By Roland Francis Source: Goan Voice UK Daily Newsletter, 12 May 2013 at www.goanvoice.org.uk
Until 1937 Aden was governed by the British as a part of India, but realizing its future strategic importance both from a point of view of trade as well as war, they decided to make it a separate colony and develop it. It would serve their interest not only to export oil that was starting to be drilled from Saudi Arabia but was also close enough to their oil interests in Abadan and other parts of Iran or Persia as it was then called. Although Basra was already being used, it wouldn't hurt for Aden to be the Arabian foil to its Persian counterpart. The Brits controlled them both. And there started the Goan Diaspora beginning of the Arabian Gold Rush that continues even today. Goans who were already well represented in Bombay's British Banks and trading companies that were either British or Parsee dominated, were encouraged to apply to positions that opened in Basra and Aden, the latter more so. Already by that time fairly pioneering, having settled in British and Portuguese Africa they must have said to themselves "why not"? The pay was a little better than Bombay and the British recruiters didn't look at educational qualifications too closely as they did for their hires in that city. They knew that the climate was desert and intemperate but when did weather ever deter Goan adventurers seeing how they in later years populated even frigid winter countries like Canada. So off to Arabia they went, with a large steel trunk on one of the BI steamers (little ships plying the Bombay-Gulf route) with a hope in their soul and a song in their hearts. In 7 days they docked and were met by one of their Goan contacts already employed in the major port and shipping agency of the place. Gray Mackenzie, a sister company of Mackinnon Mackenzie of Bombay, was the dominating freight forwarder, port agent, importer and exporter and was Goan dominated through the years of expansion that followed in Bahrain Dubai, Doha and Kuwait. After Aden, Bahrain opened up for Goans and became a more famous word in the Konkani lexicon. For a long while any Goan coming on furlough to Bombay or Goa mentioning that he was in Muscat, Qatar, Dubai or Abu Dhabi, would meet with an understanding nod followed by "aanh Behrin". Bahrain was more salubrious, had fresh water that was transported weekly in dhows to the other states and the people were far more progressive and less religion focused, since their livelihood was based mostly on diving and trade of pearls, along with dates and fish, with Bombay and Karachi. Of course oil money and nascent Arab ambition changed the situation considerably by the end of the twentieth century. It was also to Bahrain that Goan employees were transferred after the troubles started in southern Yemen coming under communist influence. If there was a capital of the Gulf Goan Diaspora, it was Bahrain. Qatar was merely a conglomeration of fishing and desert villages and Kuwait was just starting to discover oil in critical mass. In fact the oilfields and surrounding camps of PDO (in Oman), Shell (in the Dukhan oilfield of Qatar) and Aramco (in Saudi Arabia) were the only signs of any life, not just Goan life in the Gulf. Life in Bahrain was centered in the small city of Manama where most of the companies and large department stores churches and clubs were located with satellite towns around it. It had the Bab-al-Bahrain (Bahrain Gate) where people congregated and if the Goan community were not in their clubs, you could see them taking their walks near the Bab. There was much closeness among Goans and I personally witnessed that. Almost every Goan in the other Gulf States knew a relative or friend in Bahrain and they would be invited to stay with them when they inevitably made a trip there. The small island-state was liberal with alcohol laws and every weekend you would see long lineups spilling onto the curbs, of people buying from a large choice of booze from Gray Mackenzie or other Bodegas. Of course most of the buyers were Saudis who would drive in for a weekend of spirit abuse, or other Gulf nationals who were deprived of liquor (and pork) in their own states by strict Islamic laws. Goans in Bahrain at one time had the best time of any other Goan Gulf community and one might include some non-Gulf countries as well. The pay was good, the life was good, and you could fly to Bombay or Goa in a couple of hours. Of course there is always more to a situation than just that, but I am telling it from the mindset that prevailed then. If there is one 'take-away' from all this, it is that someone up there has always taken care of the well-being of Goans. The Portuguese didn't do it and the Indians are certainly far from doing it as well.
