A. Veronica Fernandes addressing the rally in Goa support of Kuwait - 1990Goan Memories of 2nd August...--Part IV
Though Saddam Hussein tried to put a cover on Kuwait and eradicate its identity yet we openly and boldly challenged Saddam Hussein by publicly displaying Kuwait's Flags, Pictures of Amir and also of Crown Prince of Kuwait. We openly and publicly played the National Anthem of Kuwait and cared no one. Our Rally went very smoothly and peacefully even though in the beginning itself there was some misunderstanding when I as an initiator of this movement was taken to Panjim Police Station in a semi arrested manner for questioning. But otherwise Goa Police, Panjim Municipality, Goa Government machinery created no hurdles on our way.
Though members of ruling party under PDF Goa Government wanted me to align with them but I refused, not only to the ruling party but also to any other political party because once you allow these politicians a foothold in your circle then they use you for their own promotion by
neglecting your issue. Politicians always have their own ulterior motives for this reason one has to be very careful with them. And secondly they have no dignity and no integrity. We the Kuwaitkars, organizers of our movement were men of high ideals, high integrity, high respect, high morality and high dignity. We the organisers of our movement were not people involved in rowdism at Sour Grounds nor Drunkardness during our functions for Goa Day, Tiatros and for other Functions and Socials.
It is not only the sense of gratitude to Kuwait from where we earned our sustenance that made us to form Goa-Kuwait Solidarity Center in support of Kuwait but also it was thru the sense of high ideals to stand by a weak party, Kuwait. Kuwait is like a home for us away from our original
homes. Even though we earned good Petrodollars in Kuwait compared to what we would earn in Goa yet we work in Kuwait very hard. Many of us go to work at dawn and return after the sun set and in the bargain we never enjoy the previlege of the sun rays. By working in Kuwait many
of us neglect our families back home in Goa due to which our children turned out to be like orphans. In order to work in Kuwait many of us commit crimes against our families in Goa by denying them of our love, warmth, affection, attention and guidance. By working in Kuwait we face lot of hardships and difficulties in life yet we love Kuwait. We many of us are treated in Kuwait and on jobs like slaves yet we still love Kuwait because we have gratitude for this country. While in Kuwait we do hard work and we sacrifice in Kuwait for the sake of our earnings best of our precious life. Many of us do not find proper place and time to at and to sleep. Many of us stay in tight compartments because of our tight circumstances. Almost everywhere we face difficulties because of the non-egalitarian structure of this society.
Day to enjoy weekly free of charge meals. Inspite of all these we supported (and still support) Kuwait when Kuwait was passing thru difficult days while many of our fellow Kuwait Goans abstained from supporting our movement in a sheer sign of ingratitude, of course in an un-Goan manner.
Why many of our fellow Kuwait Goan evacuees only? Even our Goa based Goans who received so much of benefits from our "Kuwaitkarponn" had no hearts to join us in the hour of our crisis. The worst traitors and culprits were Priests and Nuns who received so much of financial
donations and help from us for their Schools, Convents, Chapels, churches and other projects.
Fr. Freddy was the biggest beneficiary of our largesse, I was personally instrumental in helping him financially so many times and so much but he never associated with us and never supported us openly in our movement. We helped him so much financially to collect aid for his Gulab Magazine. Likewise all the Priests who came to Kuwait and begged with us for money. I know who were the priests who were applauding when Kuwait was invaded.
Goa-Kuwait Solidarity Center in support of Kuwait
In Mapusa one Priest said "Kuwaitkarank butt laglo tem borench zalem, hem favo tankam". For Konkani movement we Kuwaitkars did so much but none from that group voluntarily supported us. Not a single stalwart of Novem Goem Pratishthan associated with us, neither Gurunath Kelekar nor Dr. Rebello, nor Bosco Lobo, nor Clovis D'Costa, nor Christopher Fonseca, nor Sara Machado when we did so much for the inception of Novem Goem Pratishthan and Novem Goem Daily Newspaper. No person from Goa Cancer Hospital Society associated with us in our movement when we Kuwaitkars donated around 20 lakhs of rupees for this cause. Where are these money gonme now? No prominent Tiatrist openly supported us, on the contrary some of them made mockery of us from the stage and while they were mocking at us, the others in their trade were nicely keeping their silence instead of protesting. "Volkott kastache" shamelessly coming to Kuwait to act and to stage their Tiatros and thereby make lot of money. They want Kuwait only to make money. I cannot understand how our Goans could reach to such an ebb especially when they received so much of help from us? Are these ungrateful Goans really Goan or Ghanttis? Am I making a mistake by equating these ungrateful Goans with poor Ghanttis many of whom are having higher degree of sense of gratitude?
To be concluded...
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
