
close double relative (both father's and mother's side), I was a frequent
visitor to the house and we engaged in long political and other discussions.
Unfortunately, due to my "wandering" life thereafter, and absence from india
for almost fifty years, we lost touch. But, he was gracious enough to resume
contact in 2006 when some of my contributions appeared on GOANET and he wrote
to me very appreciatively.
I was extremely happy to see from a few of his writings that I had the pleasure
of reading, that, like some others of us, he loved GOA above all else and was
chagrined at the immense abuses there to-day. GOA will sorely miss an ardent
defender of its people's interests.
To Marina and the family, whom I did not have the pleasure of knowing
personally, my most sincere and truly heartfelt sympathies .Tony ran a good
race and is now getting his due rewards.
Even at the cost of being a little too long, I reproduce below part of some
lines I came across a while back, which are applicable to him.
Shall claim of death cause us to grieve
And make our courage faint or fall?
Nay, let us Faith and Hope receive
The rose still grows beyond the wall.
Scattering fragrance far and wide
just as it did in days of yore
Just as it did on the other
side
Just as it will forevermore.
Marcos Gomes-Catao
[email protected]
