Matanhy Saldanha - The last of the idealists - by Edwin Pinto
To me, the passing away of Matanhy Saldanha certainly signifies the end of
an era for Goa and Goans. For Matanhy, in a manner of speaking, was the last
of the idealists - that rare breed of activists who walked a tortuous path
through long seasons of uncertainty and turbulence as they struggled with
unwavering commitment against a government and a system skilfully configured
and heavily weighted against the people and the land.
It was during the Anti Meta Strips campaign in the year 2000 that we first
came in contact with Matanhy Saldanha. This was one of Goa's more intense
convulsions, where the surging anger of the people resulted in head on
confrontations between them and an intransigent government who tried to
suppress the movement through the use of state machinery. Needless to say,
movements of this magnitude certainly do not leave time for genteel
nurturing of relationships. We were thrown together - people living in the
affected villages around the factory, clueless, but full of good
intentions - never, ever envisaging where our campaign would lead us. It was
Matanhy who took charge, explaining, encouraging, motivating and guiding us
through the various stages of this tumultuous movement and putting steel in
our spines when the chips were down. In fact, he led from the front, imbuing
a group of ordinary villagers who were total novices to such campaigns, with
the unbelievable ability to withstand a thirteen day fast that brought the
government of the day to its knees, compelling it to close down the factory,
even though it proved later to be a temporary measure.
For Matanhy, the land and the environment were sacred community resources,
to be used for the collective good. He loved Goa with an intense passion and
willingly sacrificed many other dimensions of his life for his beloved
motherland. Matanhy did not believe in spit, polish and sophistication. He
was a votary of people's empowerment, clearly understanding that any
movement, however worthy, which was not fuelled with the energy of people at
grassroots level, was bound to experience extreme difficulties in fulfilling
its goal. He was therefore driven to shape a community that he hoped would
be alert, empowered and vigilant. For he firmly believed that such a
community would ultimately form Goa's most impervious defence against the
machinations of vested interests.
In our very many interactions and discussions with Matanhy, some admittedly
heated and tempestuous, we gained an insight into the depths of his
personality. He had a enviably sharp intellect, that could analyse any
situation thoroughly and grasp its very essence. His world view and
understanding of environmental issues, enabled him to come out with quick
and well thought out questions and responses to ill considered government
policies and laws imposed on the state, that have undoubtedly saved Goa from
even worse degradation than that it is experiencing presently. He lived with
the courage of his convictions, strongly believing that laws were made for
people and not the other way around. Hence he staunchly defended the rights
of fishermen to enjoy their traditional habitations within the CRZ zone.
Matanhy, more than most, understood the near impossibility of fighting
against a state equipped with the might of the system. With limited
resources at his command, he relied on his intellect, his sharp
understanding of the system's modus operandi, but most of all on the support
of the ordinary people, whose roots in the land he believed, gave them a
better feeling and perspective of the problems. He understood how important
it was for a community to preserve its special identity, even as it fused
with the peoples who made up the rest of the nation
Even when most of us at some stage got caught up in the problems and
situations of our own lives, we could always rest in the assurance that
Matanhy was always on the job, unceasingly watchful, always on guard as he
looked out for his beloved Goa and Goans. Right from the early days of the
legendary Ramponkar's Movement that toppled a mighty government, to the
Konkan Railway, SEZ, and any major environmental issue that rocked Goa,
Matanhy was a household name - synonymous with Goa and Goan issues. It is
indeed a tragic irony of fate that he won this election, was given charge of
Ministries close to his heart in a Government that was unhampered by the
constraints of coalition politics, only to be called away before fulfilling
his destiny.
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