Konkani language issue
would not easily gain the success and Goa would not easily get the Statehood if
the Kuwait Goans in particular and the Gulf Goans in general would not pour
money in the Konkani movement in Goa to fight for this cause. I went to Kuwait for employment in March 1975
and immediately after landing in Kuwait I embarked on the promotion of Goan
causes, the first cause I took was of
Konkani knowing its imperativeness to get Statehood for Goa to eradicate once
and for all the fear of merger of Goa with Maharastra. We worked for Konkani
movement because only on the basis of Konkani recognition, Goa would get the
Statehood because Indian States are formed on the basis of languages i.e. one
language – one State.
In view of this in 1979
we formed in Kuwait, Novem Goem Pratishtan Kuwait Somiti to raise fund for
People’s Daily “NOVEM GOEM” in Konkani, in both the scripts, Roman and Nagri,
to be established in Goa. The total cost
of this whole project was as estimated by Novem Goem Pratishtan - A Trust formed for this project in Goa - was
5 lakhs of which one lakh rupees for Romi Daily and when this fund collection
from the public reaches to 5 lakhs, NGP assured to starts the Nagri script
also.
From Kuwait itself
within a very short time we collected 1 lakh thru personal donations and by
organizing social activities mainly the Tiatros where every Tiatrist
participated without taking any fees.
Later on by keeping the momentum intact we managed to collect almost or
a little less than 5 lakhs. Besides our brothers and sisters in other parts of
the Gulf mainly Abu Dhabi also collected
some fund for this cause. But what was
regrettable was the dormancy displayed in this matter by our brothers and
sisters in the West who showed total negligence in contributing anything for
this. It is not enough to say “Oh our
Goa is gone” but to prevent it from going what have we done? Organising parties, Goa Day functions and
celebrating the feast of St. Francis
Xavier and then gathering in the hall for the ballroom dance by drinking alcohol
and eating Goan Sorpotel will not prevent Goa from going into the hands of
Indian Ghanttis. By selling our ancestral houses and properties to the Indian
Ghanttis and with the help of Portuguese Passports settling in the West we will
never save Goa from going into the hands of our enemies.
Besides, we from Kuwait
itself raised funds for so many other causes namely for Direct Flight from Kuwait
to Dabolim, for Goa Cancer Hospital at Donapaula – as per my information it was
around 20 lakhs, for helping the runaway maids from Kuwaiti houses to avoid
persecution from the Kuwait bosses and madams and many others. These issues needed money urgently at that
time and we fulfilled our obligations by our financial assistance. I was
instrumental in raising funds for most of those causes while for others by
being on forefront in providing my total assistance. Because of so deeply
involving in the Goan causes there was too much of strain on my health, life
security and on my personal finance because of which I had to deny so many
amenities to my family.
The last major cause I
was about to handle with Mathanay Saldanha was to raise fund and accumulate it
to create Land Bank. The purpose of this
was to prevent the Indian Ghanttis from purchasing Goan land and thereby
acquiring the ownership of Goa just as Jews did in Palestine and became the
owners of Palestine. But due to many reasons I could not move further in this
matter though we both me and Mathanay Saldanha on his own initiative had
dicusion on this topic. The idea was
like this: I will take care of Kuwait to
collect as donation KD 1.000 from every willing Goan from Kuwait and in the
similar manner entrust somebody in other parts of the Gulf including in the West.
Now I am no more in
Kuwait and in Goa my health is wavering, body parts and organs are
malfunctioning, instead of walking straight I am walking slanting, the last
stage of my life as Shakespeare mentioned in his last drama “As you like it”
meaning Sans Teeth –Sans Eyes – Sans Limbs - looks approaching very fast. Though I am physically from Kuwait unable to
collect and create more funds for many of our causes in Goa which require financial help yet I have strong
faith in my colleagues and friends whom I bade adieu 4 years back while leaving
Kuwait for good, that they will do this job much better than anybody because
during my long stay in Kuwait I have with my colleagues already laid a strong
base conducive to collect fund for any good cause in Goa.
Patriotic Goans in Kuwait like Domnick Araujo, Domnick
Fernandes, Gasper Almeida, Gasper Crsto, Carmo Santos, Salvador Dias, Fidelis
Fernandes, B.M. Viegas and many others should join together under one banner
and organize functions and collect fund for this cause. Then deposit it in their name only and
disburse it as and when required for the good causes in Goa of course after
ascertaining the worth of these causes. Many of the activists in Goa are starving
for finance because they have zero in their pockets but they have abundant
talent to move forward, I know them very well, whenever possible I lend them my
meager financial support, but this is not enough.
Government in Goa is very
powerful and doing too much injustice against Goa, Goans and Christians
more. We have obligation to protect our
interest and not just talk saying “Goem atam
gelem” or “Makam kiteak poddlam?” Makam ani Tukam poddonkna tor konnank
poddlam? Ghanttiank? Tor faleam Goem Ghanttiancheam
hathin poddtoch maguir roddonakant.
These today’s Ghanttis in Goa tomorrow they will become Goans and the
day after tomorrow they will become our bosses and masters and then they will
make us as their slaves. This is a very
serious issue about which very few Goans apply their minds. The Government of Goa is least bothered on
this issue because Parricar’s BJP Government like MGP earlier is anti-Goan,
anti – Christian. This government is ready to invest all its resources to
deChristianise Goan Christians and time for this is not very far. BJP under Parricar has already succeeded in
Hindunising three of his Christian MLA’s. And given a further opportunity he
will convert all his Christian colleagues in the Goa Legislative Assembly into
hard core Hindus.
In Goa still some
important activities are left to be conducted and for these activities
financial assistance is required. There are groups here in Goa that are waging a strong war on injustice done to
Romi Konkani and when time comes they may require financial help to carry
forward their movement and at that right time they may approach us Romivadis
for help. At this time we must be
prepared to support our brothers to move forward by supplying the required
financial tonic. At this time we cannot remain as silent spectators. We have obligations to help those who are
helping the Goan causes. I have strong
confidence that our Kuwait brothers will not let us down by disowning their
responsibility by saying “MAKAM KITEAK PODDLAM”. If this is going to be the answer then we
have no right to call ourselves as Goans.
Similarly there are other important issues which are handled by
different activists to protect Goan environment, to prevent the harmful effect
of Coal in Vasco, to protect the rights of the indigenous Goans and many more such issues. These activists are to be supported and by
what means? It is only thru our
financial assistance.
A.Veronica Fernandes.
