[saligaonet] The Saligao Spirit in Britain---I.

[Nascimen]

THE SALIGAO SPIRIT IN BRITAIN.---I Mr. Jonh G. Carneiro from Donvaddo who lives in London is an educationist of long standing and a prominent member of the Saligao Association in Britain. He displays ‘The Saligao Spirit’ of the eighties in Queen Ezibeth II’s Kingdom for us to re-live or sing ‘Those were the Days’ Since then much water has flown down the River Thames and in our present days Mr. Tony Blair, PM of Britain blares the trumpet at 10 Downing Street blowing a new spirit in the heart of the British and our " AMCHE" who has mingled in that culture sing not only the British National Anthem but equally praises Mae de Deus, their patroness invoking her through their the Saligao Hymn ‘O Brilhante e a estrela" of course with the sounds of sugar-canes trumpets. From ‘’belios to pounds…'The Saligao Spirit’still permeats around the hearth of every Saligaokar over there . Once my mind and heart was enveloped in that ‘Spirit’ in London in early eighties where from close quarters I had a ‘dheko’ of that spirit hovering over our ‘Amche de Saligao’ Now my almost dried spirit is been revived by this article of Professor Carneiro. Read carefully . This is how he puts ,‘The Saligao Spirit in Britain’, in one of his numerous nostalgic writings . " When my daughter looked up from her files to remark, " I am beginning to enjoy this", I was happy for her. She was organising the Saligao Children’s Party and obviously, getting a kick out of it. Community service carries with it its own reward. Similar good fortune befell me last year. I was part of a committee entrusted with reviewing the membership lists: With me was the venerable octogenarian, A .P. de Souza, OBE, a generation away, two recent graduates into the ranks of the Senior Citizens, the ‘ papabile’ Patru Abreo and the ageless Ambrose Remedios while on the right side of the age divide were Tome D’Souza, Zef D’Souza, Patrick Dantas and John Baptist D’ Souza. It was a feast of notes and anecdotes as we bridged the gap and geography reminiscing on the good times in Saligao, Bombay, Kenya and Uganda in an effort to trace by name, surname or nickname (!) the well nigh 500 members that grace the registers of the Saligao Association in Britain. Together with their wives, husbands and children we are well over a thousand strong and only senility can deny us the pleasure of rekindling memories whenever we see these faces at our socials year after year. Such joys are fair reward for involvement in one’s community. It makes even the brickbats bearable. The involvement of Saligaocars is legendary. There is no such thing as a solitary Saligaocar. Let two Saligaocars bump into each other in a foreign land and away they go in search of a third. Then, before you can say ‘ Sakaram’, a committee is formed, the ‘ fest’ is on ( ani tea bhair fogo !)The climax is reached with a high pitched patriotic rendering of " O Brilhante a Estrela" ! Something like that very nearly happened in London way back in 1955-56. I had met Francis Newton, the artist, and Ralph D’ Sousa, who was reading a Bar, among a couple of others when Fr. Edwin D’Souza came over. Of course, Saligao was very much on our minds and the " fast" very nearly came off when Fr. Edwin introduced me to a certain Fr. Fox( no less !) who was chaplain to four hundred Goan seamen at the docks!………..to be continued. Compiled by Fr. Nascimento Mascarenhas.