I am an Indian citizen not by my own choice but by force imposed on me by the Government of India on 19th December 1961 and thru this force Government of India stationed in New Delhi forced Indian citizenship on me. I have not opted for Indian citizenship, it was imposed on me from New Delhi by the Indian Government headed by Nehru the premier of India when my beloved Goa, when my virgin Goa, when my greenery filled Goa, when my naturally beautiful Goa, when my innocent Goa was forcibly invaded by the mighty Millitary power of Indian Government. Though geographically Goa falls in Indian subcontinent but politically it was not, politically it was a separate political entity being the overseas territory of Portugal. Indian Government has forcibly by using military force invaded Goa and annexed it to Indian jurisdiction. Though it was invaded but Supreme Court of India in its landmark judgement on Goa’s case said that "Goa on 19th December 1961 was conquered by India'’. The word liberation is missing in the Supreme Court judgement. Hence, legally and officially Goa was not liberated but conquered.
Though I was a Portuguese citizen legally yet I did not want to be under a colonial power Portugal. Portugese were strangers to rule over Goa, they too forcibly conquered my Goa and as such they had to leave Goa either voluntarily or forcibly and this was our decision, only we Goans were to take this decision and not by the Delhi Babus under the crook Defence Minister of India Krishna Menon. On 19th December 1961 Indian Government under Nehru Robbed my beautiful Goa from Portugal and annexed it to India making greater Bharat which is filled with all the corrupt practices unknown to Goa earlier.
Given a choice I would be the first person to secede from greater India because this India is swallowing my Goa not territorially but culturally, linguistically, economically, traditionally, historically and in all respects. When Goa became a part of India politically, my Goa started losing its identidy. To stop further eradication of Goa’s original characteristics and to put an end to the approaches of Maharastra from totally swallowing Goa, we had to fight for separate statehood for Goa, at least something is better than nothing. If Maharastra had to sallow Goa we would lose our identity by losing our Konkani language to Marathi thereby losing our beautiful folklore, folk tales, folk songs, culture, tradition and everything we have unique in us which is based on Konkani.
The Konknni people from Maharastra by being Maharastrian have lost almost everything of their own; their language, culture, tradition, folklore to Marathi, some of the patriotic Konknni people associating in my Konkani movement in Kuwait are showing their regret and sorrow for losing their Konknni culture to Marathi where there is no choice for them. They are now become slaves of Maharastra and Marathi culture which is foreign to them. .
Hence the imperative need of having separate statehood for Goa came. To save Goa from getting liquidated and wholly swallowed by Maharastra which was also the wish of Nehru and Delhi, we the Kuwaitkars initiated from Kuwait strong movement to help our fellow Goans in Goa financially to move forward in organising Konkani movement in Goa. When we started this movement in Kuwait 3 decades back our counterparts in the West were silent and till today for the cause of Goa they are still silent. Having Goan Associations and organsing annual functions and get-together will not help Goan causes in Goa. At the moment what is required in Goa is to take possession of Goan lands and properties by Goans. Outsiders are coming to Goa and purchasing Goan properties while we are selling our land to anyone. The Western Goans with Western Passports are losing Goa for themselves. The coming generation born and brought up in the West will entirely lose Goa for them and unfortunately they will not be interested in Goa either. West settled and working there Goans are in much better position to puchase Goan land but instead many of them are selling their ancestral land and houses to non-Goans and hugging Portuguese, British and other Western Passports. And yet they take pride in being Goans. I am ashamed of their Goanness.
Orgnising Goan conventions without doing anythig concrete to save Goa from getting Goa degoanised is foolish. Organising seminars and conventions by the Goans permanently settled in the West will not solve Goa's problem. Goa Government and Goan politicians will not care for any shouts from Goans settled any part of the globe. And by the way, what is the capacity and love of West settled Goans to rescue Goa from the chaotic conditions Goa is undergoing now? When the soul of Goa - Konkani - was burning the West settled Goans were silent. It is not enough to organise Goan functions to mark the Fest of Goycho Saib and to join all in the Club Hall to eat Goan Sorpotel and dance the whole day. What Kuwait Goans among all the exptriate Goans have done for the cause of Goa none can do and never be able to do.
What is the show and pomp of having GLOBAL Goan gatherings and Conventions when we do nothing concrete to protect Goa in Goa? Goa Government in Goa manned by all the "Rostad" persons are sucking the blood of Goans, they are corrupting the whole system in Goa, they are acting against the interest of genuine and true Goans. Goa Government is anti-Goan, promoting all round corruption. This Government and its machinery will do nothing for the good of Goa and Goans. Only shameless expatriate Goans will shamelessly entertain the Goa Government personnel. These expatriate Goans have no right to talk for Goa because they did nothing for Goa when Goa and Konkani needed their help and currently too they are doing nothing to protect Goa and its unique identity.
Recently in the West one scheduled Goan function was cancelled because of dispute between the two factions. This is our Goan Christian tradition and we maintained it even in the West because it is said in Konkani "Gaum assa thuim Marvott assa". "Goykar Christao assa thuim duspott astach".
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
