In the recent death in Goa of Punaji Achrekar, yet one more hardcore remnant of Maharastrawadi Gomantak Party was finished from this planet. MGP was formed in Goa immediately following the illegal annexation of Goa by Bharat not more to merge Goa with Marathi oriented Maharastra but more to marginalize and liquidate systematically the Christians and its influence from Goa. It was wrongly given to understand that during Portuguese era Goan Christians enjoyed better facilities but in reality it was not so.
Men like Dayananda Bandodkar himself a beneficiary of Portuguese Government largesse was instrumental in creating this anti-Christian opinion into the minds of lower cadre Hindus who later on supported the Zalach Payije Movement during Opinion Poll. This Zalalch Payije movement supporters thought Goan Christians enjoyed better facilities during Portuguese time and for this they have to punish Goan Christians by merging Goa with Maharastra thereby liquidating the identity of Goa and making Marathi as official language of Goa which is the weakness of Christians.
Christians in Goa were not conversant in Marathi, only Hindus know this language and if it is made as an official language of Goa, then Christians will lose all the opportunities and thus they become slaves of Hindus in Goa.
That Christians enjoyed better facilities in Goa during the Portuguese rule was a wrong opinion. Only Christian Brahmins and Bhattkars enjoyed better facilities in Goa during Portuguese time while others not. The entire commercial sector of Goa was into the hands of Goan Hindus during the Portuguese era; the entire mining industry was into the hands of Hindus; best of job opportunities in the government sector were into the hands of Hindus. The Hindus especially the upper level Hindus played a dominant role in Goa during the Portuguese era being very close to Portuguese government.
Punaji Achrekar was one of the members of MGP working very hard to implement MGP’s manifesto. He was very close to Bandodkar who was listening to Punaji’s advices very easily. Bandodkar used him to counter the Catholic’s influence in Calangute constituency since Punaji’s village Saligao was in Calangute constituency. He was acting as informer to Bandodkar. Bandodkar was not afraid of 12 gigantic members of UG in the Assembly but was afraid of Konkani Tiatro Trio of Conception-Nelson-Anthony because their trio songs could easily shake Bandodkar and MGP influence in Goa.
Punaji Acrekar and my late brother Josemarie were very good friends. During Portuguese time they both were working together in Sanvordem in mining industry. In order to woo more members from our side towards MGP, he tried to influence my brother towards MGP even once proposing an Electrion ticket of MGP to my brother for Calangute constituency. But true to his principle, my brother flatly refused all the anti-UG approaches of Punaji but remained a good friend of Punaji and Punaji also maintained the same keeping aside his political leanings.
"DOLOROSA" was the new Tiatro of Nelson and the first show was at Mapusa. Bandodkar told Punaji to go for this Triatro and watch carefully what trio songs the trio kings will sing against MGP and feed me back. As a good friend Punaji called my brother to accompany him for this tiatro and fortunately for me my brother took me also along with them to watch this tiatro Dolorosa staged first time in the history on Moving Stage. The point of citing this incident was to know how close he was to Bandodkar and how much Bandodkar was careful and afraid of the Trio Kings ‘Zupattis’.
Punaji Acrekar was terribly afraid of Bandodkar. It was not he only but all the MLA’s and Ministers in his cabinet were terribly afraid of Bandodkar who was acting like Salazar. Bandodkar was treating his MLA’s as dirt even insulting and humiliating them openly with derogatory remarks. One day I was playing in the final at Candolim soccer ground, the final was between Saligao and Candolim. As a Law Minister Prataphtsingh Rane was the Chief Guest. Punaji Achrekar an MLA that time and as a Saligaokar was seated next to Rane.
Suddenly there was a fight on the ground between one Candolim Player and one Saligao player, both started kicking each other leading to fist fight. Then the crowd descended on the ground leading to free for all. There was total chaos on the ground. Supporters of Saligao were irresistible. Rane the chief guest left from his seat and entered the ground to pacify the crowd especially the supporters of Saligao.
When Rane found it difficult to stop the chaos, from one side of the ground with anger he screamed to Saligao supporters on the other side of the ground saying loudly at the top of his voice thus: ‘Aum tumkam biena re, aunvui zogoddpi, aum adim Khusti khelpi, aum tumkam biena re’. Listening this threat of Rane, Saligao supporters started to boo Rane for which Rane got humiliated and turned towards Punaji who was close to him on the ground. Then Rane asked Punaji thus: ‘Achrekar, he sogle lokh tumche, tujean tankam somzaunk zaina? Aum hem soglem vochun Bahuk sangtolom’.
When Rane issued this threat to Punaji Achrekar by taking the name of Bahu (Bandodkar), Puaji was totally shattered with fear of Bahu. I was next to Punaji and from close angle I noticed Punaji was trembling and with his trembling lips he asked Rane thus: ‘Anvem kitem kelam, anvem kitem kelam?’ That was the fear of Bandodkar to his MLA’s whom he treated like slaves including Punaji Achrekar.
Though he was a MLA yet he had humility in him by living a simple life. During those days MLA’s of MG and UG were not on looting spree as they are doing now. Those days MLA’s were strict to their parties principles. UG MLA’s were fighting to save Goa from the clutches of MG and MG MLA’s in turn were fighting to liquidate the identity of Goa, Punaji was one of them. Looting Goa was not much in their minds. They did not mint illegal money for them and for their families by looting Goa and Goans as the current politicians are doing.
After the Assembly Sessions in Punaji Achrekar was coming from Secretariat Building by walking right up the Ferryboat and from Betim he was taking the last Bus at 8.00 PM going to Calangute via Saligao. Many times when I was coming in the same Bus after finishing the football match when I was playing for SESA, I used to meet him, sometimes we both occupying the same seat. That was the simplicity of MLA Punaji Acrekar even though he was an MLA.
With the death of Punaji Achrekar, yet another stalwart of anti-Goan and anti-Christian party MGP is gone forever.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
