In the Times of India dated
09.01.19, there appeared a news item saying “Name 3rd Bridge after
Bandodcar” and further elaborating that “Maharastrawadi Gomantak Party’s Mapusa
block committee has written to PWD and Transport minister Ramakrishna
Dhavalikar stating that the third Mandovi bridge be named Bhausab Bandodcar
Bridge. The MGP block committee has
passed a resolution to this effect”.
I, on behalf of all the
like minded Goans strongly oppose this naming business of third Mandovi Bridge
after the most disgraceful anti-Goan and Maharastra/Marathi inclined Dayananda Bandodcar.
This man was nothing but a curse on Goa and today we are suffering the
disease of “bhaile” dominating in Goa it is mainly because of this originally
“bhailo” Bandodcar who or whose elders settled in the village of Bandodda from where
they derived their Surname for them. The
”bhaile” who are settled in greater number in the north Goa created a vote Bank
for MGP because they inclined towards their ancestry originating in the
neighbouring parts of Maharastra. For this reason Bandodcar counted on them
vowing to reunite them with their ancestral land and they too were happy about
it because they were interested in robbing the Goans of their genuine culture,
tradition, language, folklore and everything that is Goan and imposing on Goa
everything “bhailem”.
During the Portuguese
regime Bandodocar was living as a slave of Portuguese saying every time “Sim
Senhor” to the Portuguese personnel and even giving in writing as per one source,
his total allegiance to Portugal but once Portuguese were ousted from Goa he
indicated his hidden anger not only on genuine Goans but more on Goan
Christians by forming MGP to merge Goa with Maharastra and thereby to strip
Goan Christians of their culture, tradition, history, language (Konkani in
Roman Script), their folk songs, folk plays, folk tales and everything Goans
that was protected so tightly by the Goan Christians. He wanted to make Goan Christian as second
class citizens in Goa. He created an impression
that Goan Christians have enjoyed better life in Goa during Portuguese regime
and they had better rapport with the Portuguese. This thought of Bandodcar was wrong. In fact it is the Hindu community in Goa including
Bandodcar himself that enjoyed better facilities and better life in Goa because
it is they who held full control of the Trade and Commerce in Goa. Who were the Chowgules, Dempos, Salgaocars,
Shantilals, Caculos, Timblos and so many others? No doubt a good percentage of the lower
strata of Hindus have faced lot of difficulties but the Christians were not
responsible for this plight of theirs, along with them even the lower strata of
the Christians also suffered. However, Christians always took care of them when
charitable food items were distributed to them along with poor Christians at
regular intervals in the Church. These items were sent from abroad by the
Christian organizations for the poor in Goa. Now, to improve the quality of these poor Hindus
what have all the top millionaire businessmen have done? To alleviate their financial and social
standing all these top businessmen could have done so much but they were crook,
they were selfish, instead they on the contrary, at least many of them, told
the lower segment of Hindus that their prevailing financial and social plight
was due to the step-motherly treatment given to you by the Portuguese affording
preferential treatment to the Christians.
Goaan Christians from
the lower segment have not received any
preferential or special treatment from the Portuguese. In fact they put in extra effort to develop
themselves by taking risks and going abroad, first to Bombay, then to Karachi and then to “Tarvar”, Gulf and many
other places in the world. By journeying to the outside world for the sake of
their livelihood they made lot of sacrifices facing lot of risks. Their Church supported this move of theirs and
not opposed them in the name of their Gods and Goddesses. By being Christians means
to bind oneself by his religious belief to help others, to co-operate with
others and to live in harmony and peace with his fellow being and above all to love
his fellow human beings. Because of their iconic principle of Love,
Christians are acceptable by anyone, Christians are not much known to own the
houses of Bhattkars and of others, Chritstians are not much known to usurp the
land of others for them, Christians are not known much for duping those from
whom they received loans to purchase Buses, Cars, Bikes and to construct houses
and to do the business. Christians in
the greater sense were accepted by anybody because by virtue of being
Christians and the followers of Christ, to a much greater extent they are sincere,
faithful, truthfull and not crook.
The name for the 3rd
Mandovi Bridge should be given from anyone Goan from any community who has done
great service for Goa by being a perfect secular, perfect lover of Konkani, promoter
of Goan Culture, tradition, history and other aspects of Goan life. Dayananda
Bandodcar was not a true Goan, he was a fake Goan, he worked against the
interest of genuine Goans. He worked for the destruction of Goan language
Konkani and instead tried to impose a foreign language Marathi on Goa from
nowhere. This was the game of lying and cheating which he played well but ultimately
failed to win because of our victory in the historic Opinion Poll. He made open distinction between Hindus and
Christians by leaning towards Hindus mainly the lower segment of Goan society, in
fact he believed and acknowledged only the “Bahujan samaz” from the Hindus as
if among the Christians there was no Bahujan Samaz. His hatred and disliked for the Goan
Christians was open and clear. And for such person to bring him to the pedestal
by naming the Third Mandovi Bridge after
him will be doing injustice to Goa and Goans.
A.Veronica Fernandes.
