|
THE SALIGAO UNION-BOMBAY---I We have read that St. Anne’s Club began circa 1850 in Mumbai . It was an offshoot of The Communidade de Saligao. However it has to be closed in early fifties and money kept in the safe custody of the Committee of Capela de Santa Ana, Saligao, to say an annual mass for the intentions of the members on Sunday, after the feast of St. Anne which in Saligao is celebrated on or after 26th July This mass of Bomboikars is been celebrated in our present times.The late Mr. Alfred J.D’Souza, the President of Saligao Union, Bombay in an article entitled " DOWN THE AGES" has given us the history of beginning of The Saligao Union Bombay and how it got started in that metropolitan city and who was responsible for its establishment, and what is its present status. For the sake of our Saligao netters I am reproducing the article ‘ipsis verbis. " It is generally believed that the earliest Goan emigrants set sail for Bombay some time during the Portuguese possession of the island. They came along with the Franciscans braving the seas in " patmars" ( sailing vessels) which took over a week to make the voyage from Goa to Bombay. It is surmised that a few Saligaocars were among them though there is no authoritative information about this. It is known, however, that the early Goan emigrants resided mainly at Mazagaon and Cavel, and for generations their religious and social life was confirmed mainly to those areas. In course of time when their ranks swelled after the middle of the nineteenth century and thereafter on account of increasing emigration from Goa, there was much activity at Cavel and nearby Dabul in the social, cultural and educational spheres. And so it was that Saligaocars held their first Social in the Catholic Library Hall at Cavel about the year 1915. That function was a prelude to similar Socials in later years but, for want of an organisation these Socials were held only sporadically. However, it appears that a Social Committee was formed some time in 1933 and a Social organised in December that year. In the following year, the Social Committee with Augusto Saldanha as President, arranged a Social on Dec. 16, at the I.L.I. Hall, Dabul. These two functions were successful events as the members of the Committee had applied themselves to the task of establishing personal contacts with as many Saligaocars as possible and had enthusiastically expended much energy over the arrangements. The main burden of arranging the functions appears to have fallen on Richard Durant, Joint Secretary of the Committee, who, by all accounts, worked indefatigably and sincerely for the cause of the organisation both at the time of the Social Committee and later when the Saligao Union was formed. From a manuscript( carefully preserved but now turned to a golden hue) of the speech addressed by Augusto Saldanha to the social gathering on Dec. 16, 1934, it appears that the idea had already been mooted of establishing an association in Bombay to be called " The Saligao Union", and that at a preliminary meeting held sometime prior to the Social to discuss the matter, it had been received to take early steps to form the Union. The Union as envisaged then was to take a broad perspective and not restrict itself only to Saligaocars resident in Bombay, but to embrace all Saligaocars wherever residing. In fact, this has been the approach of Saligaocars in Bombay, that is, to keep their Union open to admission of all Saligaocars. Even today, a Saligaocar from London or Toronto or Nairobi or any other place could become a member of the Saligao Union, Bombay. Their common hearth and home has struck chords deep enough in the heart of Saligaocars to urge them to take all their co-villagers in their organisational fold……..to be continued. By Mr. Alfred J. D'Souza Compiled by Fr. Nascimento Mascarenhas. |
