During my lifetime on this planet of God I have organised, given lead to many movements and raised my voice for the cause of justice and fought against injustice in Goa and in Kuwait. Some of the subjects I raised from Kuwait in support of justice for the cause of humanity even created impact around the globe giving me recognition that I am a fighter for the cause of justice and for the support of the downtrodden. Kuwait gave me a nice platform for my campaign to fight for justice and in return to receive accolades from global community for my work in support of justice.
KONKANI MOVEMENT.
Three decades back when I initiated the movement from Kuwait for the cause of Konkani in general and Novem Goem in particular, many of our Goans in Kuwait especially the seniors holding senior positions on job front in the absence of competition and earning senior salary were questioning me why I am interested to create an awakening and movement for the cause of Konkani. They were directly and indirectly questioning me thus ‘TUKAM KITEAK PODDLAM RE TEM?” Without giving heed to their question I went ahead even though I had to suffer a lot in different forms mainly on financial segment. Those days many senior Kuwait Goans were very proud of their positions on the jobs and the undeserved money that they earned otherwise they were totally uncultured, socially filthy, intellectually bankrupt and educationally very backward. Some of them were passing remarks saying to fight for Konkani is the job of an illiterate butler or son of the butler or grandson of the domestics. Incidentally none of them came closer to me educationally, culturally, intellectually, morally, character and dignity wise and because I had these qualities, with the help of all my like minded Goans in Kuwait I succeeded in successfully creating Konkani movement in Kuwait, first among expatriate Goans. If Konkani yesterday gained success in Goa and thru its success Goa attained Statehood, major share of this success goes to Kuwait Goans. The so called Konkani Pundits and Konknni “Potrakars” during those days due to their all round backwardness normally seen in this class, were ashamed to show their faces to us because this movement was handled by the intellectually high calibre Goans who all were close to me ideologically. Finally by organising this movement, who gained? Goa and Goans. If I had to listen to the question ‘Tukam Kiteak Poddlam Re Tem”, then nothing would come.
GULF GOANS HOTELS COMPANY.
Then came the movement of Gulf Goans Hotels Company to start hotel industry in Goa. This was the brainchild of the then Kuwait Goan stalwart Vincent D’Souza. When I got involved myself first as a Share holder and later on as Director of the company many people asked me ‘why you are involving yourself in it?’ “Tukam Kiteak Poddlam Re Tem?” My answer to them was this, it was NOT “tukam kiteak poddlam re tem”, but by involving myself deeply and with the very productive role played by another director Wilson Coelho and also with the combined efforts of all my colleagues in the Board, we managed to build a huge hotel at Calangute Gauravaddo, next to the beach, known as “Hotel Goan Heritage” costing now crores of rupees and where so many Goans are employed. What would be the outcome of this company if I had to listen to the negative comment like “Tukam Kiteam Poddlam Re Tem?” In that case nothing would develop. Though I suffered in many counts but finally gained victory and it is victory for Goan cause.
DIRECT FLIGHT FROM KUWAIT-GOA-KUWAIT.
Then came the movement for the direct flight from Kuwait to Goa, again initiated by Vincente D’Souza but when things found difficult to cope up for him, I was requested to assist and when I got involved and with the backing of the entire Kuwait Goan community, we worked tirelessly and attained the success. In this movement also some enemies of Vincente D’Souza were dissuading me to stay away from him asking me “Tukam Kiteak Poddlam Re Tem? Let Vincente go to hell” but I told them this is not for Vincente alone but for the entire Kuwait Goan community. Their question here also “Tukam kiteak poddlam re tem” had no relevance.
GOAN/INDIAN COMPETITIVE SOCCER.
Then came the movement of starting and promoting our competitive soccer among Indians in Kuwait. Though it was started by United Goans Football Center in 1979 yet I played my major role in promoting it as a prominent footballer attracting lot of attention from lot of spectators, as an organiser and media promoter as a journalist. Many people were asking me why I am so forcefully promoting it saying “Tukam Kiteak Poddlam Re Tem?” Because “Makam Poddlam Tem”, our soccer activities in Kuwait became an instant success putting a very strong base for it and because of which for many Goans to gain many benefits. If I had to withdraw from playing my role then, surely things would not have been as productive as they were proved to be. It did not help Kuwait Goans and other Indians only in Kuwait but it is now helping even the Goa based Goan politicians to promote them and their family members.
GOA-KUWAIT SOLIDARITY.
Then came the invasion of Kuwait on 2nd August 1990 by Iraq and we were evacuated to Goa, many of us as paupers. In order to raise our voice against this invasion and to demand liberation for Kuwait, when no one from the so called evacuated Kuwait Goan stalwarts came forward to initiate a Goan movement by Goans for the cause of Kuwait from where we earn our sustenance, I came forward and with the assistance of my colleagues and like minded Kuwait Goan evacuees, I formed GOA KUWAIT SOLIDARITY CENTER. The then Kuwait Goan gigantic personalities like Vincente D’Souza, Avertano Furtado, A.B. Fernandes, Joe Monty, Sam Alphonso, all the presidents of Goan Associations & Clubs and others were totally went hiding because they had no public support nor intellectual capacity to initiate international movement. GKSC was a movement to raise our voice against invasion of Kuwait and to force the Government of India to toe its line in support of Kuwait at regional and international fora. Thru this movement in Goa lasting 6 months we organised public rallies and public meetings and the echo of this movement was felt all over the world. None of the Goan politicians either from the ruling coalition under PDF or from the Opposition joined us in supporting our movement openly. None from the current politicians from the Goa Legislative Assembly publicly associated with us in our movement. On the contrary many of them even those whom I supported to promote them spoke ill of me, of our movement and of Kuwait. Because of this movement, Kuwait’s Ambassador in Delhi highly applauded our efforts in publicly supporting Kuwait. The Kuwaitis were very happy for us and started loving Goans with reverence showing their gratitude. Even GCC countries started showing more liking for Goans. But here again anti-Kwait Goans started asking me “Tukam kiteak poddlam re tem?” Was it right on my part to initiate this movement or not? Lot of Goans received lot of benefits from this movement and if I had to succumb to the dictates of those destructive Goans by following their statement “Tukam Kiteak Poddlam Re Tem”, we would not gain what we gained.
FREE KUWAIT’S PRISONERS OF WAR (POW’s)
Then I started Goan movement from Kuwait for the release of Kuwait’s Prisoners of War and here too I was asked the same question – “Tukam Kiteak Poddlam Re Tem?” In my campaign for this cause I personally went to Delhi spending my own money to meet the world leaders stationed there to impress upon them to work for the speedy release of all the Kuwait’s POW’s held by Iraq. The news of this Goan movement went far and wide and Goan ratings in Kuwait and globally went high which benefited us as a whole and gained us lot of goodwill from Kuwait and other GCC countries. Because of this movement no Goan suffered, on the contrary our image was brightened giving an impression that we are a very matured community politically among Indians. All those who were asking me saying “Tukam Kiteak Poddlam Re Tem” had to eat a humble pie.
TO BE CONCLUDED.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
