51 Years back exactly
during this time, the mergerists of Goa with Maharastra were very certain of
their victory. My eldest brother Cheddo by name was an employee of Goa Police and
an ace footballer of Goa Police team. A
few weeks before the Opinion Poll, Goa Police football team went to participate
in the All India Police Cup Tournament held at Bhopal. In the encounter with
the Maharashtra Police team, thru the dazzling game of my brother, the
Maharashtra team was sent home earlier.
After the match, the
team Manager of Maharastra a ranking officer requested my brother to join them
immediately but my brother like me being a fanatic Goan, refused to join the Maharastra
Police. For this, the team Manager of
Maharashtra Police Team told my brother with pride and certainty that “very
shortly you will have to join us because in the Opinion Poll, your Goa will be
ours since we will surely win the Opinion Poll”.
Mr. Sujay Gupta, The
Group Editor of Herald Group, on Edit page 2 of Herald dated 14.01.18 makes an excellent reference to my work during
the time of Opinion Poll.
Now, I will add one
incident here to tell how I risked my life along with others. It was a week before the Poll when we were
heading in the Cycle Rally to Mapusa on Friday at 11.00 AM to demonstrate our
solidarity with the slogan “Goa for Goans”
Our dynamic leader Pedro Coutinho from Calangute who has contributed
more than anybody else from that area for the victory of anti-mergerists, was
leading the Rally in his Car. Suddenly, one friend of Pedro, Mr. Govind from
Arpora and a strong supporter of mergerists sensing something terrible will
happen, came from Mapusa where he saw with his own eyes Goondas with Swords
brought from Maharastra to frighten the Goans. Along with them, the mergerists
headed by Dayananda Bandodcar also brought from Maharastra the live Lions.
Knowing Pedro was a
deadly guy giving “jivak Jiv”, Govind pleaded with Pedro near the Bodweswar
Temple not to proceed to Mapusa Market and begged with Pedro to return to
Calangute with all the young boys like me who took part in that Cycle Rally. I
also saw some fisherwomen from Calangute returning home on foot without even selling fish of one paisa
saying “Jiv aslear bhik magon khait” and adding further “ why to risk our
life”. In this situation they said why to put their lives into danger in front
of hired Goondas by the MGP.
I joined that Rally by
bunking my class at St. Joseph’s High Scool, Arpora where the next day I was
punished with 2 canes on each of my palms. That was the only once I received the corporal
punishment about which I still feel
proud though this punishment is very small compared to the magnitude of Opinion
Poll.
A.Veronica Fernandes .
