It was with deep sorrow I received the news of the sad death of my friend and colleague in Kuwait for so many years, the late Mr. Messias Barreto from Candolim, Bardez, Goa. He died in Goa on 26th of this month after a brief illness for which he was hospitalized a few days.
Messias Barreto was a long timer in Kuwait who first came to Kuwait with a Portuguese Passport since Goa then was in the hands of Portuguese. After finishing his higher Schooling at Monte de Guirim he worked in Goa for a brief period and then came to Kuwait. Coming from a very sophisticated family in Candolim having his reputed father as a village Regidor during those days and who was also an influential member of the Church group overseeing Church affairs, Messias enjoyed good respect in the village and in society from his early age. Being the eldest in the family consisting of 3 brothers and two sisters, he also enjoyed highest love and respect in the entire Barreto family.
A very soft spoken man with high integrity, Messias maintained the highest reputation that the Barreto family in Candolim had. He loved Goa, Candolim village and village affairs. When I was a young boy in Candolim excelling is athletics and soccer, he always during his vacation periods in Goa used to applaud and support my achievements. He was a great supporter of sports and soccer in particular even patronizing whenever he was in Goa.
In Kuwait he worked for a reputed organization “Lebanese Insurance Company” till his final days in Kuwait during the time of invasion of Kuwait. While working for Lebanese Insurance, his beloved wife Janet worked as a teacher for a well known Indian school “Carmel School” where all his 4 sons did their schooling and now well settled in life.
In Kuwait he had strong pulls in different segments and making use of his pulls he helped many of the needy Goans and non-Goans too. He had vast pulls in the Government Hospitals which he used to help Goans get preferential treatment. From his pulls in the Interior Ministry he even got so many Goans released from the Police Stations for misdemeanors. He was hungry for helping others. He did lot of social work in Kuwait silently even by helping many people getting employment.
He was the Vice - President of Goan Overseas Association till his leaving Kuwait in 1990 and during his association with G.O.A., their G.O.A. Maroons soccer team attained highest peak. He was very instrumental in promoting and supporting G.O.A. Maroons and helped many of the players financially and otherwise. His presence with the team during the official matches and practice sessions was always visible on the ground transporting in his Opel Car players from their homes to the ground and back home. He was a strong link between players and their needs.
Being my villager and a family friend, from the day I landed in Kuwait he was with me helping and supporting me in my needs and activities, directly and indirectly. While some in the G.O.A. Maroons used my talent and efficiency for their own personal promotion, Messias Barreto on the contrary as an unselfish man always helped me and assisted me in my needs since I was new then needing lot of assistance. I always respected him as a fatherly figure because he performed his fatherly obligations towards me when he was not obligated actually. I am very much indebted to him, so too my wife and children whom too he along with his wife showered with lot of love and affection. Such persons are rarity in our midst these days. He was a thorough great hearted pristine Goan. He lived a very decent and upright life in Kuwait along with his family. Inspite of being a public figure, he lived a very good life without any sort of scandal. He was a very good family man, a very faithful husband to his very faithful wife, a very good father to his very good sons and a very good member of Goan community.
For Konkani cause in Kuwait he always supported me even financially. During the time of Novem Goem Pratishthan movement for the Novem Goem Daily Newspaper, when I approached him for his contribution, he gave me a blank cheque signed by him but I only asked his contribution on par with others.
After the invasion of Kuwait on 7th October 1990 we traveled to Goa from Kuwait via Jordan together along with his wife and all 4 sons who were 20 years younger then. When in Goa I initiated Goa-Kuwait Solidarity Centre movement, he whole heartedly supported me even taking care of legal aspects thru his brother-in-law Manuel Martin who was then Public Prosecutor at Panaji Court.
In his death I lost a great friend, a fatherly figure and a strong support which I used not only for my benefit but also for the benefits of the social causes I initiated. He had very good knowledge of Goan and his village history, culture and tradition. He also had a very good knowledge of Tiatro and yesteryears Tiatrists which many times he shared with me. As a son of village Regidor, he attended all the Tiatros organized in Candolim during those days when Portuguese was ruling Goa with Censorship. He shared many of those stories with me on this important subject. I value the same. He quoted legendary Minguel Rod and his actions with ease. Among all Tiatrists he admired Minguel Rod the most and as a singer he adored Alexinho de Candolim for his sheer genius in scripting and singing beautiful songs.
Adeus Messias, Adeus. May God give you eternal rest in Heaven and may the same God give courage to your wife and children to bear this colossal loss.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
