Two months back I was honoured in Kuwait by a Mangalorean Association “Konkani Kullvar” for my contribution in the promotion and protection of Konkani. The honouring function was organised very majestically where a hall packed audience comprising Mangaloreans, Goans and others attended. The organizers in their speeches praised me fabulously for my fight for the cause of Konkani. They have admitted openly that what I did for the cause of Konkani no other expatriate has done not only in Kuwait but anywhere in the expatriate Konkani World.On 20th of last month, I celebrated my 28th Wedding anniversary with a get-together where my close friends and colleagues attended on my personal invitation. Two speakers namely Gasper Crasto and Rosary Ferns in their speeches praised me profoundly for my enormous contribution in the promotion, protection and development of Konkani.
While agreeing to their statements that my contribution in the promotion, protection, development and fight for the cause of Konkani is second to none in the expatriate Goan World, I must confess openly and boldy too, that if at all I managed to do what I did for the cause of Konkani it was only because of the strong support and cooperation I received from my colleagues and associates in this movement. Without their support I don’t think I would reach so far in promoting the cause of Konkani.
Why do we need Konkani? We need it in the first place to protect our culture, tradition, history, folklore, folktales and our total Goanness which is based only on Konkani. See the Goans who discarded Konkani, they are like soulless bodies.
Secondly we needed Konkani to get separate Statehood for Goa. How? Indian States are formed on the basis of languages, one State - one Language. For example, Maharastra was formed on the basis of Marathi, Gujarat on the basis of Gujarati, Tamilnadu on the basis of Tamil and so on.
From the time of the exit of Portuguese from Goa, we the genuine Goans, the real sons and real daughters of real Goan fathers (not bastardized Goans), wanted to maintain our own unique identity under the Union of India as a separate State of Goa. We did not want our beloved Goa to merge with Maharastra and get ourselves diluted in Marathi and non-Goan Maharastrian culture and finally lose our total identity. Since language was an important factor to get separate Statehood for Goa, we the genuine Goans had to fight for Konkani to make it a official Goan language. Hence, our fight for the cause of Konkani.
Taking this view into very important consideration, I started campaigning for the cause of Konkani. In my campaign I got very strong support from my colleagues, friends and all the lovers of Goa and Konkani, some of whom personally disliked me but surely they liked the campaign I was carrying forward. Most of them are not in Kuwait at the moment, some are dead while others retired and left from Kuwait either for Goa or elsewhere.
Some of the prominent Goans who strongly supported Konkani cause since the time of my inception of Konkani movement in Kuwait are still in Kuwait, like me. They are Alexandre Menino Fernandes from Colva, who was one of the pillars of Novem Goem Pratishthan Kuwait Somiti (NGPKS) established in Kuwait under my initiative to raise funds for Konkani Daily Novem Goem. NGPKS was my biggest and first initiative for the cause of Konkani and thru this move we made known to everyone in Goa especially the enemies of Konkani like Maharastrawadi Gomantak Party and its Marathi protagonists that 'please do not play with us Kuwaitkars, we are not the West settled Goans with an attitude 'Deklem Moddem Ailem Roddnem.' We are not the Goans who 'Aitea Folear Thuktat Tosle' neither 'Fulu Fustar Fozne Martat Tosle' nor 'Mezailem Kellem Kaddun Sagvad Zoddtat Tosle'. What we mean is business. And in fact we Kuwaitkars proved how challenging we can be if we are united. And in fact we Kuwaitkars remained united for the cause of Konkani and sent lakhs of rupees for this cause.
Mr. A. B. Fernandes, the Chairman of this organization took great efforts to attain success for this move, so too the late Estanislaus Alemao - the then Principal of New Indian English School, Jabriya. The other prominent member of NGPKS who is still in Kuwait was Raymond D’Sa – the president of Goan Overseas Association. On my part as an initiator of this move I played my role tirelessly and unselfishly and I need not dwell more on what I did since everybody knows what I have done. Yet I give credit to all my colleagues and supporters who helped us in raising funds for this cause. It was only thru their support we got so much of financial aid which we ultimately sent to Novem Goem Pratishthan, the parent body in Goa. It was not only the funds collection campaign we did thru NGPKS but with it we also did campaign for the cause of Konkani. We made many of the Goans to speak, write and embrace more closely in Konkani. Thru our campaign we put a strong base for the cause of Konkani in Kuwait which is still giving very good results.
Amongst the Tiatrists I must point out the excellent contribution of all the three Mendes Bros. Felix - Xavier - Derek - who being top professionals, for the cause of Konkani promotion they not only acted free of charge like their other colleagues, for both our Tiatros organized for this cause but also shouldered major responsibilities of these Tiatros. One Tiatro was of Alexinho de Maxem while the other by F. X. Pereira. I must confess now that the involvement of Mendes Bros. with their freewill in our move at that critical juncture was an excellent gesture on their part and strong support for our cause. They were not ordinary Tiatrists but they were at that time enjoying celebrity status. They not only supported us open heartedly and willingly but within their capacity they also made others to support us.
Besides them other Tiatrists too supported us similarly but most of those Tiatrists who supported us at that time are no more in Kuwait but their efforts are still remembered. Unfortunately, amongst the current Tiatrists there are more "Rostad Tiatrists". I call them Rostad because they are supporting the Rostad cause "To Aslear Aum Nachona" of a Rostad Tiatrist. By using the method of "To Aslear Aum Nachona" all those Tiatrists who are subscribing to the views of "To Aslear Aum Nachona" are killing Tiatros and Tiatrists in Kuwait. Hence, they are all not only enemies of Tiatro promotion in Kuwait but more than that they are all enemies of Konkani. Their names will be written in BLACK letters in the history of Konkani Tiatros in Kuwait.
Then came into being thru my inititiative the formation of Kuwait Konknni Kendr where again my colleagues gave me strong support and only because of their support KKK managed to create wonders on Konkani world. It is they who make the wheel of KKK run smoothly and of course I play my role well. KKK is the only such Konkani organization established anywhere in the world. Our campaign for raising funds for Konkani Martyrs’ families was one of the powerful campaigns KKK has organized. In this campaign our well wishers namely Americo Remedios from Saligao played a very good role in helping us to collect major portion of the funds. The others who helped us in our mission beautifully in their individual capacities were Raymond D’Sa from Nagoa-Arpora, Andrew Rodrigues from Sucurro, Porvorim, Ignatius Fernandes from Calangute, Messias Barreto from Candolim and many others. Besides, KKK has helped so many other causes for the promotion of Konkani. Formation of Konkani Heritage Kuwait was yet another strong initiative which helped us in further promotion of Konkani and spread the gospel of unity of Konkani speaking people. Additionally, I got myself involved in the promotion of our Tiatros which also helped in the promotion of our "Maim Bhas". As a Konkani writer I wrote exhaustively in Romi script Konkani in different Newspapers and Magazines and there again I was supported by my friends and colleagues.
While concluding I must admit openly and loudly that all what I did for the cause of Konkani was done only thru the support, cooperation and goodwill of all my friends, colleagues and supporters in Konkani movement. They are the real architects of my contribution in Konkani movement.
The award that I received and the plaudits that I got are the results of the support I received from my friends, colleagues and well wishers. I thank them all, though I cannot name them all individually because they are innumerable. More then me, it is they who deserve the awards and plaudits for the promotion of Konkani cause. I received the award and plaudits on their behalf.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
