2nd of August this year will be 17th anniversary of the brutal invasion of Kuwait by Iraqi regime under its dictator Saddam Hussein. Along with all others residing in Kuwait in 1990, 2nd August, a huge Goan community comprising around 25 thousand was also caught unaware.
Goan Memories of 2nd August...--Part V
By organizing the movement in support of Kuwait under Goa-Kuwait Solidarity Center we have not done a favour on Kuwait. By organizing our movement in support of Kuwait I am not expecting any favour, any benefit leave aside the benefit of a citizenship, as some idots think. Kuwaiti citizenship is not cheap and I am not worthy of it. To get this I have not done something extraordinary for this country. By initiating our movement I have not liberated Kuwait. No Kuwaiti nor any external force told us to organize this movement. This movement was not my movement alone, it was the movement of all the like minded Goans who were involved in it. By organizing this movement we have undergone lot of difficulties because in such movements one has to face difficulties and confrontations and personally I faced this including physical threats on my life from Saddam's supporters. I spent lot of my personal money for the promotion of this movement. We did not receive financial aid from outside source and we never asked for it. All what we did was purely out of our own spontaneous wish, love and gratitude for Kuwait from where we earned and still earning our livelihood. May God Bless Kuwait and May God guide Kuwaiti leadership to take care of its citizens and expatriates alike.
By being the initiator of this movement I gained lot of limelight, in Kuwait more. After coming back to Kuwait I gained lot of importance in Kuwaiti society. Though I gained so much of importance yet I was brought back to Kuwait to work not because of this movement. I was recalled by my company like others and there was no favour involved because of G-KSC movement. Many top Kuwaitis after my coming in contact with them in Kuwait became very good friends of mine, some of them even offered me lucrative jobs in the Oil Sector, in the Ministry, in the Banking sector but I politely turned down their good offers. The reason is this. When many of my colleagues in our movement in Goa could not get back to Kuwait to work and earn their daily bread then what moral rights I have to accept for me the luixuries of more lucrative jobs? My moral obligation dictated me to remain where I was. Hence, I refused to laugh when my colleagues in Goa cried. But what could I do for them? I am a small man and my capacity to help them was totally nil. My regret was that I could not do anything for them but neither I promised any of our supporters that I will help you to get back to Kuwait once Kuwait was liberated. And how can I promise them when I have no authority?
In order to create a very good image of Goans and to receive goodwill for them, immediately after my coming to Kuwait I on my own initiative and thru my own personal money around KD 500/- +, I made over 100 Photographic Albums of our Rallies and Meetings in Goa and presented them to top Kuwaitis and prominent local organisations. Additionally, around 500 Video Cassettes of our Rallies were made and distributed to Kuwaitis thru right contacts. By seeing these many Kuwaitis became very happy and thru this happiness many of them volunteered to help many of our Goans especially in the matter of jobs. In this way many of our Goans received lot of assistance from Kuwaitis. It was at that point of time a very good initiative of mine of producing and distributing of Albums and Video Cassettes in Kuwait. Even Kuwait TV twice (once on 20.09.1991) showed in its programme Slides of our Rallies for about 7 minutes (we organised 2 Rallies) thereby creating big propaganda of what we Goans did in Goa for the cause of Kuwait.
What is the benefit of Kuwait employment of Goans and Gulf employment in general?Let me talk of Kuwait only. Since 1950 after the second World War, Goans started coming to Kuwait. The salary was then in Indian Rupees as Rupee was the currency of Kuwait. Though in the beginning the flow of Goans into Kuwait was thin but gradually it increased in sixties and in seventies after Arab – Israeli War in early seventies. Goa during Portuguese time was sustaining purely on agriculture meant for local consumption only and yet it was not sufficient enough to feed the entire Goan population even for a year. The other main industry was mining but it could not absorb in its fold all the available Goan manpower. The salary structure in Goa was not high so as to meet the desired goals of an average Goan.
Working in Goa at that time means like “Haddli pod, khalli pod”. But going to Kuwait and working in Kuwait has changed the total outlook of Goans and structure of Goa. By working in Kuwait and earning petrodollars Goans built their castles and empires. Which Goan benefited from Kuwait employment? Mainly the economically poor and average Goan, the Goan having less educational or no educational background, the Goan having poor professionalism of the job, the Goan who is socially rejected in Goa. In Goa one could not get into a Bank unless one is a graduate. But in Kuwait it is possible and many by the grace of God are employed in the Banks without graduation. A person working as Foreman in Kuwait was not knowing how to handle a Spanner and Screw Driver in Goa but today because of Kuwait he is something in his work area. Likewise there are innumerable examples to cite. Even in the marriageable market many of the duffers and idiots got well qualified, elegant and elite girls to marry only because they are in Kuwait. Till recently many of the houses in Goa had “Xennacho” floor and Roof of “Ganvtti Nolle” or “Sulche Nolle” and “Chuttancheo Khomptti”.
But after coming to Kuwait they have totally changed their living standard converting their ancestral old houses into moden luxurious Bungalows. The person who could not afford the previllege of a Cycle in Goa finally by working in Kuwait could easily purchase a Car for him and for his family. Because of his employment in Kuwait an otherwise poor Goan could afford his children qualitative education in posh institutes. The greatest advantage of being in Kuwait is gaining of the sense of identity for majority of Goans. It is Kuwait that made them somebody out of nobody.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
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A frequent, chronological publication – exclusive, unpublished and hybrid personal thoughts of A. Veronica Fernandes -- can now be read at http://goa-kranti.blogspot.com/
