Going back to 1961 once
again, a week after the conquest of Goa by the Bharati Serkar of Congress Party
under Jawaharlal Nehru, the loot of Goa was started by the Indian Military
personnel almost in all the cities of Goa.
What I observed in Mapusa and also in my village Candolim because of the
proximity of Indian Military stationed at Aguada, I express it here.
We Goans then were very
innocent and respectful to the authorities.
What Indian Military did then to us the Portuguez Military never did and
precisely because of this, Goans trusted Indian Military personnel but they
robbed us of the trust we had in them for their Uniforms. A week after the invasion or to use a better
word conquest of Goa, there was calm everywhere in Goa and people started moving
freely all around Goa. Shops with brand
new foreign goods started opening in Mapusa where Indian Military personnel
were roaming freely with their Chests out and Heads high as if Goa is their
“Bapaichem Bens”.
Then they in small
groups started entering the Shops checking the electronics goods such as Radio
Sets, Wrist Watches, Cameras, Pens, Sun Glasses and other such costly
commodities. Then they started taking
whatever items they wanted and just disappeared from the Shops without paying. When one of the Hindu Shopkeepers at one
particular moment out of frustration asked one Sardarji soldier to pay the
money of the expensive Wrist Watch the Sardarji has taken from that Shop, the
Sardarji replied thus: "Just shut Your Mouth. We have liberated you”. Seeing this arrogance on the part of Indian
Military personnel, the Goan Hindu Shopkeeper was shocked.
This very Hindu Shopkeeper on 18th
and 19th welcoming the Indian Military in Goa with the slogan of Jai
Hind, himself felt disgusted with the entry of Indian Military in Goa and felt
like uttering loudly “Viva Portugal.
Salazar Zindabad and India Murdabad”.
But as he later on told to his friend, within me I already gave the slogans
in praise of Portugal. Similar robberies and loot were also committed by the
Indian Military personnel in the Gold Shops too.
Similarly, in Candolim
Tinto a group of Indian soldiers stationed at Aguada entered the Casa Manica
Bar and Restaurant and after drinking the expensive Whiskey – Brandy – Rum and
St.Pauli Beer, refused to pay the bill. When the owner of the Bar asked for money,
they threatened him with dire consequences. A heated argument erupted, one of the
relatives of the owner while interfeering in between was manhandled by the drunk
soldiers. Then from distant one Catholic
man Lapit Anton seeing this, came running and stopped the fight. Then the Indian soldiers went back to Aguada
of course by shouting bad words. The
owner of Casa Manica and his relatives all Hindus said “Ami adim asle tech
bore aslet, hancheanim amchem ghatlem padd”, though they were the first to say
Jai Hind to Indian troops going to Aguada.
A.Veronica Fernandes,
Candolim, Goa.
Tel:7507394349.
