Navelim Salcette is a village that gave to Goa great sons, two of them were Dr. Francisco Luis Gomes and Cardinal Gracias. Some years back Alfred D’Cruz a renowned Goan journalist employed at local ‘Kuwait Times’ Daily Newspaper had with him a research work on Dr. Francisco Luis Gomes and the same he wanted to publish in a small booklet form. For this purpose he approached me to approach the local stalwarts of Navelim village Association which I did. Unfortunately, to my regret I found none among Navelim people whom I approached knew about Dr. Francisco Luis Gomes and the worst part of it was that they laughed at me for soliciting their support for this cause of their own villager who brought great honour for Goa and India. It was sad to note at that time that how ignorant people were they whom I approached. It was not only in Navelim circle but almost every Goan association in Kuwait we have more ignorant idiots than intellectuals. Some of our associations are headed by people who are fit for nothing but only fit to make a big show of them. I feel ashamed to see them in such positions. They are giving a very poor image of Goa and Goans in Kuwait.
Recently we noticed the news item saying that Churchill Alemao during his recent visit to Kuwait gave a Cheque equivalent to Indian Rupees One Lakh to Navelim Youth Centre – Kuwait, to organise a Seven-Side-Side Memorial Soccer Tournament in memory of his late murdered brother Alvernaz Alemao. That Churchill Bros. are known to be the great supporters and promoters of Soccer is a known fact and their late brother Alvernaz as a member of Churchil Bros. has also played a role in the promotion of Soccer is also a known fact. In such a situation his memory should be deservingly kept alive. Persons who did something for the cause of Soccer deserve such honour after their deaths but surely not Kids who have never even kicked a football and inspite of this fact some idiots in Kuwait organised memorial soccer tournaments in memory of their late children. By doing such things the idiotic minded Goans in Kuwait displayed not their wisdom and intellect but their money power and ignorance.
While appreciating Navelim Youth Center – Kuwait to organise Alvernaz Memorial Soccer Tournament in Kuwait and thereby honour not a Navelkar but a Varcakar, however, on the contrary I fail to understand why this same Navelim Youth Center-Kuwait is not organising till now the memorial soccer tournament in memory of their late own Navelim son Custodio Fernandes who was one of the very responsible Goans in Kuwait in starting competitive soccer tournaments in Kuwait for Goans in particular and Indians in general in 1979? The late Custodio Fernandes popularly known at that time as ‘Castro’ played a very good role with his other colleagues in United Goans Football Centre in initiating our soccer activities at Sour Ground. He was not a businessman but yet he used to spend money from his own pocket for this cause and also spend lot of his time for running about. While in this process, he faced lot of obstacles, humiliations and even insults but never gave up. His efforts in promoting our soccer in Kuwait was great. I am yet to see such an encouraging and dynamic Navelkar in Kuwait. Custodio Fernandes never craved for cheap publicity but craved for doing something for the cause of Goans in Kuwait.
That Varkenkar Alvernaz Alemao contributed well for the cause of soccer in Goa is a true fact but Navelkar Custodio Fernandes helped in giving birth to our competitive soccer in Kuwait and thereby united Goans in Kuwait is an undeniable fact and for this great Navelkar cannot his villagers in Kuwait, do anything? Or do the Navelkars in Kuwait love Goan politicians proposals to promote their interest? Are we Goans in Kuwait suffering from ancestral inferiority complex by shamelessly bowing down to the wishes of visiting Goan politicians? Are we so poor intellectually to take pleasure in displaying our photographs with the anti-Goan policy followers of visiting politicians as if it is a big honour? Big honour only for Goans suffering from inferiority complex. While honouring their neighbour, Navelkars should also rightly honour their own son and if possible honouring “Ghaum Bhau” should take priority.
Recently I have noticed lot of Goan politicians queuing up to visit Kuwait as Chief Guests and as Guests of Honour for unrecognised by Kuwaiti authorities Soccer Matches and for Tiatros. Some of those involved in promoting Mickey Pacheco in Kuwait are very much dejected that Pacheco was dethroned from his ministerial portfolio. For these people there was none besides Pacheco to be proud of because for these people Pacheco means Emperor. When recently Pacheco’s Empire collapsed, his supporters in Kuwait also collapsed. I pity them. In the bargain, Mickey Pacheo’s forthcoming visit to Kuwait for the next week’s Tiatro ‘Advogad’ also collapsed.
Goan politicians are ‘XIMBRE’, ‘BEIMAN’ and ‘GHATKI’. They need Kuwait only for their own promotion and for their own benefits. During the time of invasion of Kuwait, none of the Goan politicians openly supported us in our movement under Goa-Kuwait Solidarity Center, in our Public Meetings and Rallies in support of the liberation of Kuwait. Most of them were mocking and laughing at us for organsing this movement for the cause of Kuwait because they never expected Kuwait to be liberated. But some of these shameless politicians are now licking the boots of Kuwaitis and sucking the excreta of Kuwait. I don’t understand why there is sudden craze for Goan politicians in visiting Kuwait very often. Is it true that some of them visiting Kuwait to meet their concubines like many of the visiting priests? The urge to visit Kuwait for our politicians is such that they volunteer even to pay their own airfares and of their accompanying delegations comprising even their mistresses. Good that their contribution in our movement in support of Kuwait during the invasion of Kuwait is MINUS ZERO otherwise they would even hijack Goa-Kuwait Solidarity Center from our hands and declare to Kuwaitis loudly that they were the makers of the movement under Goa-Kuwait Solidarity Center in Goa. And some of their Kuwait based Goans whose contribution in our movement is also Minus Zero would support them because these Kuwait Goans are cheap for publicity. I have already spoken to many influential Kuwaitis informing them that Goan politicians especially those frequenting Kuwait regularly have never supported Kuwait in our movement for the cause of Kuwait. These politicians are TRAITORS TO KUWAIT and those Kuwait Goans who support these TRAITORS and their activities in Kuwait are double TRAITORS TO KUWAIT. Promoting visiting Goan traitors in Kuwait who betrayed Kuwait with a Judas Kiss is an anti-Kuwait act. All Kuwaiti patriots should know this.
Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwai.
