TIATRIST WILLIAM DE CURTORIM ATTACKED.
According to the news item appeared in Herald dated 28th November 2007, about 10 – 12 miscreants attending the Tiatro “Avoin Kelem Pap, Putan Dili Zap” of William de Curtorim, staged at Gomant Vidya Niketan, Margao, on 27th Nov. 07, flung eggs on the stage when William de Curtorim sang the song, a “Zupatti” to Churchill Alemao for his sin of changing political parties. The title of this Zupatti solo is “SAVE GOA SODDUN CONGRESSANT GHELO”. It is a direct slap on the face of Churchill Alemao for his bad political habit of changing political parties. According to the same news item, the miscreants who flung eggs on the stage were the supporters of PWD Minister Churchill Alemao though Alemao denied any acquiescence in this mischief.
History said that Tiatrists in Goa were the targets of their ideological foes who tried to suppress the voice of Tiatrists from the stage. During the Portuguese rule in Goa, Tiatrists’ songs and plays were censored by the Village “Regidore” on behalf of the Goa Government much before their Shows. Anything against the Portuguese Government and its functioning was censored. During those days Tiatrists were allowed to express from the Stage anything against anyone except Government. For this reason the great Tiatrist Alexinho de Candolim to express his feelings freely against Goa Government, fled from Goa and surfaced in Bombay where at Bhangwaddy Stage he rendered his most courageous solo against the functioning of Portuguese Government of Goa. This was his ire against the Portuguese Negro soldiers from Aguada who killed his colleague and son of his Village Mestiri of Candolim Parchial School. When Portuguese Government of Goa came to know of this then Alexinho de Candolim’s return to Goa was put under surveillance because of which he had to stay in Bombay leaving his entire family in Goa.
Tiatrists from Goa had to make lot of sacrifices to keep the Konkani Stage strong. Tiatrists were the mouth piece of Goan voice and especially the voice of suffering and persecuted Goans. Their voice had great effect. What Judiciary, Police and Government machinery could not do, our Tiatrists could do by making use of the Stage. The voice of Tiatrists always proved to be loudest and powerful. For this reason Kid Boxer somewhere in 1959 was deported to Goa from Bombay by the Government of Bharat for singing a song against the wrong doings of Bharati Government regarding his beloved Portuguese Goa. Because of this deportation Kid Boxer’s lost his lucrative job at Central Railway – Parel, Bombay and because of this loss he and his family had to suffer a lot. Again in Goa soon after the entry of Bharati rule in December 1961 in early 1962, at Mapusa, Kid Boxer was arrested for singing a piercing “Zupatti” against the dirty rule of Bharat in Goa. On the same day and in the same Tiatro, Conception-Nelson-Anthony were also reprimanded by the Bharati authorities came to witness that Tiatro. They were not Administrators of Mapusa but they were the Chamchas of Bharati corrupt politicians, they pretended to be the patriots of Bharat in Goa.
Kid Boxer in his solo sang thus:
“Tum bhitor sorlai chukon, mortoloi sukon, dusreacho desh pochona (Referring to forcibly annexing Goa by the Bharati Government).
Tum Panpotti khatai ani poch’chu korun thuktai, lozui kaim disona (Referring to all the Ghantti Mamas coming to Goa from all over Bharat and shamelessly spitting Pan on the roads and floors without any human decency which was very high in Goa during Portuguese rule).
Tum nestai forkot Valo ani khatai fokot Palo (Referring to all the Bharati people who descended on Goa following the forcible annexure of Goa by Bharat wearing nothing but a white piece of cloth covering the lower part of their bodies and drinking nothing but tea).
Conception-Nelson-Anthony in their maiden trio formed first time said in their song that Nationalist or Freedom Fighters were responsible for the mess that Goa became after the Bharati rule in Goa. They even suggested that Goans should migrate to Brasil because Goa is no more a good haven for real Goans. These were the most powerful songs that shattered the might of Bharat Serkar in Bombay and in Goa. Later on during the rule of Dayananda Bandodkar under Maharastrawadi Gomantak Party, the Goa Government introduced Portuguese Government initiated Censorship against Tiatros and their songs in late Sixties only to punish Tiatrists like Conception-Nelson-Anthony because they were the worst critics of MGP rule in Goa. Because they were fighting for justice for Goa, Bandodkar treated them as Jews in Naziland. But they never cared, so too Kid Boxer and they went on singing Zupatti songs. It was they who were responsible for shaking MGP Goa Government. Tiatrists deserved highest compliments for fighting for the cause of Goa, justice and common men from the Stage. They served Goa better than politicians. To serve Goa and Goans they never asked bribes as the current Ministers and politicians are demanding from the people, of course shamelessly
Why Stage artistes only? Even those artistes acting in “Zagor” and “Sangodd” also played their roles in exposing the ill deeds of the Government. People from Agacaim are known to possess militant skill to fight against injustice. During Konkani Language agitation they were always on the forefront to participate in Rallies and Meetings held in Panjim. In this movement I associated and integrated with them in Panjim and enjoyed their love and affection. Defiance to the brute rule of Goa Government was their forte. When we organized our Rallies and Meetings at Panjim in solidarity with Kuwait during the invasion of Kuwait, Kuwait evacuees from Agacaim were in big number attended our rallies and meetings. Again, almost a century back this incident happened in Agacaim, Ilhas Goa. The Toddy Tappers had to pay certain amount of Tax for their business of extracting Toddy from the Coconuts. When Government increased this Tax, “Renders” from Agacaim opposed it and as a sign of their protest they refused to carry on with this business. One of the “Renders” from Agacaim was forcibly defying his colleagues by resuming his work of extracting Toddy. When he refused to toe the line of his colleagues, one of the Toddy Tappers used a gun and shot him dead while climbing on to the Coconut. Next day all the Renders from Agacaim were arrested and taken to Panjim Police Station for questioning. Goa Government tried to suppress this news but in vain. Immediately in Candolim there was a Zagor where one of the singers sang a beautiful song on this episode and immediately he was reprimanded by the Village Regidor for awakening the masses on happenings in Agacaim. Two verses of this song go thus:
“Janerachea Pirmerak dhorun velet Rendrank,
Ani Ponje voron Pirez kelet khuim team Agxikarank,
He baxen vinchar kelo tanche kodden serkaran,
Ki hi budh konne dilea ti sangat mhonnon juramentan.
Ch.
Agxekarani sanglem ami hazir mhonn mornank,
Punni zamnno kedinch ghalchenant maddank,
Agxe eklean Madd dovorlole taka jitoch marlo faran,
Tacho deman cholta atam Ponje Serkaran.
William de Curtorim is creating lot of ripples on Goan Stage. Earlier too 5 years back at Mapusa he was harassed by the Goa Government machinery for singing a song against Rane and even he was taken to Police Station for questioning. Now at Margao according to press reports, thru Remote Control Churchill Alemao harassed William de Curtorim by silencing his mouth from expressing his voice freely. By doing this William gained more support, more publicity and more sympathy and his opponents lost much of their credibility. He became now a greater hero. His marketing value is enhanced now much more than what it was earlier. Those who are trying to suppress one’s sane voice are criminals. In democratic system everyone must express his feelings rightly and justly. Goa is disgraced by our Ministers and Government officials. They should be reprimanded first. However, while expressing themselves from the Stage the singers should not show their lust for money. Some of the singers in Goa blackmail some of the politicians by demanding thousands from them otherwise they threatened them to expose their misdeed from the Stage. Ealier powerful Tiatrists like Kid Boxer, Conception-Nelson-Anthony never did such dirty tricks, neither Rom-Rem-Rod. They used Stage to clean the rot and not to make money thru illegal manner by using the terminology of threats like “Tum makam 20 hozar dinai zalear aum tuji zupatti mhonttolom ani tukam expose kortolom”. “Tum makam 50 hozar ditai zalear aum tujevoir ek sobit kantar mhonttolom ani tukam sobemazar hero kortolom”. Such Tiatrists and singers do not deserve symphaty.
I condemn vehemently the unwarranted attack on Tiatrist William de Curtorim. Nobody got right to stop in this manner any Tiatrist from singing his song. In case there is anything wrong in the song then the singer could be tried in the court of law and not by flinging eggs in a very nasty manner. Only nasty people with the support of nasty political leaders can do such nasty acts. William de Curtorim must not cow down by such threats. If necessary, he must simultaneously go for recording such songs in his Albums and thus spread his message of justice. Irani spiritual leader Ayatolla Khomeini created his revolution by spreading his revolutionary sermons thru Audio Cassette. Thru this method he shook the powerful Palavi Empire headed by Shah of Iran. In his maiden Audio Cassette, William de Curtorim heavily praised the Churchill Bros. for their valiant fight for the cause of Konkani. In his next Audio Cassette William de Curtorim must expose all the politicians who are disgracing Goa and Goans the way he eulogized Churchill Bros. in his maiden Cassette.
While concluding, let me quote French writer Voltaire who said on freedom of expression: “I fully disagree with what you say but to allow you to say what you want to say, I will do everything within me, even to the extent of facing death to allow you to say what you want to say though I fully disagree with what you say.” If Churchill Alemao thru remote control is really involved in pushing his supporters against William de Curtorim then he must ponder over what Voltaire has said centuries back. It is not enough to ask democratic rights from others but one must know to give democratic rights to others.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
